The Longest Ever Raft Journey

Available for over a year

The Las Balsas expedition saw 12 men set off on three primitive rafts across the Pacific Ocean from South America to Australia - to prove that ancient peoples could have travelled between the two continents. The 1973 voyage was the longest ever journey by raft - double the length of the famous Kon-Tiki expedition. We hear from two of the crew members - American Mike Fitzgibbons and Gabriel Salas from Chile - about their battles with storms, sharks and a grumpy monkey. Picture: The 12 man team outside the Suntori Motel in Ballina, New South Wales