A Tasmanian adventurer and his Kiwi mate have made history by crossing the Tasman Sea in just 22 days.
Luke Richmond and Grant Rawlinson completed the journey from New Zealand to Australia, shaving nine days off the previous human-powered record of 31 days.
Despite arriving amid less-than-ideal weather, the pair were greeted with a warm welcome from family and friends when they reached New South Wales late last month.
“To finally finish this off by rowing back into the place where I left from seven years ago and have been smashed and kicked in the guts three times is a very special moment,” Rawlinson told NBN News.
The journey across one of the world’s most unpredictable stretches of water wasn’t without challenges.
Richmond revealed that early in the mission they suffered a setback.
“On day four we took a pretty horrific capsize when Grant was rowing on the deck and I was in the cabin, which was a big wake-up call early on in the trip.”
“We dialled down our systems and said that cannot happen again, it’s just too high risk.”
The duo credited their success to the favourable weather conditions as they set off from New Zealand’s North Island during a period of high pressure between two major weather systems.
To prepare for the notoriously rough Tasman Sea, the adventurers built a custom boat designed to withstand extreme conditions.
The gruelling journey saw them alternating one-hour rowing shifts during daylight with two-hour stints overnight.
Looking ahead, the pair say they won’t be heading back to the ocean any time soon.
