On January 11, 2007, Andrew McAuley set out on his quest to become the first person to kayak from Australia to New Zealand across 1600km (1000 miles) of one of the wildest and loneliest stretches of ocean on Earth. Thirty days later, New Zealand maritime authorities received his distress call. Having survived a harrowing and torturous month at sea, conquering monstrous swells and terrifying storms, McAuley lost his life only a day from completing his journey.