Oskar Speck set out from Germany on a kayak in 1931 on a mission to reach Cyprus to find a job in a mine. In total the journey would see him travel 30,000 miles - the longest kayak journey ever completed and a record that stands to this day. He was also forced to wait for a new kayak to be shipped from Germany after his original was shredded in sandy winds. While he was initially thought to be a Nazi spy, he was later cleared after an examination of his mail and journal found no strong political leanings. Speck eventually found the mine he had been seeking just to the north of Sydney, where he eventually settled, trading in opals.

Source: Daily Mail January 18, 2018 14:06 UTC