Australians!

[Parrothead]

What the frack is going on with the giant mango statue?

[Gravekeeper]

"The chicken restaurant chain Nando’s has claimed responsibility for the disappearance of a giant mango from the town of Bowen. The three-storey, 10-tonne fruit statue went missing on Monday from the tourist information centre in the north Queensland town."

Well. Alright then.

[fireheart]

Publicity stunt by Nandos.

Nando's is a "Portugese/Mexican" chicken place. (In other words, I have no freaking clue) Their signature dish is the "peri-peri chicken".
It wouldn't surprise me that they did something like this.

Australia is known for having the "big" things ie the Big Mango, the Big Banana and so on.
My state has sixteen of the "big things", two of which I've actually visited and one of them is closer to me than the others. (I've visited the Big Rocking Horse and the Big Lobster and the Big Bottle is nearby)

[Seshat]

We used to visit the Big Pineapple fairly often when I was a child.

Basically, a pineapple (and other tropical fruit) farm, with a little steam train that had track leading through some of the farm and some of the left-wild bush.
Restaurant that featured tropical fruits quite heavily.
Rehab centre for native animals, with the tamer ones available for petting and the others in viewing cages while they healed up.
I don't remember what other attractions the Pineapple had, specifically. I know the Ginger Factory was next door (a ginger farm that took advantage of the fact that its neighbour was a tourist attraction, and had a shop and a factory tour and stuff).
Also nearby was the Bundaberg Rum distillery, and it had a shop and a tour and doubtless a tasting area. Oddly enough, we never visited the tasting area. (Given that my brother and I were VERY underage!)

The pineapple itself was a fibreglass construction, and the interior was .. I'm not sure. I think at one point it had a spiral ramp thing and displays about pineapple growing and such. But I also remember looking inside and it was just a bland interior that was kind of 'grey fibreglass' colour.
So I'm not sure. My memory is kind of fuzzy there.


Edit to add: Yes, I grew up in south-east Queensland. Brisbane, to be precise. The Pineapple was a day trip.

[KatherineB]

Apparently it's doing a tour of the country. It was in Melbourne yesterday, and I have to say getting it all that way must have been a heck of a lot of effort!

[Seshat]

... it's WHAT?

[prjkt]

After reading this, I have the picture of two trades driving it cross-country in the back of a ute... Sleep deprivation does strange things

[KatherineB]

... it's WHAT?

Apparently it's just a replica, rather than the real thing, but it's certainly getting Nando's all the publicity they could want!

[Kit-Ginevra]

Now it's a Big Man-gone...