After more than two months at sea, Pete, his son Eliot, brother Andy and brother-in-law Mark Maidment were delighted to arrive in South Africa in time for Christmas.
Following in the footsteps of seven Newlyn fishermen who left Cornwall for a new life in Australia in 1854, Pete and his crew will now relax for a few days and re-stock the Cornish lugger before continuing their journey.
Writing in his blog, Pete described his Cape Town Christmas as one of the best experiences of his life.
He said: "Over the years I have been privileged to have experienced a wide variety of Christmases from childhood through to the Royal Marines. If I put saving Raphael Dinelli during the Vendee Globe at the top of the list, then yesterday would come a very close second, for it was perfect.
"Eliot spotted the first sight of land in the dark as we were putting our final reef into the big lug, and a fission of excitement swept through the boat. We were actually going to make Cape Town for Christmas with the family and Eliot was effervescent with excitement; singing and dancing a little jig on the foredeck.
"Cape Town was on us before we knew it and we called the families to let them know we would be in in a couple of hours. We all had a shave, washed our hair and gave Spirit of Mystery a quick tidy up. Campbell came out in the club launch to greet us and took Andy off for a picture with Table Mountain in the background. It was, he said, an odd experience to see our fine little craft from the outside after so long living in our little nutshell."
The original Mystery left Newlyn on November 18, 1854, and travelled about 11,800 nautical miles in 116 days before arriving in Melbourne on March 14, 1855.
"Like most good things in life this was just another daft idea. Lots of hard work, commitment and an amazing team ranging from Chris Rees and all the suppliers, Cornwall Playing for Success, Stuart Elford, our sponsors, and Mandy – to name but a few – have made this such a special experience," Pete added.
"The families were waving and shouting from the pontoon as we came in for a big hug. We made Spirit fast and trundled into the bar for a well-earned beer; it was cold, had condensation running down it and was like nectar.
"The rest is a happy blur; we found a restaurant with live music and tucked into a meal to die for. The house we are staying in is fantastic and the kitchen is bigger than Spirit of Mystery.
As ever, the little things mean so much more – a hot shower, cup of tea and toast."
article copyright WESTERN MORNING NEWS