Bloke’s baffling act earns him nickname
A canoe club commodore has sailed the largest pumpkin grown in Australia down a local river in what is likely a world first.
The massive 407kg gourd, named “Tormund” after a character from Game of Thrones, was grown by Adam Farquharson’s friend Mark Peacock, who intended to use it for stock feed.
Mr Farquharson, Tumut Canoe Club commodore, inspired by the idea of some lighthearted fun, saw an opportunity for an unconventional adventure when Mr Peacock mentioned the pumpkin’s fate.
Sporting a sailor hat and pipe, he navigated the hollowed-out pumpkin, dubbed “Cinderella”, down the Tumut River in New South Wales’ Riverina region, much to the amusement of bystanders.
“Barry Humphries said that he’s a big fan of the unnecessary, and I am too. I’m a big one for shenanigans,” he told ABC Riverena.
While initially surprised by Mr Farquharson’s antics, Mr Peacock acknowledged that it was characteristic of his friend’s sense of humour.
“He’s really hilarious. But he’s random, occasionally,” he said.
“I intentionally grew this as a family project and then started doing Facebook updates every week.”
For Mr Farquharson, the voyage was simply about enjoying himself and bringing a smile to others.
Farquharson joked about potential future exploits but remained grounded about his brief moment of worldwide fame as “Popeye the Pumpkin Man.”
“It was a sad moment. I did jokingly say to my wife that I should petition the prime minister to have it preserved and put next to Phar Lap’s heart at the National Museum,” he told the ABC.
“She thought I was an idiot.”