A trip to Australia is not complete without visiting the Big Mango site in Bowen. The international feature attracts tourists all over the world to experience the delicious taste of mangoes. If you want to know the fun facts about the Big Mango that will make you yarn to have a visit to Bowen, here is a couple of them.
Origin of the Big Mango
In the late 1800s, there was a blossoming horse-trading business that took place between North Queensland in Bowen and India. People used to sail between the two countries to exchange goods. On the other hand, mangoes originated from India.
During the trading times, the Bowen harbormaster and customs officer, Mr.GE Sandrock, took some mango seeds from the sailors. Afterward, he planted them in his Woodlands property located south of Bowen.
On harvesting the first fruits, Mr. Mc Donald was given seeds from the quality trees. On his side, he planted them on his Adelaide Point property. This is how mango plantations spread in Bowen. Since then, the land produces delicious mangoes in the market. In 2018, Bowen and Burkein region gave forth over 1.5 million trays of juicy mangoes in the market. As a result, the Big Mango Queensland sculpt was built to mark the beauty of the land.
Interesting Features of the Big Mango Queensland
The Big Mango Australia sculpt was erected in 2002 in Bowen. The 10 metres high feature represents the prosperous mango orchards in the area. The design and building of the Big Mango cost approximately $90,000. Also, it is made of fiberglass and weighs seven tons. If you are asking, where is the Big Mango? Walk down on the Bowen Visitor Information Centre at Mt Gordon, 5 km south of the town, and you will see this iconic feature. Besides, the Big Mango carries the lush colour of the Kensington Pride Mango. The colour was introduced from Indian in 1871 to Bowen.
The Big Mango Disappears at Night
In February 2014, the Big mango was involved in a heist. Unmentioned thieves stole the structure at night. They loaded the Mango in a truck and drove away.
Within hours, the news of the Big Mango stolen had hit news headlines across the globe. The story was mentioned within 3149 media reports that reached over 25 million people across the world with approximately 13 million dollars in public relation worth.
Later, it came to dawn that Nando’s, a popular restaurant chain, was behind the game. The chain did so to market and promote their new lime and mango flavour. As a result, many tourists not only in Australia but also worldwide withdrew from visiting Bowen.
A Tour in Bowen
The Big Mango is one of the big things in Australia. As a result, tourists flood Bowen to enjoy the juicy mangoes and take selfies with the structure. Besides, you don’t have to worry when you visit Bowen out of the mango season. This is because the attraction centre has a restaurant where you can enjoy frozen mango sorbet from ripe mangoes harvested during the season and plenty of accommodation nearby.
Also, the Big Mango site has ample parking space for all size vehicles. Besides, the place is pet-friendly and therefore, you can come with your pet during your holiday.
We believe that these facts about the Big Mango Australia will help you understand the tourist attraction site better. Also, it will make you thirsty for a vacation in Bowen. If you want to see the largest mango in the world and take selfies with the structure, then the Big Mango is the place to be.
References:
1: https://www.queensland.com/us/en/things-to-do/attractions/p-56b2648baeeeaaf773cf78cb-big-mango.html
2: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-big-mango-bowen-australia
3: https://www.tourismbowen.com.au/blog/entry/big-mango-fun-facts-1
4: https://www.tourismbowen.com.au/big-mango
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDNBXQfN76M
