Six-tonne river red gum stump in SA, ready for a new owner

A rural entertainer known for his country music, comedy and collection of curiosities is a mainstay of South Australia's Murray riverfront.

Transcript

00:00 Frank "The Chookman" Turton proudly shows off his handmade houseboat.

00:07 Oh this is will it sink or won't it? It hasn't sunk yet.

00:10 He's a maker and collector of the weird and wonderful,

00:14 including an almost six tonne River Red Gum tree stump,

00:18 which has been a feature of his Riverland home for nearly 40 years.

00:23 In 1984 he was on a bush adventure 50 kilometres upstream.

00:28 I think I spent about six days and nights sunning down the river.

00:33 Cold as all hell, about a mile an hour.

00:36 Now it's time for the stump's next big move.

00:40 The 81-year-old has donated it to the local community museum,

00:45 where Frank's tale and this beauty of nature can live on.

00:50 And you can see what goes on under the ground with the Red Gum tree,

00:54 especially as big as that. No big long roots down in the ground,

00:58 but a huge spread of them.

01:00 Museum Chair Wayne Howell is excited for the new attraction to land.

01:05 It's legendary to be quite honest,

01:07 and the story is nearly as important as the piece itself.

01:10 Oh my God, that is huge.

01:13 And the story about the way he got it here,

01:17 you have to come and find out about it.

01:20 And yeah, the story to get it here was amazing.

01:24 Frank thinks the stump will be in good hands

01:27 and says he has plenty more zany pursuits to share with the world.

01:32 A hell of a lot of people have asked me why I built the boat,

01:35 why did I take the stump?

01:37 But I come to one answer, and it simply was,

01:40 I said I want to live before I die and give before I go.

01:43 A large legacy for a natural treasure.

01:46 treasure.

01:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]