Pete Goss and the Spirit of Mystery crew have successfully recreated a historic journey across the world as they arrived in Australia this morning following a five-month voyage in a wooden boat he built himself.

Goss followed the path of the Mystery, a 37ft boat which 154 years ago was sailed by seven men from Cornwall to Australia to escape poverty and seek a fortune in the gold rush.

The four sailors aboard Mr Goss’ vessel, including his 14-year-old son Eliot, were recreating a journey made from Cornwall to Williamstown in Melbourne’s southwest in 1854.

But while that journey so long ago went relatively smoothly, disaster struck the commemorative voyage when crewman Mark Maidment broke his leg last week when a freak wave hit the yacht.

The incident off the South Australian coast left Mr Maidment in agony for days until he was rescued by a navy helicopter on Saturday. The start of the storm was captured on video.