A longer drive south today brought us to the coastal town of Bowen and what a hidden little gem this place is. From deserted beaches to rocky lookouts and expansive bays, Bowen is a bit of a mystery.

Where is everyone?

For some reason Bowen gets bypassed in favour of the well known towns further north. A study showed only 6% of the one million travellers on the Bruce Highway divert to Bowen. It doesn’t help that the highway almost approaches Bowen, skirts around the airport and then continues north away from the town. But Bowen had a plan…

The Big Mango

The ‘big thing’ is a common feature used to attract passing trade for many small towns around Australia and Bowen is no exception with its ‘Big Mango’. Costing $90,000 and a mere $60,000 over budget, it was set on its plinth in 2002 beside the Bowen Tourist Information Centre on the Bruce Highway. Measuring an oversized 10-metres tall it weighs seven tonnes. Not attracting enough attention itself, Bowen boldly claimed “The Big Mango has been stolen!” as a publicity stunt. It was ‘returned’ on the 2nd of March, no doubt to the great relief of the towns folk. At least it hadn’t gone far, it was hidden under a tarp behind the Information Centre. However, one article in the ‘Senior’ newspaper suggests it was ‘pinched’ by the food chain ‘Nando’s’ to publicise the launch of its new mango and lime sauce.

The Big Mango does have a valid reason for being in Bowen, though, besides attracting trade. The Kensington Pride mango, on which the Big Mango was modelled, was first grown in Australia in Bowen. It is believed to have been brought to Australia from India when the region once traded horses with the Asian subcontinent.

For some of the ‘big things’ during our travels around the country, we have stopped to take a closer look but it was very easy to pass this one by. Besides, I’m not a big fan of mangoes.

Why the Green Ant?

The last time the Big Mango received a fresh coat of paint it also had a green ant emblazoned upon its substantial girth. Common in northern Queensland, the green ant builds its nests in trees where they curl and ‘glue’ leaves together to form a rounded nest. The ants are extremely protective of their environment and will readily attack predators such as the mango leaf hopper – one of the pests that most affects the commercial mango industry.

So, encouraging green ants to take up home in the mango trees helps the grower and protects the crop. Scientific studies have shown that using green ants as a form of biological pest control is as effective or more effective than the use of chemical agents. There is a downside though, the ants will try and protect the tree during harvest and show no mercy in biting the fruit pickers. But scientific study came up with a solution. Noticing that green ants retreat to their nests whenever it rains, simply spraying the trees with water, just before picking, allows the pickers to do their job without being bitten.

Folks you’re missing something special

What so many people are missing are the beautiful sandy and rocky bays that line the eastern peninsula and the 5KM but deserted Queens Beach to the north. There are eight very peaceful beaches around the peninsula where sea temperatures reach a very pleasant 28C during summer and 22C during the winter.

Among the best; Horseshoe Bay, probably the prettiest with white sand and a reef perfect for snorkelling, Grays Bay with large shady trees, Coral Bay (clothing optional), the secluded Murray Bay, Rose Bay with its fringing reef, Front Beach on the Main Street and the sweeping Queens and Kings Beaches.

The area is also well supplied with walks from a gentle beach stroll to a more energetic climb over and around large granite boulders to one of several lookout points with views out over the Coral Sea and the outlying islands.

Bowen Murals

Even the centre of town has something worth exploring with 27 murals depicting the early history of Bowen as well as modern artwork. One mural was painted by the well known Australian artist Ken Done.

Bowen at War

The town also had a part to play during WWII when it was a maintenance and service base for Catalina flying boats and a location for a radar station monitoring the sea and sky for enemy ships and aircraft. Little is left of the radar station but a plaque has been laid on the lookout to honour the history of the radar station and flying boat base.

Lookout… twice

Talking of lookouts it is well worth while climbing up to the Rotary Lookout and the WWII Radar site for the expansive views they provide as well as a chance to spot passing whales. One thing we didn’t expect to see, though, and still find it hard to believe, from the radar lookout we could clearly see the enormous Lucinda Jetty that we visited just a couple of days ago. We had driven directly from Lucinda to Bowen, a distance of 340KM by road, yet there it was clearly visible on the horizon. It goes to show just how much effort was needed in the day to build a road that had to weave across the landscape, cross multiple rivers and all the while following the natural lay of the land. These days explosives, mechanised machinery and concrete make following the shorter path much easier.

A Tornado?

Although there is little information still available, on February the 22nd 1876 an F5 tornado ripped through Bowen. Little survived.

Moving on

Continuing south once more, our next stop – Mackay.