By Melissa Davies
Shaun Quincey may've made the journey across the Tasman solo but he was far from alone in his mission.
Without his support crew of friends, family and the kindness of total strangers, Quincey faced certain failure.
Rush hour traffic hit 90 Mile Beach before dawn, a convoy of the crew that have followed Quincey's dream from the shore all wanted the first glimpse of him.
Friend and crew member Ollie Young beat them to the chase, it was his job to help Quincey battle any last minute hurdles.
“It was so exciting, everyone was just pumped to see him,” says Mr Young.
“Standing on shore you didn't realise how big it was and once we got out there it was a whole new ball game, and we had to reassess what we were going to do.”
Mr Young says Quincey was well qualified for the challenge.
“He's been physically active for the last 53 days so he's in the shape of his life, I think this is the first time he's ever seen his ribcage,” he says.
The welcoming party also included the Taupo pilot who threw Quincey a lifeline at sea.
John Funnell dropped in a rescue package when Quincey's water purifier broke nearly two weeks ago, without it the rower would have only lasted another three or four days.
But Mr Funnell says he knew then that Quincey would defy the odds.
“Oh there was no doubt in my mind, particularly once I spoke to him on the sat phone and I could see the energy the guy had and the positiveness he had about it,” says Mr Funnell.
Water wasn't the only way Mr Funnell was able to help.
“Loneliness was one of the big things he had to put up with, we've seen him twice now - flown over him and spoken to him - and he was missing the company so rang us up and thanked us,” he says.
Quincey won't have any shortage of friends now.
Strangers came from all over New Zealand to support him, including Glenda Gorton and Patrick Magee who drove five hours to see Quincey in person.
“It's an amazing feat to do something like that and I take my hat off to him,” says Mr Gorton.
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