BBQ on a boat. Experience Adelaide like you’ve never done before on BBQ Buoys.

Looking for an outing/date night/just something different to do in Adelaide with your favourite people?

Want to see the city from a different perspective?

Love to throw a snag on the barbie (or veggie skewers for the non-meat lovers).

Just want to bring takeaway pizza on a boat and drink wine whilst cruising along?

Then you need to check out BBQ Buoys.

My lovely mum bought myself and my brothers a voucher for the BBQ buoys two Christmases ago, but because of COVID we only just got around to using it. Such a good mum and such a fabulous present. 

We all met up on the Torrens (closest parking that is free is Pinky Flat or near the tennis course near the Torrens, just a 5 minute walk to the boats). You pick a designated skipper, they get a quick run down of how to drive the boat and you are good to go. The skipper just needs a drivers license and can’t get drunk- seems pretty fair to me! 

The boats are comfortable and pretty roomy- it can seat more than 6, you just have to pick how many people you plan on inviting prior to booking as the price changes.

For two hours we spent cruising up and down the River Torrens, avoiding geese (they were friendly, but I really DON’T like geese haha), all while we picked on platters and then cooked a bbq. 

We found the best way to do it was to have some food to pick on while the barbie was cooking away, especially since we picked the 7pm time slot. The food we bought to cook was finger food (koftas, chicken drumsticks/wings) so it was easy to handle. They provide you with disposable/biodegradable cutlery and plates but it was good to keep the food simple and easy to handle. Just bring some wet wipes for your hands as you go through the ones supplied quite quickly!

In terms of drinks you have to buy the bevvys from the bouys- it’s super easy to preorder online and the drinks you don’t end up drinking (is that even a thing?) you can get refunded for. They have an awesome selection of beer and wine, with brews from Pirate Life and Mismatch and wines from Grounded Cru, Showblock Wines and Bird In Hand, just to name a few. There’s also non alcoholic options for those who are sober Sally’s. 

My brother, who’s never driven a boat before, said it was very easy to drive and lots of fun. There’s plenty of beautiful grassy spots along the Torrens where you can pull up to cook and soak in that view. 

The staff who run the show are very friendly and informative, and even offer to take photos for you  in the boat when they pop in to say hi on their little tinny. Which is a great idea since I lost count how many times I almost dropped my phone into the Torrens. Whoops!

The whole two hours was super relaxing, so much fun and such a great way to see our awesome city. It is such a unique experience and I’d honestly recommend it to anyone, young or old. It gives you a whole different perspective on our little city and how bloody lucky we are to live here. 

We’ve got it good Adelaide, SO good. 

You can find BBQ Buoys online or on the banks of the River Torrens in Adelaide. Best to book online to avoid missing out and being a sad skipper.