The Popeye

I have to admit that these were one of the highlights of my trips to the zoo when I was a kid. Hey, we didn’t even have to go to the zoo to go for a ride of the Popeye, we just went for a good old trip around the Torrens Lake and as a kid it was always fun. The problem was that I grew up which meant that I haven’t been on these for ages, so when I came back to Adelaide for a holiday I knew I had to rectify it, and rectify it I certainly did. Basically it goes for a trip around the torrens and the captain gives you a running commentary on all the sites. If you really want to you can jump off at the zoo, or you can stay on and head back to Elder Park. It’s pretty fun, especially if you want to awaken that kid in you.

I swear these boats were 10 times bigger when I was a tyke but to be honest they still haven’t lost their charm. The «Popeye» (or all 3 of them) are still part of the patchwork grid quilt that is Adelaide.
Yes, Adelaide only has about 1 km of river that you can boat cruise down;
Yes, the boats still look like they did when Queen Elizabeth first rode on them back in 1977; and
Yes, sometimes the Torrens is the same green as a kid on a roller coaster…
But who gives a ship?
The Popeye’s have been steered into the 2000’s and are now a great venue that you can charter up and down the Torrens at night or during the day with white chairs, tables, fairy lights, a projector screen, live music, BYO booze and food and even their own solar panels! That’s more fancy than any boat I’ve been on recently…
Although these boats still do day tours for the kiddliwinks and gummy ones (which any true Adelaidian has to experience at least once to call themselves one) the highlight for me is that they have now been brought into the 21^st century in elegant style while retaining a sense of their old-​worldliness.
If I was going to hold my next quirky event, hen’s night or birthday party I want to do it on a boat like the Old Spice commercial. Cause boats are fricken cool and so is Popeye.

An Adelaide icon! Who didn’t take a ride on the Pop-​Eye when they were a kid? As we here in SA say, it’s heaps good.
The ever present Pop-​Eye boat is a permanent fixture along the River Torrens, and has been since 1935(!), and I even heard the QUEEN OF FREAKING ENGLAND rode it once. I recently revisited the experience after a few years break, and definitely felt the good vibes/​nostalgia. The familiar blue and white boat hasn’t changed from my childhood memories.
The Pop-​Eye departs every 20 minutes or so on the weekend from a docking bay in Elder Park (right near the Festival theatre). Tix are around $ 12 for adults and $ 6 for kids, and it’s a scenic, chilled out ride from Elder Park to the Torrens Weir and then back again for the full cruise. Otherwise you can ride it just down to the zoo for around half the price.
I will say, as a word of advice, that the cruise is a bit too long for kids of the toddler age — they just can’t sit still for 40 whole minutes. But apart from that, it’s a lovely way to spend the good part of an hour. Keep the tradition alive!

The Popeye Motor Launches offer a fairly relaxing 40-​minute cruise as it winds its way along the River Torrens.
The scenery is picturesque on the 6 km trip from Elder Park and west to Torrens Weir. The boat glides upstream by Adelaide Zoo and back to Elder Park.
You see an abundance of bird life, including the river’s beautiful black swans, as commentary highlights Adelaide landmarks and points of interest.
It’s a pleasant journey, although the seats are a little uncomfortable after a while.
It’s the kind of trip kids will want to go on again, but once might just be enough for adults.
That said Popeye is much loved in Adelaide and is a children’s favourite. It was recognised as the first State Heritage Icon in 2011.
If you want you can stop off at the zoo or travel one-​way on the boat.
Tickets are fairly reasonable too. Prices start from $ 4 for adults and $ 2 for children younger than 16 for a one-​way shuttle from Elder Park to the zoo, or vice-​versa, to $ 12 for adults and $ 6 for children for a round trip.

An icon of Adelaide and the River Torrens, Popeye is a small simple little blue and white motor boat which travels up and down the city part of The Torrens.
3 Popeye’s make up the fleet, each fitting in 70 people, so you can hire them for day or night functions as well.
Popeye visits the weir, zoo and passes other attractions on the Torrens Lake, making it a great tourist boat and is also good for the kids.
The tour is 40 minutes return, and covers just enough in the journey.
Personally, I would only ride Popeye once. It’s not that good, comfortable or enjoyable, but it’s a nice area and there are some other activities to pair it with in the same part of The Torrens. And it’s fairly cheap — $ 12 an adult and $ 6 a child.