Tauranga kayaker Tim Taylor paddled round the southernmost tip of Stewart Island today and was heading uphill again by Friday afternoon.

Rough weather's kept Tim ashore at Doughboy Bay since Monday.

Tim Taylor.

Today he's made up for lost time, setting out soon after daybreak and going for it.

By midday Tim had paddled down the west coast of the island and rounded South West Cape at about midday. By 4pm Tim was still paddling, crossing the entrance to South Arm.

Tim set out from Tauranga on November 27 to become the first person to kayak around New Zealand in a single voyage.