Getting closer to the top

After a visit well offshore to Lady Musgrave reef, the two adventurers heading from Sydney to Perth in a Honda-powered RIB pulled into Gladstone on Tuesday afternoon for a welcome night ashore.

Former Queensland Capricorn Coast resident Peter Jenkins and his brother Phillip are making the long and uncomfortable trip to raise money for cancer research and they have already collected $50,000 since leaving the Sydney Boat Show just over a week ago.

With more than two-thirds of their 9500km voyage still to go, the Jenkins brothers are still confident they will raise the $200,000 they hope to present to the Cancer Council of Australia at the end of their marathon trip.

Since leaving Sydney the duo have visited Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour, Southport, Brisbane, Noosa and Bundaberg. Wherever they stop they hold public meetings to convince men over the age of 40 to visit their doctors to be checked for prostate cancer.

"Close to 3000 Australian men die each year from prostate cancer," Peter Jenkins said as he pulled their boat into Gladstone. "It is one of the most common cancers in men in Australia, second only to skin cancer, yet it is rarely spoken about."

Peter said he had always been healthy and active throughout his life, so he was shocked to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at 61. "I was lucky, I detected prostate cancer early and was able to receive treatment by the least invasive method, Brachytherapy.

"As a typical bloke who doesn't like visiting the GP, like most Australian men, I want this expedition to encourage men to book a check-up with their GP."

The Jenkins brothers estimate that they still have about two months of their planned 67-day journey to go. In the past couple of days rather than sticking close to the coast, as they have done so far, they headed due north from Bundaberg to Lady Musgrave, stopping at Lady Musgrave Island and exploring the lagoon inside the reef.

They then headed due west to Gladstone.

Donations to the Honda Over the Top Expedition can be made online at www.overthetop.com.au.