Scott Donaldson becomes the first solo kayaker to cross the Tasman Sea

Donaldson reached Ngamotu Beach in New Plymouth at 8:40 pm to be greeted by several hundred people

Tired and disheveled he was helped to land, then mobbed by his relatives.

A crowd of about 350 people had gathered on Ngāmotu beach pending the arrival of the kayaker.

Family and friends, including his wife Sarah and their 8 year old son Zac, were waiting at the yacht club

After being helped to land, Donaldson stood outside the yacht club flanked by his wife and son at the exit of the airport.

He then received a box of beer from New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom before completing a customs declaration.

Zac told his exhausted father that he needed a shower. ] Donaldson, 48, left Coffs Harbor on May 2 on the north coast of New South Wales, and paddles up to 20 hours a day.

Sarah says her husband was not on dry land since May 18th – when he landed on Lord Howe Island – and that he was particularly eager to A steak and vegetable pie.

but a light rain began to fall when Donaldson entered the port entrance and disembarked.

Anne and Dave Johns stated that they had followed Donaldson's journey online and headed to Ngamotu Beach to wait for his arrival

to see every day, "Dave said." C & # 39 is a chance to see a real-life adventurer in action. "

Donaldson used the transtasman kayak attempt to raise funds for asthma research, a disease he and his young son are suffering from.

This was Donaldson's second attempt at the crossroads, with his first attempt in 2014 thwarted within 80 km of the end point, he lost his rudder and was unable to reload his radio batteries.

These problems, combined with injuries to his head and chest that he suffered in a nude it was particularly difficult at sea, had it hoisted water, and giving up the attempt.

Now, four years later, he has managed to beat the elements and achieve his goal, ranking himself in history as the first solo kayak of 2000km from the ocean between Sydney and New Plymouth

The Donaldson crossing this time was not without incident either, with stormy weather and shark problems that caused difficult times.

Donaldson and his wife stayed in touch by satellite phone during his crossing. In a conversation that they had at the end of May, he told him about his meeting with a great shark

He said the shark, about 2.5 m long , chased him, trying to bite the rudder of the kayak

. A few weeks later, in mid-June, a thunderstorm also caused concern in the team

Donaldson said a violent storm had hit the area he was crossing.

With the kayak and carbon fiber paddle, this left Donaldson anxious until the storm went into carbon fiber is an excellent conductor of electricity

So it had to be s & # 39; Sit down to avoid moving his paddle in the air while the storm was raging around him