New Zealander Scott Donaldson has made history as the first person to kayak solo across the Tasman Sea.
He arrived on the shores of New Plymouth at about 8:40pm on Monday evening to fireworks and cheers from supporters gathered on Ngamotu Beach.
He left Coffs Harbour in New South Wales six weeks ago. The trip has been a gruelling task, and he was even forced to see out a storm near Lord Howe Island.
Predictably, the journey has been one of physical exhaustion, but Mr Donaldson's wife, Sarah, says it's also been an emotional rollercoaster.
"It has been a very interesting ride. [We] had a few family deaths as well, including my father, so it's been quite taxing on a number of different levels."
After 61 days of blood, blisters and sunburn, Mr Donaldson has finally arrived home. He's even had to go through Customs.
The crossing means a lot to his family, who have turned their lives upside down to make it happen.
"We've invested everything into this - financial, emotional, just everything," says Ms Donaldson. "We've absolutely got into doing this."
He's also not short of support along the shoreline.
"When Sir Ed got to the top of Mt Everest he had a whole team and Sherpas, and he didn't even get to the top by himself," one supporter told Newshub. "This guy has done the whole thing unaided."
"It just shows it's a dream, and if you really want to pursue a dream you can do it," said another.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford even briefly paused their parenting duties to commend Mr Donaldson's history-making achievement.
A number of rowers have made the crossing. The first was Kiwi Colin Quincey in 1977, then his son, Shaun, in 2010, but never a solo kayaker.
On Monday afternoon people began to arrive and wait for Mr Donaldson on Ngamotu Beach. But for his family, the journey to get here has been years in the making.
Mr Donaldson has attempted the voyage before. In 2014 he came agonisingly close. He was injured when his kayak rolled in a storm, and had to be rescued 80 kilometres from shore.
But his wife was confident that Monday would be the night.
"I think the emotion has been under the surface over the next few months; it may all come out tonight."
The kayaker is raising funds for asthma research, as his son has the condition.
Newshub.
