A group of five kayakers have successfully completed a gruelling crossing of Bass Strait in memory of their friend who tragically died by suicide at the age of 17.
Matt Taubman, Edward Hosken, Ben Taylor, Tim Taylor and Jono Hargreaves spent 13 challenging days at sea to complete the ‘Strait To Tassie’ journey, arriving in Tasmania with blistered hands and numb feet late last week.
The crew encountered unpredictable weather conditions, including winds of up to 50 km/h, during their journey from Port Welshpool to Little Musselroe Bay.
Their initial goal was to raise $32,000, but they have already exceeded expectations by raising $40,000 for the Black Dog Institute.
“After 12 months of training, planning, fundraising and 13 days spent in the Bass Strait, it was a pretty surreal feeling pulling up to the shore of Tassie,” the group said on Friday.
“None of us could have ever imagined the amount of support this project gained, raising over $40,000 for mental health and counting.”
“None of this could have been possible without all you amazing people from home. We just hope that this trip has inspired some of you to start new conversations about mental health.”
The crew is now considering another fundraiser to pay tribute to their friend’s adventurous spirit and compassionate nature.
