Aussie kayaker arrives in Southland after more than two months at sea

An Aussie kayaker has reached Aotearoa after spending 67 days at sea, becoming the first solo kayaker to paddle unassisted and without stops between Australia and New Zealand.

Richard Barnes, 61, from Sydney, departed Hobart in Tasmania on December 14 and arrived in the Southland town of Riverton shortly before midday on Saturday, where he was greeted by a group of around 50 people.

“There’s been a lot of quiet moments, a lot of rough moments, it’s all just an amazing experience,” Barnes told Stuff shortly after arriving.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream to kayak across the ditch, Barnes paddled over 1600 kilometres on the more than two-month journey in his self-built sea kayak named ‘Blue Moon’.

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The specifically designed 10-metre kayak had a covered sleeping area, and was stocked with over three months worth of food, which included 200kg of unrefrigerated food items such as Weet-Bix, tinned tuna, flatbread and dehydrated meals.

A spokesperson from Barnes’ support team said the cushioned seat inside his kayak had worn down from 50mm to less than 5mm in thickness over the course of the journey, and said he had sustained blisters and cuts, as well as chapped and cracked skin along the way.

The 61-year-old had previously attempted to kayak across the Tasman in November 2021, but the effort was cut short by wind and five metre swells caused by Cyclone Seth on day 50, forcing Barnes to turn around and paddle back to Sydney.

Cyclone Gabrielle had “no effect” on the trip, but the spokesperson said Barnes was driven approximately 100km off course to the south during the January weather event that caused severe flooding in Auckland and the upper North Island.

The Hobart to Riverton trip makes Barnes the first person to kayak solo between Australia and New Zealand unassisted and without a stop.

The first person to ever kayak solo between the two countries was New Zealander Scott Donaldson, who briefly stopped off at Lord Howe Island when he paddled from Coffs Harbour in New South Wales to New Plymouth in 2018.