As Victoria burned during the horror 2009 bushfires, the world gasped as one when heartwarming footage emerged of a brave koala guzzling water from a drink bottle. Sam, as her admirers came to know her, climbed out of the flames and into our hearts. The plucky little survivor became the furry face of the tragedy; a chubby-cheeked sliver of hope. Sadly, Sam soon passed away … Continue reading The Giant Koala, Dadswells Bridge, VIC
‘Bert, the magic dragon lived near ErnieAnd frolicked in the autumn sun in Shepparton, you seeLittle Bigs Bardot loved that rascal ‘BertAnd brought him strings, and funny things, and even peach yoghurt Norbert the Yellow Dragon is friendly chap – and the Gaffy family, who constructed the creature as a holiday art project, couldn’t be more disappointed. If they had their way, Norbert would be … Continue reading Norbert the Yellow Dragon, Mooroopna, VIC
Got a BIG appetite after a BIG day tracking down BIG Things? Then head to the shop with the pie on top! King’s Bakery & Cafe has been an institution in Hamilton since 1913, feeding the masses with a splendid selection of cakes, pasties, sausages rolls, slices and sandwiches. It’s the square meat pies, however, that truly tickle the tastebuds. Steak and kidney, chicken and … Continue reading The Big Pie, Hamilton, VIC
Nǐ hǎo, dear reader! Looks like you’ve caught me Peking at the extra-orchid-nary Golden Dragon Lotus! Built in 2010 as the centrepiece of Bendigo’s Dai Gum San Chinese district, the mandarin-credible specimen stands five metres tall and weighs about wonton. But really, it’s more than the dim sum of its parts. The wok-manship is simple yet elegant, like the finest Mao suit. The Lotus is … Continue reading The Golden Dragon Lotus, Bendigo, VIC
The Big Bandicoot? More like The Big Bandi-CUTE! This hyperactive heartbreaker is the beloved mascot of the Bandicoot Motor Inn, just minutes from the vibrant centre of Hamilton. Caught forever in mid-stride, the mega-sized marsupial is poised to bound his way into your heart. Whimsical, cheeky and deliciously kitsch, the Bandicoot really pops against the backdrop of this quintessentially mid-60s guesthouse. The owners pride themselves … Continue reading The Big Bandicoot, Hamilton, VIC
Let me tell you of an interview with The Real Big EmuHe’s one of the most gorgeous Big Things, but the poor old fella ain’t got no wingsAren’t you jealous of The Big Wedge-Tailed Eagle? – dom ba da little da da da “While the eagle’s design is very sound, I keep my two feet firmly on the groundI can’t fly, but I’m telling you, … Continue reading The Big Emus, Strathfieldsaye, VIC
Tintaldra is an indigenous word that roughly translates to ‘a young man by the water’. I’m not sure what the indigenous word for ‘a young man by the water, admiring a predatory perch of epic proportions, before retiring to the nearby historic hotel for a glass of economically-priced pinot noir and a portion of the famous fish and chips’, but it might be time to … Continue reading The Big Murray Cod, Tintaldra, Vic
Hey hey hey, good old Big Eagle Rock’s here to stayI’m just crazy ’bout his wings – so smoothDoin’ the Big Eagle RockOh oh oh, don’t drive past, he’s nicer than a crowI’m just crazy ’bout his wings – so smoothDoin’ the Big Eagle Rock Watch out, there’s a hat thief about! This enormous Wedge-Tailed Eagle soars through the skies of northern Victoria, on a … Continue reading The Big Eagle, Mt Alfred, Vic
The tranquil hamlet of Corryong has been besieged by a plague of colossal creatures – and the locals couldn’t be happier! Since 2018 the verdant fields beside the mighty Murray River have welcomed friendly fish, a happy yabbie and an enormous eagle as focal points of the monumental Great River Road project. Fearing Corryong would lose its status as a world class travel destination, the … Continue reading The Big Bogong Moth, Tintaldra, Vic
Yibbida yibbida, this is fishing expert and notorious philanderer Rex Bardot, on the hunt for the Big Rainbow Trout! And look, there she is, out front of Mountain Fresh Trout & Salmon Farm. Trust me, folks, it doesn’t get any better than this! If she looks familiar, that’s because the Big Rainbow Trout was the star attraction of the 2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in … Continue reading The Big Rainbow Trout, Harrietville, Vic
“The Big Octopus’s Garden” I’d like to beRight by the seaIn the Big Octopus’s gardenWearing suede He’d let me inTo see his collectionOf shells and coral and evenA model railway I’d ask my friendsTo come and seeThe Griffith’s Sea Shell MuseumWith me I’d like to danceThrough Lakes EntranceTo the Big Octopus’s gardenWithout my pants His cuddles have charmsBecause he has eight armsAfter admiring him for … Continue reading The Big Octopus, Lakes Entrance, Vic
Ladies and jellyfish, barras and gilas, pilchards of all ages. Please welcome the mystical, magical, great Big Clownfish! Bright and beautiful, this silly sausage is trapezy to find outside Lakes Caravilla Caravan Park, and you’ll feel like a bozo if you pass him by. He’s certainly hard to fish – I mean miss – because the tropical delight is right beside the main road into … Continue reading The Big Clownfish, Lakes Entrance, Vic
Do you feel clucky, punk? Well, do you? Then pullet all the stops to flock down to Myrtlebank Roaming Farms, where you can chick out Chickaletta, a feathered friend of egg-straordinary proportions! Chickaletta was ass-hen-bled from rusted bike parts and old farming equipment – similar to Murray the Cod and the Big Kookaburra – but she’s far more than a poultry pile of old junk. … Continue reading Chickaletta, Myrtlebank, Vic
