The day Thor stopped the Iceman in the middle of Rainbow Beach
A local ice business owner is celebrating a chance meeting with Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth on a Queensland beach, saying it has given him a much-needed pick-me-up and helped the local tourism industry.
Thor was visiting Rainbow Beach, north of the Sunshine Coast, over the weekend when he stopped the Ice Man, aka Rob Gough, for an ice cream.
“I was going along my usual day, servicing the campers and this lady came out starting to take photos,” he told ABC Radio Brisbane.
“I had to stop and say to her ‘hey you can’t just take photos of the Ice Man without asking — I’m fairly famous you know’.
“Then I realised that the man standing beside me was Chris Hemsworth and the photos weren’t about my physique, but his.”
Gough said the Hollywood celebrity was enjoying peace and quiet with family and was partial to a salted caramel ice-cream.
“He was a top bloke and really humble and we spoke about how hard it was to home-school the children and the COVID restrictions,” he said.
“We’ve had a few famous people holidaying here throughout the years and people respect their privacy and Rainbow doesn’t haunt them, and they can just do what they need to do.”
New Marvel feature film?
The photo, which Gough posted on his Facebook page has been shared by thousands around the world.
The Ice Man said he was not discounting taking Thor on in a new feature film.
“I have seen all his movies and I did a double-take at first as I think he was hiding his physique, as he was intimidated by the Ice Man,” Gough said.
“I’m going to speak to Marvel and see what movie we can get on.”
Hemsworth visit a tourism pot of gold
The photos of Hemsworth and his family holidaying at Rainbow Beach have been warmly welcomed by the tourism industry.
“They have a big megaphone and when people need a bit of reassurance that travelling is safe and enjoyable,” Queensland Tourism Council CEO, Daniel Gschwind, said.
“The Hemsworths visiting and endorsing Rainbow Beach is not hurting at all.”
Rainbow Beach butcher Scott Fitzgerald said the Hemsworths regularly visit the small coastal community and shop at his store.
“They come up a few times a year and they don’t get followed around or get harassed by the media,” he said.
“They’ll spend all day, everyday surfing at the beach and spending time with the kids.”
He agreed the Hollywood star’s visit was great promotion for the town, which struggled through the coronavirus pandemic.
“We do rely on tourists … we need people coming through and going to Fraser Island as well.”
– ABC / Jessica Hinchliffe and ABC Wide Bay
