Step back in time aboard the PS Oscar W

Experience the golden age of river travel at the 2027 South Australian Wooden Boat Festival with a scenic steam-powered cruise aboard the historic PS Oscar W.

Lovingly restored and proudly maintained, the PS Oscar W is a treasured part of Goolwa’s maritime heritage. Built in 1908 and once a vital part of Australia’s inland trade network, this iconic paddle steamer offers visitors a rare opportunity to step into the past.

During the Festival weekend, passengers can feel the heat of the boiler, hear the rhythmic chug of the steam engine, and watch the paddle wheels turn, just as travellers did more than a century ago. Cruising the waters of the lower Murray River, the PS Oscar W provides a unique vantage point to take in the festival atmosphere from the river.