KEY POINTS:
Two Australian adventurers, James Castrission and Justin Jones, who have paddled more than 2000km across the Tasman Sea are due to arrive on our shores this morning - skinny and sleep-deprived, but "pumping" to finally reach New Zealand.
The young adventurers' determination to reach New Zealand was fuelled by a desire to meet their idol, the late Sir Edmund Hillary.
Castrission told Australian journalist Phil Stubbs on Friday that the pioneer explorer had planned to meet them after their arrival in New Plymouth and they are saddened by the news of his death.
Stubbs said, "There are echoes of Hillary in the tenacity and determination of the kayakers' expedition as no one has yet paddled a double kayak between the two countries."
Thousands of people are expected to welcome Castrission and Jones at Port Taranaki in New Plymouth around 11am, exactly two months after the duo departed Forster, New South Wales.
Although a momentous journey for the longtime friends, the boys have had their fair share of struggles along the way.
The pair were tempted to admit defeat when they were sucked into an eddy halfway across the Tasman, pulling them back towards Australia and 10 days behind.
"The sea's really been bouncing us around like a sock in a washing machine," said Castrission. "We've had three or four days at a time where sleep is impossible and it really starts to play on your physical and mental capacity, but we're feeling good now."
He said the main thing keeping the dedicated duo on course was imagining the welcome they'll receive from their family, friends and Kiwi fans when they arrive.
"We've had a lot of time to visualise how we're going to react when we first arrive on land," he said. "I don't think anything can really prepare us for it - it's going to be quite an emotional get-together."
- Follow the Aussies' epic journey at www.crossingtheditch.com.au and hear podcasts at www.theenvironmentshow.com
