A group of Australians dedicated to raising money for cancer research are set to complete an historic crossing of Bass Strait in outrigger canoes.
Ten men and four women set out in two 14-metre-long outriggers from Port Welshpool in eastern Victoria on Easter Saturday on the potentially hazardous voyage.
The members of the Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association have island-hopped their way since, camping at Hogan, Deal, Flinders, Cape Baron and Waterhouse islands on their way.
Their longest one-day haul, between Flinders and Cape Baron islands, was 67km.
Apart from mako shark leaping out of the water beside one of the outriggers on day one, the paddlers, assisted by a support vessel, have been blessed with mostly favourable conditions.
Speaking from Waterhouse Island, 24km from the destination on Tuesday night, paddler Colin Bartley said the group are due to finish at Bridport, on Tasmania's northeast coast, about midday on Wednesday.
They could see the lights of Tasmania and were "pumped" after surfing some big Bass Strait swells, he said.
Mr Bartley said the crews would set out about 9am (AEST) on Wednesday on the final leg of the 12-day adventure.
By making the first outrigger crossing of Bass Strait they aim to raise $50,000 for cancer research and generate awareness of non-Hodgkinson's lymphoma.
One member of the team, Peter Corbishley of Tweed Heads, who built both outriggers, was diagnosed with terminal non-Hodgkinson's T-cell lymphona last year.
Details on how to make donations can be found on crossingforcancer.org.
Mr Bartley said they had raised $30,000 so far.
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