Aussies are berry much in love with giant fruits, with the Big Banana, Big Melon, Big Pineapple and Big Mango currant-ly amongst the country’s most popular roadside attractions. Consider Bilpin’s Big Fruit Bowl to be a sort of grap-est hits collection, with a wide variety of fresh produce all in one place, and some sub-lime sculpting skills on display.
Despite looking a little tired and in need of a lick of paint, the Bilpin Fruit Bowl is exquisitely designed, detailed, and easy to take a photo with. At two metres tall it’s big enough to take one’s breath away, without being too large to appreciate the finer features. Whilst I visited alone, I can imagine it would be a wonderful place to take a date.
The Big Fruit Bowl is plum by the side of the main road as you cross the Blue-berry Mountains. The adjacent fruit shop and the sprawling peach, apple and nectarine fields behind it have been owned and operated by the Tadrosse family since 1985, and this Big Thing sprouted around that time. It’s possible to pick your own fruit on a weekend – the perfect souvenir of a delicious day out.
And then one grapeful day…
Tragedy struck in 2019, when ferocious bushfires roared through the region and destroyed a large portion of the Fruit Bowl’s farmland. More than 6000 fruit trees were razed, causing more than $3 million damage. The Bilpin Fruit bow, thankfully, was saved from a flaming fate. Small mercies, big fruit!
This fruity bunch are a great part of history, located in a beautiful village surrounded by natural wonders. It’s possible to go hiking, camping and traipsing through award-winning gardens in a single afternoon. The local cider is particularly enjoyable. The apple and strawberry variety will bowl you over, and there are non-alcoholic options for the kiddies.
Pull up a chair, citrus in the shade, and admire Bilpin’s Big Fruit Bowl!
