Kiwi adventurer nearing the end of his incredible journey

A New Zealand adventurer who has travelled 8000km through Asia and Australia using only manpower is about to complete his incredible year-long journey.

Grant Rawlinson is finishing his epic adventure from Singapore after setting off from Coffs Harbour, north of Sydney on Thursday bound for his family’s home in New Plymouth on New Zealand’s North Island.

The father-of-two has biked and rowed the entire distance, and before setting off across the Tasman Sea told 1 News he was feeling ‘a bit of nervousness, a bit of apprehension’ about the final 3000km leg.

Grant Rawlinson is 24 hours away from finishing his epic adventure from Singapore after setting off from Coffs Harbour, north of Sydney

The father-of-two has biked and rowed the entire distance, and before setting off across the Tasman Sea told 1 News he was feeling ‘a bit of nervousness, a bit of apprehension’

The 42-year-old began the journey in January when he set off from Singapore, where he now lives, and rowed on to Indonesia, then East Timor before making it to Darwin.

After making it to Australia he cycled the 4000km from Darwin to Coffs Harbour over 45 days.

Despite the gruelling nature of this adventure and others undertaken by Mr Rawlinson – including scaling Mt Everest – he said he is ‘definitely not crazy’.

The 42-year-old began the journey in January when he set off from Singapore, where he now lives, and rowed on to Indonesia, then East Timor before making it to Darwin

Despite the gruelling nature of this adventure and others undertaken by Mr Rawlinson – including scaling Mt Everest – he said he is ‘definitely not crazy’

‘If you’re living your life’s passions, and challenging yourself and living life to the full – for me anyway, I don’t consider that to be crazy.’

As if rough swells and thunderstorms weren’t enough to contend with, his 7m x 1.5m boat is equipped with a pole to fend off ‘nosy sharks’.

The boat, named Simpson’s Donkey, is built from both carbon fibre and fibreglass, and runs on solar panels to power GPS and communications.

As if rough swells and thunderstorms weren’t enough to contend with, his 7m x 1.5m boat is equipped with a pole to fend off ‘nosy sharks’

There’s a small cabin for Mr Rawlinson to sleep in and get shelter from the elements.

Before beginning the journey in January, Mr Rawlinson said he was keen to ‘explore some diverse areas of mother nature and to push [his] limits’. 

Before beginning the journey in January, Mr Rawlinson said he was keen to ‘explore some diverse areas of mother nature and to push [his] limits’