The boat hammers across the Coral Sea, spray whipping over the bow as the long line of the Lucinda trestle fades into the horizon. Ahead, Pelorus Island is little more than a smudge on the waterline—but for those chasing something rare, it might as well be a promised land.
This isn’t just another reef dive. We’re here for the Pelorus Island Express—an elusive current that turns an ordinary dive into something unforgettable. It doesn’t always show up. You can plan everything right and still miss it. But when it runs, you don’t just dive… you fly.
Rolling over
I sit on the edge of the boat, regulator in place, heart ticking between anticipation and focus. One final breath, one last check—and I step off. The ocean wraps around me in a rush of cool silence. My breathing steadies, bubbles rising past my ears, the surface noise gone in an instant.
Below, the reef reveals itself like a submerged cliff face. A vertical wall drops away, alive with colour—burning reds, deep golds, and shifting blues. Fire coral sways in the current, and schools of reef fish flicker in and out of the ledges. Even after decades of diving, that first breath underwater still feels like stepping into another world. Then it hits.
The current builds, gently at first, then with purpose. We’re moving. No kicking, no effort—just drifting along the reef as it slides past like a living mural. Arms out, I feel suspended, weightless, part of the flow. And then, something completely unexpected.
A barbecue – here??
Sitting upright on the sand at fifteen metres is a full-sized gas barbecue. Perfectly placed, absurdly out of context. It looks ready for a weekend cook-up, not decades beneath the sea. Yet here it is—now home to coral growth, sheltering small fish darting in and out like tenants in an underwater apartment block.
It’s strange, even confronting. A reminder of the human world in a place that doesn’t need it. But life adapts. The reef has claimed it, reshaped it, turned it into something useful.
Coral gardens
The current carries us on. Faster near the wall, slower as we drift out. Time slips by unnoticed until instinct—and a glance at the gauge—tells me it’s time to ascend. We rise slowly, reluctantly, the reef fading beneath us.
Breaking the surface is like waking from a dream. Sunlight, wind, voices—all rushing back at once. Behind us, Pelorus Island is already distant. We’ve drifted kilometres without effort, carried entirely by the ocean’s will.
Time is up
Climbing back onto the boat, gear heavy and limbs tired, I already miss the quiet. Down below, the reef continues on, undisturbed. And somewhere in the blue, a barbecue sits patiently—home to a hundred small lives, waiting for the next group of passing giants to drift by.
Getting there
The Pelorus Island Express is accessed from Lucinda, it’s a 30 minute boat ride to the northern tip of Pelorus Island. If you want to follow my adventures on land check out my books Gun Fights, Ghosts and Goannas or Red Dust and Rainforests.
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