I’m a handsome teapotThere’s no doubtHere is my handle, here is my spoutWhen I find a Big ThingThen I shoutStop the car and let me out! Although I’m not one to spill the tea, I must say that this ‘pot is really brew-tiful! You can find her in front of Bygone Beautys, which houses the world’s largest private teapot collection. There are more than 5,500 … Continue reading The Big Teapot, Leura, NSW
A word of warning, this Big is a real gold digger! Tall, dark and handsome, the Big Gold Panner Man sauntered into the historic inland city of Bathurst in 1979, taking up residence outside the lavish Gold Panner Motor Inn. He welcomes millions of visitors from Sydney each year, many of whom can barely pan-dle their excitement. Not surprisingly, he’s become by far the most … Continue reading The Big Gold Panner Man, Bathurst, NSW
Tilly bounced her way into our hearts during the 1982 Commonwealth Games, taking centre stage at the opening ceremony in front of 50,000 enamoured fans. The cute kangaroo flirted with the crowd, winking her long lashes and swivelling her perfectly-proportioned head as a forklift flittered her around the track. The world drew breath as one when the voluptuous Matilda lingered in front of the Duke … Continue reading Matilda the Kangaroo, Traveston, QLD
Open the door, get on the floorEverybody walk with Digby the Dinosaur! She might be 65 million years old, but this delightful dino is still a big kid at heart. Digby lives in Albury Botanic Gardens’ wonderfully-presented Children’s Garden and is more than happy to be kissed, cuddled and climbed upon. It’s safe to say she’s dinos-awfully popular! Digby’s not as famous as her aunty … Continue reading Digby the Dinosaur, Albury, NSW
The Southern Highlands of New South Wales has Big Things apple-nty, but none are as scrumptious as this crimson cutie! The Big Apple is of epic proportions, astonishingly detailed – just look at his hyper-realistic leaf – and always in season! Tallong legend Jim ‘The Apple Man’ Watling set the peels in motion in 1988. He commissioned a chap named Carl Zeschke to build a … Continue reading The Big Apple, Tallong, NSW
Roll out the red carpet, because we’re in the company of some Hollywood bad boys… Ribbet Redford and Dennis Hopper! The amphibian actors squat smugly out the front of the salubrious Ramada Suites, just a hop, skip and jump from Darwin’s waterfront. Ribbet and Dennis spawned at the humorously-named Get Stoned Masonry, before re-croak-ating to their current spot when the shop shut. Their identical sisters … Continue reading The Big Frogs, Darwin, NT
Young is a prosperous inland city with a rich agricultural history, and having their very own Big is the cherry on top! This trio of tasty treats were unveiled in 1983 to rapturous applause, cementing Young’s reputation as the cherry capital of the world. If you’re cherry-picking your favourite Bigs, take a fruitful journey out to see them! The red rascals hang daintily next to … Continue reading The Big Cherries, Young, NSW
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
If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, the good people of the Southern Highlands mustn’t have seen a quack in years! The un-Bool-ievable snack is conveniently located just off the Hume Highway and is as fresh as the day it fell off the tree. Despite being de-cider-edly larger than anything you’ll find at a green grocer, you’ll be disappointed if expecting something on … Continue reading The Big Apple, Yerrinbool, NSW
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
I’m a lumberjack and I’m OKI sleep all night and visit Bigs all day! Axe yourself this – how much excitement can you handle? If the answer is ‘plenty’, then swing by this towering tool and get ready to chop till you drop! A fixture of the exquisite Camden Haven district since 1979, the wonderful whacker celebrates the local timber industry and rests happily beside … Continue reading The Big, Beautiful Axe, Kew, NSW
Football, meat pies, kangaroos and the Big Banana. This prodigious plantain has grown to become a huge part of Australia’s national identity. He represents this great country’s culture and history, hopes and dreams. Every child holds fond memories of popping into the Banana on a road trip up north, having their photo snapped in front of the Coffs Harbour icon, and then smashing into a … Continue reading The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour, NSW
Long before the age of Bananas, Penguins, Pineapples and Prawns, an enormous concrete dinosaur watched over Australia’s highways. Ploddy, the oldest of her kind and the grandmother of the Bigs, was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. With her timeless beauty and vivacious personality she ushered in the era of massive roadside attractions, becoming a national celebrity in the process. However, like the ancient … Continue reading Ploddy the Big Dinosaur, Somersby, NSW
