About
Buffy the Big Cane Toad sits smiling cheerfully on Broad Street in Sarina, 35 kilometres south of Mackay in regional Queensland. This charming 1-metre-tall fibreglass creature has quite the backstory--she started life as a papier-mâché float at the 1983 Sugar Festival and even won a Mardi Gras award for her artistic appeal! Originally named and fibreglassed in 1998, Buffy has become a beloved local icon celebrated by travellers exploring the Mackay region. The sculpture sits permanently tethered to her concrete slab, a precaution taken after she was stolen (or 'toad-napped') more than once by overzealous Big Things collectors. This Queensland Big Thing represents the humorous relationship Australians have developed with the invasive cane toad species while celebrating the region's agricultural heritage. Whether you're exploring Queensland's coast or heading inland toward the rainforest, Buffy offers a fun and quirky photo stop along the Bruce Highway corridor.
Fun Fact
Cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935 to control cane beetles infesting sugarcane crops--a plan that spectacularly backfired! Today there are over 200 million cane toads across northern Australia. They're toxic to eat, can live 15 years, and a single female can lay 30,000 eggs at once. Crikey indeed!
Location
Stay in the Loop
Get new articles and Big Things updates in your inbox.