Monuments to carrots. “Big carrots” in New Zealand

In the eastern outskirts of a small tourist town called Ohakune, with a population of just over 1,000, is the world’s largest carrot replica, known locally as the “Big Carrot”. It rises 7.5 meters up at the entrance to the central part of the North Island area.

It was originally built as a support for the ANZ Bank TV commercial in the early 1980s. Following filming, the carrots were donated to the city in recognition of the area with the highest carrot harvests in all of New Zealand, and moved to its current position in 1984.

The “Big Carrot” is used as a weather predictor and a local attraction on Times Street, which is popular with tourists visiting the area. The monument is used as a “barometer” of weather conditions. There are such local expressions as: “If the monument is hot – sunny”, “If the monument is wet – rain”, etc., and accordingly for this region “if the carrot bounces – an earthquake”.

The area has been inhabited since the 1600s, first by the Ngati Rangi (People of the Sky) and Ngati Uenuku (People of the Rainbow) tribes. Later in the 19th century, railroad surveyors found a way to travel around the Central North Island, linking Wellington in the south with Auckland in the north for the transport of goods and passengers.

After that, the area was mastered by teams of lumberjacks, taking advantage of the permission to cut down the forest-rich economy. Shortly thereafter, Chinese gardeners and farmers established their villages and began to grow carrots on the rich volcanic soil, which eventually made Ohakune a center for carrot growing in New Zealand.

Monument to Carrots in Canada

A wooden monument in the form of a gnawed carrot is located in Canada. In fact, this is a monument erected in honor of the end of road construction. It was erected in 2006 by the master Hex.

The monument is located in Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada. It marks the end of a long-term road campaign to connect northern communities with the rest of Vancouver Island with the Island Highway. Basically it is an island that is directly dependent on tourism activities.

Egypt carrots

Monument to carrots in Egypt in El-Gurdaka (in our opinion – Hurghada), located on Madaras street. The boy is holding a giant carrot in the air with both hands.

The sculptor created a creative composition, the cause of which will remain a mystery. Although it is likely that the sculptor, like the rest of the local population, loves to eat dishes with carrots. Among the national dishes, pickled vegetables (onions, charlottes, olives and carrots) can be distinguished, called in their language “turshi” or “mahalil”.

Monument to carrots in the USA

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, you can find a monument to not one, but several carrots at once. They are located at the entrance to the Unemployed Food Fund, 1 Carrot Way, MI 48105. It is located south of Doo Warren Road, and about 1 km east of the Pontiac Trail.

On the company’s website, I found an explanation why the carrot was chosen. “It is nutritious, practical and deeply rooted, just as the Food Fund for the Unemployed is deeply rooted in American society.”

Monument to carrots in Turkey

In the Turkish city of Beipazar, on Hanlarö Square, there is a carrot monument. The Carrot Monument in Beypazarı symbolizes that this city is a world renowned producer of carrot seeds.

At first it was one carrot, and now a renewed monument of three carrots has been erected.

Carrot Monument in the Philippines

A carrot monument is erected in Sagado, Philippines. So far, only a photograph has been found.