After a campaign that was marred by setbacks, Shaun can finally claim to be the first man to row solo from Aussie to NZ after his father, Colin, completed the same feat in the opposite direction some 35 years ago! The final hurdle, the landing, was the most dangerous of the whole trip as 3m+ swells slammed into 90 mile beach forcing Shaun to ditch his boat in the surf break and swim the rest of the way in whilst TT2 surfed and rolled its way to shore!

Shaun and his support team would like to thank the sponsors and supporters who turned up to Ahipara early this morning to drive up and down 90mile beach as Shaun’s landing changed a few times. After talking to Shaun he was absolutely stoked to be on NZ sand and to see his family and friends once again.

Stay tuned to the site for more TT2 info over the next few weeks. Shaun will definitely be a busy boy as the spotlight shines over his incredible achievement!

Thanks for your support!

What an amazing adventure, his final challenge still lays ahead of him. The Tasman providing challenges right to the very end with 3m swells hampering his landing and testing the big man! His tenacity and courage thus far will need to persist for a few more hours this morning, but we are confident with the help of supporters and Surf Life Saving crews this will be the final victory in a monumental journey.

A huge huge thank you to all sponsors and supporters who have been amazing! Shaun will be thanking you personally very soon.

TT2 signing off.

Meet at Ahipara Primary School at 5:30am, heading to The Bluff for an expected arrival of 8am.

See you all there!

The Charity Auction he mentions can be found at http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=2937490. You will find some TT2 mementos as well as some other items kindly donated by his sponsors.

Today has been a long a tough day at sea fighting for every inch east and trying to maintain a good position to minimise the ground he may loose over night. Emotions of support crew and those close to the expedition have come to the surface for a few today, realising how close Shaun is and the magnitude of this wonderful achievement.

Shaun is still in rough seas with rolling swell of about 5-10m. We are predicting he will land north of Ahipara. Currently  he is approx inline with Ahipara and with night still ahead he will definitely be north. With 50km still to go we will see him land sometime between 6-11am tomorrow depending on what the night has in stall for him of course.

We will update later tonight and keep you informed.

Not long now!

C’mon Shaun!!

The next big issue for Shaun is landing. Currently there are 3m swells further up Ninety Mile Beach (The Bluff), and 2m swells at the lower end. Coming in through 3m swells will destroy him and staying out at sea waiting for it to drop will only expose him to more northerly drift, so he definitely still has some big issues to deal with. Landing at night obviously just increases the risk so trying to avoid that is also a concern.

Today, communication with Shaun will be minimal as he needs to focus and get on with the job. On one hand his adrenaline will be pumping and he will be so alert, on the other hand hes coming to the end of 53 days at sea,  extremely tired and fatigued. It is important he keeps to his plan and stays focused. Despite the hurdles Shaun has overcome, his last 50NM could prove his most testing.

John will be flying over Shaun this afternoon and many of the surf life savers and boaties from Northland will be hoping conditions allow us all to go out and welcome Shaun in tomorrow.

For those who are coming to see his landing, we will be based at Ahipara (lower end of Ninety Mile Beach) allowing us to move up and down the beach if we need to. At this stage I can’t promise he will land at Ahipara but stay in touch and keep an eye out for an update.

This is getting exciting!!

Winds are expected to reach max over night and seas will not be easing for a few days. If this determined kiwi mariner can continue his outstanding efforts of the day then we will be expecting his long awaited arrival Sunday morning!

Normally Shaun wouldn’t row in these conditions and certainly not at night not being able to see rogue waves or unpredictable seas. The grit of this man and his hardened approach to overcoming adversity along this journey means he is only more determined. He will be on the oars for as long as possible fighting for every inch east.

Ninety Mile Beach, Sunday, stay watching for updates on arrival times.

At this stage he is expecting to land at Ninety Mile Beach and hoping to be around Ahipara. Failing that Fiji is looking like a good option (he was only joking!)

Keep your binoculars clean and the periscope by your side and watch for more updates as they come through.