This Man Turned a Prize-Winning Pumpkin Into a Canoe and Paddled it Down Tumut River

Tormund the Giant Pumpkin has won two Australian records – ‘biggest pumpkin’ in the country and first pumpkin to paddle down the Tumut River.

Sitting in the foothills of the NSW Snowy Mountains is the town of Tumut. It’s here Tormund the giant pumpkin, named after the Game of Thrones character Tormund Giantsbane, grew to fame. It’s a lot of excitement for one pumpkin, but it seems Tormund has the juice to handle it.

Mark Peacock is the owner who grew the 407kg gourd, which became the biggest pumpkin awarded in any show across Australia in 2024.

Friend Adam Farquharson, a former commodore of the Tumut Canoe Club for a long time had a dream to grow a pumpkin big enough to paddle downriver. Alas his dreams were an ‘abject and hilarious failure’, he told ABC News.

This year the stars aligned and Mr Peacock graciously handed over the giant pumpkin for transformation into a watercraft, graciously dubbed Cinderella. ‘He’s really hilarious’, Mr Peacock said about his friend. If the shoe fits!

Shame about the lack of leek for a paddle

Inspired by Popeye, Mr Farquharson paddled a ‘slimy’ one-mile trip down the Tumut River to the applause of around 1,000 onlookers lining the riverbank.

When asked why Mr Farquharson wanted to paddle a pumpkin down a river, he said he liked to amuse himself and make people smile. He added, ‘It’s the most fun I’ve ever had floating down the Tumut River’.

While Mr Farquharson believes he’s the first person to paddle a pumpkin down the Tumut River, he knows someone who paddled a smaller pumpkin down Collector Creek in the ACT.

I thought Popeye ate spinach, not pumpkin?

The Pumpkin is Famous

Tormund became quite the cult figure in its southern NSW hometown, with followers on socials keeping track of its growing progress since the early days.

But what do you do after you’ve won top prize at the Easter Show? Poor Tormund was destined for the cow paddock until Mr Farquharson stepped in.

‘It was a fitting send-off that the community got to experience Tormund the pumpkin one more time in a different capacity’, said Mr Peacock.

Enough pumpkin to feed the whole crowd Sunday night roast

What’s next?

Well sadly after its big paddling adventure, Tormund has ended up where it was originally destined – feeding cattle.

‘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’, Mr Farquharson said. ‘She thought I was an idiot.’

After being awarded the nickname Popeye the Pumpkin Man, Mr Farquharson feels the worldwide fame will wear off pretty soon. ‘I won’t end up like Taylor Swift’, he offers.

Images by John Stanfield