Giant dinosaur impulse buy becomes Milang town mascot
When asked why she bought a dinosaur for her front paddock, Brittany Vogelsang usually replies: "Why not? It's a rare opportunity to be able to say I own a dinosaur".
Milano, the saltasaurus, is now an eye-catching sight for people passing her property as they come down Nine Mile Road into the small historic lakeside town of Milang.
Ms Vogelsang, who has lived in the town for 25 years, is hoping that Milano's presence will attract a few more day trippers to the town of 800, located just over an hour south-east of Adelaide.
Once a thriving paddle-steamer town on the banks of Lake Alexandrina, Milang attracted national attention when former prime minister Kevin Rudd visited during the Millennium Drought, and the area is again experiencing dry times.
However, Ms Vogelsang hopes Milano will bring a smile to residents and visitors as they drive past, toot their horns or stop to take a selfie.
The unofficial town mascot ended up there, next to the neighbour's bemused miniature ponies, by pure chance after an impulsive purchase by one of Ms Vogelsang's friends went a bit wrong.
Her friend had paid $1,500 for Milano during an online auction, intending him to become an eccentric garden ornament on his property in Deniliquin in country New South Wales.
Unfortunately, for Ms Vogelsang's friend, the reality of relocating an 8-metre long, 3m-high animatronic saltasaurus dinosaur from the auction house to rural NSW within two days of purchase proved too difficult and too costly.
"He threw his hands in the air and said, 'I give up,'" Ms Vogelsang said.
"When he said, 'Do you want to buy him?' I said, 'Absolutely'."
Ms Vogelsang paid $200 for Milano and said once the decision had been made, things steamrolled from there.
With a borrowed car trailer and the head detached for the journey, Milano made his way down the South Eastern Freeway and through the nearest large town of Strathalbyn.
The community, after many doing double takes on an initial drive past, has embraced the dinosaur with requests rolling in for him to be dressed up for Christmas, Halloween and football finals.
Ms Vogelsang's co-worker at the town bakery, Kerri Woodgate, said Milano had already attracted visitors from surrounding towns in the three weeks since he arrived.
"It's been really, really positive for the town," she said.
"Kids love it."
Ms Vogelsang's daughter Emma agreed.
"Best idea ever," she said.
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