Grey nomads are among the most enthusiastic visitors to Australia’s ‘Big’ tourist attractions … but they are not thought to be suspects in the theft of the Big Mango from Bowen in northern Queensland.
The 10-metre-high, bright orange, metal replica of the fruit was apparently unbolted from a concrete platform and then rolled on to a heavy vehicle and driven off.
Security footage seems to show a masked thief on the premises near the Big Mango moving towards a large, unmarked crane.
Some media reports say police have examined tyre marks and received a reported sighting, which suggest the Big Mango
Security cameras may show mango thieves
is on a large, unmarked mobile crane heading south.
However, Whitsunday Mayor Jenny Whitney says the missing mango mystery could be a publicity stunt.
“No one in their right mind considered for a second that someone would take a giant three-storey-high, 10-tonne mango,” Bowen Tourism chairman Paul McLaughlin told the Brisbane Courier-Mail. “It’s not like it’s something that can be easily hidden.”
The Big Mango was put up in 2002 at a cost of $90,000.
The motive for the theft remains unclear.
Have you seen a suspicious looking giant mango on the road? Why do you think someone would steal the iconic statue?
Perhaps rhey just don’t like mangos
Or perhaps they really like mango!!
my money is on publicity stunt…… and haven’t they achieved just that? murders get less attention.
There heading for the big pineapple then the big banana then they are going to make a big fruit salad.
Cut it in half and build two boats
Nope, SPC is holding it for ransom, don’t pay up then its into the fruit salad
my money is on publicity stunt for the town to get nomads etc to go and visit and I think they achieved just that