Alexandrina Council, Media Release, 30 November 20222
The South Australian Wooden Boat Festival (SAWBF) will be sailing into new territory for the April 2023 Festival, with Coorong Quays hosting the two-day event at the Alexandrina Cove Lifestyle Village, Hindmarsh Island.
This biennial occasion will showcase the finest wooden boats from our region and beyond. The relocation to the Coorong Quays location is a welcome decision by the SAWBF Committee and locals alike, with the Goolwa Wharf Precinct under construction throughout 2023 for wharf decking replacement and revitalisation of the entire Goolwa Wharf Precinct.
This new location presents numerous opportunities focusing on the wooden boats in and out of the water activities as a boutique boating festival. With the uncertainty of the Murray River flow, the new location will provide the space that ensures the safety of boats and the community.
Situated in the beautiful and unique Coorong Quays marina, the site includes access to the community function centre, grasses area for festival activities on land and mooring for over 150 boats. This will be a spectacular way for attendees to see the hundreds of boats that are a part of the festival, with ample parking available for visitors across the two-day festival.
The Festival is proudly supported by the SA Tourism Commission, Alexandrina Cove and Alexandrina Council and the success of the SAWBF in 2023 plays an integral part of Council’s Wooden Boat Strategy.
The business community are also gearing up to be a part of the festival. Over recent months, Business Alexandrina has been engaging with local businesses and Fleurieu Food to prepare and help local businesses to leverage off increased visitors to the region for the boating festival. Many are looking at developing new food and wine experiences to ensure visitors encounter the best of our beautiful region. To support this, these businesses will take part in a month-long promotion as part of the SA Wooden Boat festival. It’s a win for the festival and a win for our business community.
The first event in the lead up to next year’s Festival will be held in mid-December at Alexandrina Cove to promote the new location of SAWBF23 and to launch the short film recorded during the slipping and maintenance of the PS Oscar W. Visit Council’s website events for details.
The festival will return to the Goolwa Wharf Precinct location for the 2025 event when the revitalisation project is complete.
