Before reaching halfway, he had overcome fierce currents and biting winds, survived several tumbles into heavy swells and kept his cool when a shark nudged his kayak.
Over 52 days of gruelling paddling, Mr Taylor managed to cover an average distance of nearly 50km each day.
Reaching his finishing point - the Wairoa River near Bethlehem - would also fulfil a life-long personal goal, he told the Herald from Tairua yesterday.
"I've wanted to do it ever since I started paddling ... there's not many people who can say they've paddled around their home country."
His run down the Northland coast had been blessed with near-perfect weather and crystal clear waters.
But he wasn't reminded that the journey was almost over until Mayor Island, in the Bay of Plenty, first loomed into view yesterday.
"It's kind of sad that I'm coming to the end of it ... and back to the real world."
Once home, he hopes to start a kayak fishing business - but not before a few celebratory drinks .
Mrs Taylor said her son had done "amazingly well" to finish the journey.
"We are more than pleased he decided to finish what he started - we are all pretty proud of him."
