Friends kayak across Bass Strait to raise awareness about youth mental health after losing mate

Five men from Sydney’s North Shore have arrived in Tasmania after crossing the Bass Strait in gruelling conditions, aiming to draw attention to youth depression. Key points: Five Sydney mates have kayak crossed from Gippsland to Tasmania to raise money for the Black Dog Institute The group completed the 13-day adventure in memory of their friend who died by suicide According to the Black Dog Insitute, one in five Australians will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year Edward Hosken, 21, Ben Taylor, 23, Tim Taylor, 22, Jono Hargreaves, 21, and Matt Taubam, 20, completed the 320-kilometre journey from Port Welshpool, Victoria, to Flinders Island in Tasmania to raise money for the Black Dog Institute in memory of their mate Dan, who died by suicide, aged 17. The group, called Strait to Tassie, hoped to complete their journey in seven days, but the wild weather in Victoria meant the journey took 13 days. “We’ve had 40kp/h headwinds, which is really not ideal kayak conditions, so we’ve had to bunker down on a couple of the islands on the way, which is why it’s taken a little more than expected,” Mr Hosken said. “It’s been pretty hard on us...