Surf Lifesaving New Zealand has celebrated its centenary in a unique yet appropriate way throughout this summer.

A group of six surf lifeguards has spent the past month circumnavigating the country in inflatable rescue boats and they arrived back in Auckland around 1pm on Monday.

The group left Auckland on January 5 and co-leader Ash Matuschka says they spent 29 days on the water and 34 on the journey, visiting communities from Cape Reinga to Bluff.

He says everyone they visited was happy to see the group.

No one would have been as happy as a trio swimming at Te Rangiharu Bay on the East Coast who found themselves in trouble and we rescued by two of the lifeguards who were only in the area because bad weather had delayed them.

The trip has not been without its difficulties. Aside from weather delaying the team on a couple of legs, a popped boat and a couple of broken tiller arms also slowed the circumnavigation down but Mr Matuschka says difficulties were to be expected.

He says the team is excited to be back in Auckland six days earlier than predicted and they will be celebrating with some clubbies at the Mairangi Bay surf club this evening.

Surf Lifesaving have called the 2010/11 summer the ‘Summer of the Surf Lifeguard’ to commemorate its centenary. The Surf Lifesaving Nationals will take place in March at New Brighton Beach, the first surf club to be established in New Zealand.

 – NewstalkZB