Category: Techy Masero

  • George the Big Crocodile, Darwin, NT

    You don’t need to leave the Land of the Bigs to have a memorable encounter in the African wilderness. Just pop over to the Botanic Gardens in sunny Darwin, where a monstrous metallic maneater meanders through the Madagascan-modelled meadows. Mmmmm… marvellous!

    Surrounded by breathtaking baobabs and bubbling brooks, Gorgeous George delights with his size and looks. The 10-metre-long lizard was cast from steel by local legend Techy Masero, the artiste responsible for Colin the Turtle and the Big Barra, under the watchful eye of world-famous wildlife wizard Tommy Nichols. It truly does take a village to raise a colossal crocodilian.

    After five wonderful years of hard work, George was dipped in a vat of zinc (in a scene I can only assume was reminiscent of the ending of Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and hauled off to his forever home in April 2020. I’ll go out on a limb and say nobody leaves the Gardens jabbering on about the heliconias and orchids anymore – although they are delightful.

    Always smile at this crocodile!

    I’ve had encounters with the most beautiful Bigs ever made, but was reduced to a blubbering mess upon meeting George, so beautiful was he. Thousands of hours went into his intricately-detailed features, and it certainly shows. I was particularly impressed by the oversized barramundi he has tucked between his titillating teeth. Fortunately George didn’t snatch the Wanguri or Katherine barras for his lunch!

    As I struggled to catch my breath, a couple of the Gardens’ friendly horticulturists assisted me to a bench beneath a nearby weeping willow, where I was able to regain my composure before resuming my date with George. He lives in a quiet patch of the park, beneath a huge tree, but of course he attracts a lot of attention. Move over George Clooney and Boy George, we have a bigger celebrity here!

    I strongly urge visitors not to climb upon Bigs they don’t have a strong and trusting relationship with – it’s a hate crime as far as I’m concerned – but George made it clear to me that he’s open to being mounted, so I made the most of the opportunity. Despite hardly being a ‘waxhead’, I a surf on George’s handsome head. Hang 10-metre-long crocodile, dudes!

    There’s no doubt about it, George is a real croc star!

  • Colin the Turtle, Lyons, NT

    Although he may seem shy at first, Colin is a turtle-y awesome dude once he comes out of his shell. And what a glorious exoskeleton it is, because it’s covered in shiny rep-tiles and features plenty of intricate details. This proud Territorian is one of the most beautiful Bigs around, and ready to splash his way into your heart!

    Colin was built in 2004 to celebrate the new northern Darwin suburb of Lyons, which begs the question, why not a Big Lion? Techy Masero – the virtuoso who gave the world the Big Barramundi and George the Croc – is behind this four-metre-wide mosaic masterpiece, with assistance from local indigenous artists.

    They’ve certainly tortoise a thing or two about Big Things, because this work is right up there with the Big Kookaburra and Murray the Cod as one of the finest works of art this country has produced. For example, just look at that exquisite mosaic tiling! Colin is such a cutie!

    By the way, so is his American cousin, Howie – yee-haw!

    Green and serene, Col’s happy chilling in a quiet corner of the suburban Garamanak Park, next to a community centre and opposite a bunch of houses. Given his location, it’s a good thing he’s friendlier than his stingy neighbours, the Giant Jellyfish!

    He shuns the spotlight and is happy for local kiddies and his steadily growing fanbase to get up close and personal – he certainly didn’t flipper out when I climbed on top of him. I could spend all day telling you stories about Col, but I’m not into Galapa-gossiping!

  • The Big Barramundi, Wanguri, NT

    Wanguri schoolkids all know the three Rs – reading, ‘riting, and really big fish! They’re fortunate enough to have this behemoth barra swimming around the lovingly-maintained grounds of their a-cod-amy, providing lessons in largeness every little lunch. As you can see, she certainly makes the grade and has become a valuable member of the educ-ocean-al community!

    Of course, being located within the grounds of Wanguri Primary School (motto: ‘Hooked On Learning’), in Darwin’s northern suburbs, means she can only be admired by the general public through an imposing fence. Well, unless you’re willing to risk a large fine and a good chasing from the on-site security. But lose that sinking feeling, because she’s fairly close the the barra-cade and assures me she’s happy with her home, as it allows her to introduce a new generation to the wonder of the Bigs. What a class act!

    Just another manic ‘mundi

    The barramundi was chosen to honour the local indigenous Larrakia and Wangurri people, and the tile patterns were designed by a group of particularly artistic students. The terrifically talented Techy Masero – the Big Thing luminary behind Colin the Turtle and George the Croc – built her out of steel and cement in 2009, but was unable to complete the intricate tile work due to reasons that have been lost to time. Thankfully the locals banded together to complete this aquatic cutie, and the Big Barramundi was o-fish-ially unveiled in 2010.

    This Big Barramundi is a little snazzier than her cousin in Katherine, but smaller than other ‘mundis in Normanton and Daintree, Queensland. The mosaic artistry certainly deserves an A+, but this fish only gets a sea-plus when it comes to originality.

    Poor old Bigs was bullied mercilessly in my school years, not only by my fellow pupils but by some of the crueler members of the teaching faculty, so I rarely attended classes. However, if Principal Van Beek had been thoughtful enough to welcome a Big Thing into the grounds, I wouldn’t have missed a moment. Oh well, one can only dream of being part of a school of giant fish…