62 DAYS AT SEA
Kiwi kayaker makes history • Ardern: “Truly amazing”
Kayaker Scott Donaldson paddled into history last night, completing the first solo crossing of the Tasman Sea in a kayak. The 48-year-old, welcomed ashore at New Plymouth by his wife Sarah and son Zac, said he was “absolutely knackered” after 62 days at sea.
Donaldson reached Ngamotu Beach at 8.44pm to be greeted by several hundred cheering supporters.
The weary adventurer was helped ashore then mobbed by his loved ones as light rain fell.
After getting up the beach, Donaldson stood outside the yacht club flanked by his wife and son to thank his supporters for turning out.
He was presented with a box of beer by New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom before filling out a Customs declaration.
Cheeky Zac told his exhausted dad that he smelled and needed a shower.
Donaldson left Coffs Harbour, about 500km north of Sydney, on May 2 and has been paddling for up to 16 hours a day.
Sarah said her husband hadn’t been on dry land since May 18 when he went ashore on Lord Howe Island. He was particularly craving a steak-and-vegetable pie, she said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tweeted last night: “There are some accomplishments that are difficult to fathom — like crossing the Tasman solo in a kayak. I’m pretty sure Scott Donaldson has stunned us all. Truly amazing.”
Donaldson, who tried twice before to complete the 2200km crossing, said he was “absolutely knackered. No one said it was going to be easy”.
He said on a good day he was paddling 16 hours in the 6.3m craft. On a bad day he was stuck in a tiny cabin but on worse days he was “going backwards”.
Becoming emotional, Donaldson said he had lost family and friends during his expedition, which was incredibly hard not to be part of.
Coming ashore was a “sensory overload” after seeing nothing but water and birds for two months.
“Last time was an adventure, this time was a race.”
He apologised for taking his time on the final leg, which he described as special. “I definitely did stuff I didn’t think I could do. I challenged myself to the max.
“When you’re trapped inside a cabin and you have five days of going backwards . . . that’s challenging every minute of the day.
“Some days I paddled to the point of exhaustion and then got up the next day and did it all again.”
Describing a close encounter with a shark, Donaldson said it was a “frisky little bugger”. The 2.5m fish tried to bite the kayak’s rudder.
Another hairy moment was bobbing in a “little carbon conductor” during a fierce lightning storm.
The biggest wave he encountered in his 80kg craft was about six metres, he said.
Asked what was next he replied: “Family time.”
His wife admitted some nervous moments but said she knew Donaldson had the mental and physical skills for the arduous journey.
She said she couldn’t wait to have him home.
Donaldson used the trip to raise funds for asthma research, a disease both he and his young son suffer from.
This was Donaldson’s third attempt at the crossing, with his second attempt in 2014 thwarted just under 80km out from the end point when he lost his rudder and was unable to recharge his radio batteries.
These issues, combined with head and chest injuries he received in a particularly rough night at sea, caused him to abandon the attempt and he was winched to safety from the water.
Some days I paddled to the point of exhaustion and then got up the next day and did it all again. Scott Donaldson transtasman kayaker