15 April 2026
An outdoor tour guide is taking on her own adventure this week as she canoes down the mighty Murray River to help more men understand prostate cancer and know where to turn to for support.
Eva Batey, 27, will start the epic 2,356-kilometre, 10-week trip from Yarrawonga on the border of New South Wales and Victoria this week and will finish at the Murray Mouth, the point at which the river meets the Southern Ocean in South Australia, in mid-June.
Eva is taking on the challenge to shine a light on prostate cancer, Australia’s most commonly diagnosed cancer.
“Five years ago, my grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Thankfully, he’s recovered. Today, he gives back by running a support group for men facing the same diagnosis,” she says.Not long after, her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer through a PSA test.
“Because my grandfather went through it, my dad started to get tested for it. He was able to catch it early because he knew what his dad had gone through,” she says.
“Because he was able to catch it early, my dad’s treatment went really well.”
Working as an outdoor tour guide in Canada, Eva led multi-week expeditions through the Canadian Rockies.
“I love nature. I love being outside,” Eva says.
It was on one of these 21-day trips, whilst canoeing, that she thought it would be fun to canoe one of Australia's rivers and raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer.
“I decided that it would be a great challenge to canoe Australia’s longest river, the Murray River, and to raise funds and awareness of prostate cancer,” she says.
Over 28,800 Australian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2026.
“I set my boat in the water on Tuesday, 7 April, and it’s estimated to take a maximum of ten weeks. I’m starting at one of the country’s oldest bridges, the Yarrawonga-Mulwala Bridge, in New South Wales – a trek of about 2,356 kilometres to the Southern Ocean,” she says.
“I expect it to be pretty tough, but hopefully the weather is kind to us, and it’s not too gruelling. I’ll be doing most of the trip solo, but some of my family members and friends will be joining me for parts of the journey, which will be really special.”
Eva, who is also a member of the Central Fire Authority, says she hopes her journey will inspire men living across Australia to look after their health and get checked for prostate cancer.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this without my friend Lauren Atkins. She is basically doing all the behind-the-scenes organising, including spreading awareness on social media.
“The last thing I want to be doing after a long day on the canoe is editing a video,” Eva says.
Eva’s fundraising is off to a strong start, raising over $1,000 in a single day.
“We shared the news on my account, Lauren’s account and to my immediate family. Before that evening, we had only raised $180, but when I looked the next morning, there was over $600, and by the end of the day, we had raised over $1000,” Eva says.
“We were very happy with that result. Our original fundraising goal was $5,000, but we’ve decided to raise it to $10,000.”
Eva wants to thank her father, grandfather, and family for supporting her on this epic journey.
“This will be an incredible experience, and raising funds and awareness for prostate cancer makes it even more meaningful.”
Help Eva reach his goal here: https://fundraise.pcfa.org.au/fundraisers/evabatey/my-2-356km-journey-for-the-men-we-love
For more information about prostate cancer, or to find a support group, visit www.prostate.org.au or phone 1800 22 00 99 to speak with a Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse.