Everyone fantasises about spending a luxurious evening inside a Big Thing. The only place you can do that is in the remote Northern Australian village of Jabiru. Deep in the heart of the mystical Kakadu National Park you’ll find the senses-shattering Crocodile Hotel. At 250 metres long and 30 metres wide, he’s earned a reptile-tation as the most massive Big in this sunburnt country. Being … Continue reading The Crocodile Hotel, Jabiru, NT
He was a bad boy with a heart of gold from the wrong side of the Adelaide River. I was a fresh-faced Big Thing enthusiast discovering myself in the wild Australian outback. Together we found love and the forbidden art of the samba. This is Dirty Water Dancing. They say you should never smile at a crocodile. But I challenge you to look at this … Continue reading The Giant Jumping Crocodile, Wak Wak, NT
Big teeth? It must be Keith! For those who believe the Giant Jumping Crocodile is a little too wacky, there’s a more realistic, down-to-earth, version just a short sinusoidal stagger away. He lives in the courtyard of the Original River Queen Jumping Crocodile Tours cafe and is an unassuming monster who shuns the limelight. Nobody at the cafe knows who built him or when (I’d … Continue reading Keith the Crocodile, Wak Wak, NT
There’s only one place where you can snap up a sensibly-priced socket set, swallow a scrumptious sausage sandwich, and sequester yourself back 65 million years to the age of the sauropods – and that’s Bunnings Palmerston. It’s home to Big Kev the brachiosaurus and trust me, he’s excited! Kev is absolutely massive, to the point it can be difficult to snap a good photo with … Continue reading Big Kev the Big Dinosaur, Palmerston, NT
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
Diehard Big Thing aficionados dream of living inside a giant roadside attraction, and there are few cosier homes than this giant jogger Continue reading The Big Shoe, Baxter, VIC
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 … Continue reading The Big Barramundi, Wanguri, NT
Nothing warms the heart like a shiny new Big sprouting out of nowhere, so imagine my joy when the Big Melon was unveiled in Chinchilla one slice day in 2019. And water specimen she is! At nine metres long, three metres high and weighing four tonnes she certainly has the size to impress, but it’s the craftsmanship and attention to detail that makes this pink-and-green … Continue reading The Big Melon, Chinchilla, QLD
Next time you’re cray-ving a succulent seafood sandwich whilst driving along the Bruce Highway, nip in to the Shell service station at Miriam Vale. Not only will you encounter the most sensational food in the Gladstone region, but you can get up claws and personal with the lovable Big Crab! He’s around two-metres wide and hasn’t scuttled off the roof of the servo since arriving … Continue reading The Big Crab, Miriam Vale, QLD
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 … Continue reading The Big Fruit Bowl, Bilpin, NSW
I remember herring rumours of a big fish in Manilla – the lovely country town that’s just half-an-hour from Tamworth’s Big Golden Guitar, not the capital of The Philippines – for years, and was hooked on the idea of tracking it down Continue reading The Big Fish, Manilla, NSW
At a relatively modest four metres from round, supple bottom to prickly, handsome top, the Ballina Pineapple is outsized by his imitators, but remains a quirky throwback to a gentler time Continue reading The Big Pineapple, Ballina, NSW
Don’t be sheepish, visit the ewe-mungous Big Merino today! At 15.2m high, 18m long and weighing more than 100 tonnes, you’ll be amazed by the shear size of this gentle giant, who features p-ruminant-ly on the Goulburn landscape. Continue reading The Big Merino, Goulburn, NSW
With his striking looks and worldwide fame, the Big Pineapple is a rock star of the Big Thing universe. But like most pop culture icons he’s seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, been hammered by scandals, fought public battles and rolled, sneering and strutting, back out into the spotlight. This is the story of the legendary Woombye Pineapple. The towering treat … Continue reading The Big Pineapple, Woombye, QLD
the Big Burra should be considered a genuine work of art Continue reading The Big Kookaburra, Kurri Kurri, NSW
this Taree icon is a bit of a seafood basketcase, and maybe that’s why I love him so much – because I am too Continue reading The Big Oyster, Taree, NSW
The princely prawn is one of the most famous and celebrated roadside attractions on the planet, and for good reason – he’s massive, looks fantastic, and has an unbelievable tale… or is that tail? Continue reading The Big Prawn, Ballina, NSW
