THE MEANING OF OZ - All you need to know!

If it happened Romeo I think you would find that your luck had turned. Best to just bear it in mind eh?

Damned big coast.

Bowen's Big Mango attraction goes missing in north Queensland



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Bowen's Big Mango attraction goes missing in north Queensland

Updated 1 hour 15 minutes ago
Big Mango stolen from Bowen Photo: Then and now: The Big Mango has disappeared from its home at Bowen (Supplied: Tourism Bowen)
Related Story: Thieves steal Bendigo rock from National Rock Garden
Map: Bowen 4805

Bowen's 10-metre high iconic Big Mango has gone missing from the north Queensland town overnight.

A Bowen Tourist Information employee arrived at work this morning to find the 10-tonne fibreglass structure gone.

Bowen Tourism chairman Paul McLaughlin says there had been no planned maintenance for the popular tourist attraction.

Mr McLaughlin said an employee received a big shock when she arrived at work to find the tourist attraction gone.

"I got a phone call from Christin Short, the tourism manager ... I thought she was joking to start off with, but she said 'no, I'm serious', so I've come out and sure enough the mango has disappeared," he said.

He says CCTV vision shows the culprits using big machinery to take the mango.

"It looks like it was sort of two o'clock this morning-type thing - there was ... some heavy equipment and it looks like they've taken the mango, so we're just working through that now," he said.

Mr McLaughlin says he expects the popular attraction to reappear again.

"I can honestly say this is the first time I've ever come across something like this - I'm sure it won't stay gone forever," he said.

"I don't know where it is but I'm sure some stage in the future we'll start getting some phone calls."

Police say they have not received an official complaint and are not investigating the mango's disappearance.

There is speculation the disappearance is part of a publicity stunt.

I've added it to my collection of really BIG thing!

It is a bit noticeable in my front garden, however, and I'm sure the bloody Owners Corporation will have something to say!

The cricketers looked a bit that way, hinge, when they questioned the third umpires decision on Philander.

And you though drop bears were a myth

Oh my!!! That's a rare photo indeed! That is the Drop Bear's lesser known, and rarer, but far more dangerous, cousin.....the Lunge Bear!

I'm more interested in the pepperoni in the foreground.

An update on the male offspring and his Oz jaunt for 3 years.


Well, the visa is now through, and it's just the flight that needs booking....probably around the 15th April.

Just had a weekend with him where we ended up sorting stuff for him to take and stuff to put into storage (in our loft, no doubt) and the final bits and pieces/loose ends that he needs to sort by end of this week.

I have a question for all the aussies......

He is allowed 30 kilos, and anything over that will be charged at a horrendous price. Tell me, if there was anything (suitcase friendly, small, compact, preferably light) that you would bring to Oz because it was so damned expensive over there, what would it be?

Clothes? Trainers? Geeky gadget stuff?

Is there anything else that you just can't get in Oz? I very much doubt it, but you never know......



I shall no doubt have to wait for an answer, as it is about 2am over there at the moment and you're all cuddled up in your kangaroo onesies.

In your own time.....she'll be right!

Spirits.

And electrical stuff......though while I know the US is cheaper for these things, I am not sure re the UK.

Interesting!

Someone else who's been to Oz recently says clothes are tres expensive (£50 for a T Shirt? They've got to be mistaken, surely).

I would imagine your tablet and smartphone doodahs are the same as ours.....would he just need a new SIM (and Oz contract) for his phone. Any suggestions for good value companies?

He's going to get a laptop when he gets there (weight thing, really) and he's already 'discovered' someone who sells sunglasses, beach stuff etc. It's nice to see he's getting his priorities right!

All he needs to do now is either rent a place, or find an Oz cougar who owns a luxury pad near the Bridge, and fancies a Brit toyboy for a couple or three years.

Congrats on the ICJ's decision on "Scientific Whaling". Your guys stuck it out while the US just "Pussied out"

If he's given to wearing £50 t-shirts.....

Clothing is much of a muchness. You can pick it up at any price. You gets what you pays for - as everywhere.

Techy thing are expensive - more so than UK, I think. A smaller market - but things are improving.

Phones - 2 or 3 main companies - and a heap of smaller ones. As he won't always be in Sydney - he probably should look at the company with best overall coverage - Telstra (possibly most expensive, but...) or Optus. Vodafone cheaper but coverage patchy.

Yep, phones are the same, I'd recommend getting a prepaid sim from a Telstra shop that he can recharge online at will.

$50 for a t shirt would be about the most expensive, so in pounds that sounds extreme.

But I have talked to a number of expat poms/economic refugees who have said Australia is more expensive than "back 'ome"

Computing doodads software are more expensive, apple recently got a 'please explain" for their. iTunes price gouging. I've had the odd American student stunned at the price of the web (but they were dowmloading the latest series of their favourite show)

It's been a while since I lived in Sydney but the couger option is worth pursuing, real estate in the good bits is expensive, and commuting from the cheap bits is painful, but plenty do it.

Speaking of iTunes, he'll escape our price gouging if he continues with an existing UK account. Apparently Australians can bypass it by picking 'USA' as their country when they first set up their accounts.

Books cheaper in the US/UK too. Thus the enormous amount of online buying we have in Australia.

Kangaroo meat cheaper here though.

Lyca mobile. Prepaid, good price, no trouble with coverage.

Thanks folks, I shall pass all this on.

I think it might be worth him bringing his own laptop with him if he can get by with the weight allowance, as it sounds as if it would save him a penny or two.

I'll keep you posted......

Take the laptop as carry-on

Good thinking!

Cheers h.