Would you sail across 460 kilometres of shark-infested waters on this bamboo raft, with no support vessel and only Stone Age technology to hand (and a satellite phone for emergencies)? A crew of eight from the experimental archaeology project is preparing to do just that, setting sail from Rote Island in Indonesia and heading across the Timor Sea for the north coast of Western Australia.
The aim is to replicate an epic crossing that humans must have made 65,000 years ago to reach the lost continent of Sahul 鈥� what is now Australia, New Guinea and a lot of submerged seabed.
The team built the raft using only tools and materials that would have been available in the middle Stone Age, and will have to survive the two-week voyage on tubers, coconuts and green bananas, plus fish and rainwater they catch on the way.
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The raft will be powered by a rudimentary sail made from the giant leaf of the lontar palm (Borassus flabellifer). Steering may prove difficult, but the crew hope that the north-westerly monsoon will blow them straight across the sea.
Expedition leader Bob Hobman says the weather forecast is looking good and they are on target to leave on Sunday. 鈥淎lmost ready,鈥� he told 快猫短视频. 鈥淟eaf sail to come and we can leave. But you can imagine the tension building at the moment.鈥�
Bon voyage!
