Boris Johnson has been described by the Australian media as “hilarious”, “ebullient” and a “blond British wombat” during a visit in which he used a major speech to reveal that his youthful obsession with Australia turned him into “a kind of unconscious Les Patterson”.

The Foreign Secretary’s three-day visit followed a trip to New Zealand in which he lost his luggage and raised eyebrows when he compared the hongi - a traditional Maori greeting - to a headbutt.

But there were no apparent gaffes or misfortunes in Australia – and Mr Johnson appeared unfussed as he admitted that, during his three-mile morning run on Thursday, “everyone was overtaking me”.