To avoid a reported transport cost of more than 2,000 Australian dollars, the duo built a floating structure, took four hours to complete the crossing that the ferry does in 45 minutes, and even prepared ribs and sausages during the journey
Two Australian friends turned the transport of a bathroom into a four-hour sea journey. Alex Craig and Paul Graham built a homemade raft and crossed the Backstairs Passage strait to Kangaroo Island.
The improvised vessel carried an old-style bathroom, a barbecue grill, and an outboard motor. During the journey, the two prepared ribs and sausages while heading towards the Australian island.
The crossing took place in May 2025, but only gained attention after the images were published on the Mr Boat Ramp channel, by Alex Craig, in July 2026.
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Photo: Mr Boat Ramp
Bathroom needed to be taken to land on Kangaroo Island
Craig owns land on Kangaroo Island, where he plans to build a holiday home. As he needed a temporary bathroom on site, he began to research alternatives to transport or rent the structure.
Kangaroo Island is located in South Australia, about 13 to 14 kilometers from the mainland Australian coast and southwest of the city of Adelaide.
In an interview with ABC News Australia, Paul Graham explained that the available portable toilets were expensive. Therefore, the friends decided to build their own structure.
The project resulted in a toilet similar to the old rural outhouses. The structure was installed on a floating platform, which was equipped with a Johnson outboard motor with 9 hp power.
A barbecue was also placed at the front. The vessel was named The Thunderbox, an Australian expression informally used to refer to a toilet.
According to Graham, the idea started as a joke among friends. Gradually, however, they decided to turn the unusual plan into a real crossing.
Ferry crossing would only take 45 minutes
Today
The journey began in Cape Jervis, on the Australian mainland, and ended in Christmas Cove, near Penneshaw, on the eastern part of Kangaroo Island.
The route through the Backstairs Passage strait is approximately 16 to 18 kilometers, depending on the points used for measurement. The report from Nine News considered a distance of 18 kilometers.
On a SeaLink vessel, the connection between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw takes about 45 minutes. The duration is confirmed by the operator’s official page.
Craig and Graham, however, needed approximately four hours to complete the same stretch on the homemade ferry. They departed early in the morning and arrived at the island without encountering problems during the journey.
The two told ABC that they waited for a favorable combination of tide, wind, and swell. They were already familiar with the region from fishing trips in the area.
Ribs and sausages were prepared during the journey
The four-hour trip was used to cook. According to Graham, the friends brought beef ribs, pork ribs, and gourmet sausages to prepare on the barbecue installed on the ferry.
The images show the two preparing and consuming the food while crossing the strait. A SeaLink ferry also appears passing nearby during the journey.
The bathroom was functional and had been supplied with enough water for a flush. The recording shows Craig entering the structure during the crossing, as well as following different stages of the trip.
Video was published more than a year after the adventure
Although the images went viral in July 2026, the crossing had been carried out in May 2025. Therefore, the adventure happened approximately 14 months before gaining international attention.
The original footage was published with the title “Can you sail a toilet to Kangaroo Island?”, on the Mr Boat Ramp channel.
The photographs released by ABC were also credited to the same channel. The material shows the ferry being prepared in Cape Jervis, the crossing, the bathroom, the barbecue, and the arrival at Kangaroo Island.
After the video circulated on social media, Craig and Graham stated that they intend to undertake other trips. The first crossing, however, already left an unusual scene: two friends crossing an Australian strait on a motorized toilet while preparing lunch.
