The Big Banana, the Big Marino and even the Big Cod. From the 1960’s Australia had an obsession with big things. Most of them make great road trip stops. Here’s our list of the best 15 Australian big things.
Image: The Legendary Pacific Coast
The Big Banana
Coffs Harbour NSW
The Big Banana has been around for five decades. This is the original Big thing. The banana kick-started Australia’s love for BIG tourist attractions. John Landi wanted something to make the passing traffic stop at his roadside banana stall. Hed heard of a ‘Big Pineapple’ in Hawaii. He liked the idea, and the biggest banana in the world was officially opened on 22 December 1964. Landi was the first to come up with the concept. But the banana wasn’t the first Australian big thing built. That award goes to the Big Scotsman.
The Big Scotsman
Medindie SA
Australia’s oldest BIG thing is a statue of a 5m high Scotsman, known as Scotty. It was erected in 1963 on the corner of Scotty’s Motel in the Adelaide suburb of Medindie. Scotty was designed by Paul Kelly, who went on to create The Big Lobster.
The Big Rocking Horse
Gumeracha SA
Image: The Toy Factory
The Big Rocking Horse and the Toy Factory share the same site in the Adelaide Hills. Climb right to the top of the World’s Biggest Rocking Horse and take in the views from its head. You’ll receive a Certificate of Completion at the end of your climb – and make sure you visit the fabulous wooden toy factory too.
The Big Merino
Goulburn NSW
A tribute to the Goulburn district’s fine wool industry, The Big Merino is a life-like model of a famous local stud ram called Rambo. The Marino was erected in 1985. He’s more than 15m high and 18m long. He weighs a whopping 97 tonnes.
The Big Ned Kelly
Glenrowan VIC
This 6m tall statue of Australia’s most famous bushranger and outlaw stands guard at the Glenrowan Heritage Precinct, which also houses the Ned Kelly Memorial Museum.
The Big Pineapple
Sunshine Coast QLD
The Big Pineapple was opened in 1971 and has since been heritage listed. The Big Pineapple is one of the most visited BIG tourist attractions in the country. Even Prince Charles and Princess Diana stopped here during a Royal Tour.
The Big Prawn
Ballina NSW
Image: Commons Wikipedia
Weighing 35 tonnes and standing 9m high, the NSW north coast’s homage to a crustacean was built in 1989. After a $400,000 makeover in 2013 the Big Prawn looking more resplendent than ever!
The Big Aboriginal Hunter and his wife and child
Aileron in Anmatjere Community NT (150km north of Alice Springs)
In 2005 the giant 17m tall Anmatjere Man first loomed on the hill at Aileron. In 2008 this impressive indigenous warrior was joined by an equally impressive representation of his wife and child.
The Big Galah
Kimba SA
The town of Kimba is notable for being the halfway point between the east and west coasts of Australia. Kimba is also home to an 8m tall galah set amid huge wheat silos. Visit the Kimba Half Way Across Australia Gem shop and the Kimba and Gawler Ranges Museum while you’re there.
The Big Gold Panner
Bathurst NSW
Image: iStock
Located outside the Gold Panner Motor Inn, this giant statue makes a striking sight and gives a nod to Bathurst’s gold mining heritage.
The Big Miner
Ballarat VIC
One of the more recent additions to Australia’s wealth of BIG statues, The Big Miner is a tribute to the gold prospectors who flocked from around the world to this part of Victoria during the gold rush of the late 1800s. It’s 8m tall and hand-sculpted from polystyrene and was officially unveiled in 2006.
The Big Golden Guitar
Tamworth NSW
Australia’s country music capital, Tamworth, boasts a 12m high Big Golden Guitar right at the entrance to The Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre – where else? Check out the all-star tribute to country music greats at the Wax Museum, and visit the largest private collection of memorabilia honouring our Aussie cricketing legend, Sir Donald Bradman.
The Big Lobster
Kingston SA
Image: iStock
Much-loved by thousands of locals and tourists, Larry the Lobster made his public debut in 1979 and was created to entice passing motorists to stop at a seafood restaurant – and at 17m high and 15m wide there’s no way you can miss this giant sea creature.
The Big Crocodile
Normanton QLD
This 8.63m long statue immortalises ‘Krys the Crocodile’ –the biggest known crocodile in Australia, killed in 1957 by Krystina Pawlowski (a 30-year old Polish immigrant).
The Big Murray Cod
Swan Hill VIC
Image: Wikipedia Commons
Here’s a mighty fish! 15m long and 6m wide, the Big Murray Cod was originally created as a movie prop. The locals adopted him in 1991 and nicknamed him ‘Arnold’, and now he sits outside the Swan Hill train station.
READ MORE:
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6 great weekends and days out in Perth
An insiders guide to the Blue Mountains
Why you need to do an epic Australian road trip
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Travel allows you to get outside your bubble. It makes you realise there are other ways to do things, and that’s OK. Plus, I am a huge fan of skiing and for the best powder – you need to head overseas.