Come to Churchill, dear boy, see the CigarYou’re gonna ooh and ah, you’re gonna sighYou’re never gonna cryYou can even touch it if you tryThe Cigar’s gonna love you Holy smokes, this stupendous stogie will light up your life! The 32-metre-tall Big Cigar was unveiled by the Victorian Housing Commission on December 21, 1967, as a symbol of hope for the fledgling community of Churchill. … Continue reading The Big Cigar, Churchill, Vic
Howdy pardner, this is your old friend Biggie the Kid! Your regular host Bigs Bardot is struggling through a low-carb diet, so it’s up to me to tell you all about the Big Spuds and Forks. Just look at my tough-guy hat and genuine 18th-century baby blue short-shorts – yee-haw! Every man comes to a fork in the road at some point in his life, … Continue reading The Big Spuds and Forks, Trafalgar, Vic
Ladies and tramps, please put your claws together for a pup-standing citizen with a paws-itive attitude – Pat the Dog and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat! Perky Pat patrols the perimeter of picturesque Yarragon Railway Station, and is a welcome sight for those returning home after bark on a poochoo train. The two-metre-tall, 500-kilogram mutt was the passion project of the Baw Baw Arts Alliance, and … Continue reading Pat the Dog, Yarragon, Vic
Forever stylin’ and profilin’, Bruno the Big Pheasant has been sauntering around rural Gippsland for decades. But this colourful character is more like a phoenix, having survived a terrorist attack and come out the other side looking better than ever. During a dark and stormy night October 2011, a deranged terrorist stormed into Bruno’s enclosure and, with hatred in his heart, approached the enormous bird. … Continue reading Bruno the Big Pheasant, Tynong North, Vic
Please welcome the flag waving, money saving, always smiling, quite beguiling, 18-foot-high, super-nice guy… Ernie the Giant Tractor Salesman! This gregarious goliath has been Shepparton’s most eligible bachelor for more than three decades, and currently works at the family-owned Konigs Agricultural Supermarket. The eternally-eleemosynary Ernie started work way back in 1992, and is yet to miss a day! He’s polite, kind and never shies away … Continue reading Ernie, Shepparton, Vic
Brussels sprouts; two words that strike fear into the hearts of children. The bitter, chartreuse vegetables have been responsible for countless dinnertime meltdowns and turned generations of youngsters off their greens for life. But one gentleman has risen up against the hatred, with a cheeky smile and a zealous thumbs-up as his only weapons. Arthur Sprout, who stands sentinel in front of Adams Farms, has … Continue reading Arthur Sprout, Coldstream, Vic
Should you visit Rutherglen’s Big Wine Bottle? Wine not! This 36-metre-tall flagon is a real corker, so it stands to riesling that you should make a chardo-day of it and head to Victoria’s premier wine-growing region. The Big Bottle looms large over Rutherglen, and can be seen from most of the town’s leafy streets and verdant parks. It casts an imposing figure, with its mixture … Continue reading Rutherglen Wine Bottle, Rutherglen, VIC
If you dig shovels, the charming village of Chiltern has them in spades! The only question is, can you handle the excitement? Read on, because your pal Bigs Bardot has the scoop! The Big Miners Spade stands regally beside the southern entry to Chiltern and, at five metres tall, simply can’t be missed. Serving as a tribute to the region’s proud gold mining history, the … Continue reading The Big Miners Spade, Chiltern, VIC
Let me take you down‘Cause I’m going to Big Strawberry FieldsThe size is realAnd something to be amazed aboutBig Strawberry Fields forever Bright red and bursting with life, the Big Strawberry looks delicious enough to gobble up with a dollop of cream. But this blushing beauty is actually an unstoppable tough guy, having defeated a crazed cyclone in 2013. The turbulent tempest tore through Koonoomoo … Continue reading The Big Strawberry, Koonoomoo, VIC
Sunglasses, cheeky grin, rockstar swagger. No, I’m not talking about myself, I’m describing the coolest cat in the Goulburn Valley, the legendary Big Cherry! The bright-red dude with ’tude has been breaking hearts for the past two decades, so I decided the time to meet this cherry was ripe! As I researched the Cherry in my la-big-atory, I discovered that rumours of his current whereabouts … Continue reading The Big Cherry, Wyuna, Vic
Roll up, roll up, because I want to introduce you to the largest, most-in-charge-est rolling pin you’ll ever see. She’s 14-metres-long, weighs more than two tonnes, and looms large over the famous Henri’s Wodonga Bakery. You definitely knead to see the World’s Biggest Rolling Pin! The larger-than-loaf pin was installed in 1992, in what has been described as Wodonga’s finest flour. The good people at … Continue reading World’s Biggest Rolling Pin, Wodonga, VIC
He might be modeled after the most brutal, bloodthirsty bushranger in Aussie history, but the only thing the Big Ned Kelly is going to steal is your heart! The six-metre-tall buckethead prefers taking photos to taking hostages, but is still very much on the most wanted list of anyone travelling through rural Victoria! The original, smaller, nastier Ned became a national hero during the 1800s, … Continue reading The Big Ned Kelly, Glenrowan, VIC
