My unquenchable thirst for Big Things has taken me to some of the most beautiful and wondrous places on earth. It also dragged me through the frozen wastelands of northern Siberia, to the decaying industrial town of Nadym. I was lured to this remote corner of Russia by fellow Big Thing enthusiast Yevgeny Kafelnikov. No, not the world famous tennis player – every second Russian … Continue reading Mammoth and Baby Mammoth, Nadym, Russia
You’ll go nuts for these king-sized kernels, which loom large over the National Arboretum Canberra and double as a playground. Just make sure to behave yourself, or you’ll end up in the naughty acorner! The Pod Playground burst open on June 22, 2013, and I’m not oaking when I say it’s nutting short of incredible. Not only are there all sorts of slippery dips and … Continue reading The Big Acorns, Molonglo Valley, ACT
Canberra’s home to many hideous, cold-blooded monsters, but I’m not here to talk politics. No, my dear readers, I want to let you know I’ve sold my soul to the devil – the Big Thorny Devil! This three-metre-long lizard of Oz is a fine recreation of the real-life beasties, who call the outback home. They’re a mere 21cm from rugged head to spiny tail, and … Continue reading The Big Thorny Devil, Acton, ACT
Everything’s going pear-shaped in the nation’s capital, and that’s just how they like it! Please welcome this incom-pear-able bunch. Officially known as Pear (version No.2) despite there being seven of the fruity fellows, they were created by George Baldessin in 1973. The Pears rest enticingly at the entrance to the National Gallery of Australia, and appear to be scattered around as if as if displayed … Continue reading The Big Pears, Parkes, ACT
Oh don’t mind me, I’m just hanging out with my good mate Fiddy Cent. No, not the hip hop luminary, which is a good thing because I don’t need to get into another gang turf war. I’m talking about the Big Coins, who currency live outside the Royal Australian Mint. The Coins certainly offer bang for your buck, because there are eight of them. The … Continue reading The Big Coins, Deakin, ACT
You’ll be drawn to these winged wonders like a moth to a flame! The Big Bogong Moths rest peacefully beside the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Based on a design by indigenous artiste Jim Williams, and crafted by Matthew Harding, they celebrate the history of the local Ngunnawal people. No, no, no, the Ngunnawal aren’t some sort of human-moth hybrid tribe, … Continue reading The Big Bogong Moths, Acton, ACT
If it’s wrong for a 38-year-old man to dress up as a pansy and dance in front of The Big Flower, then I don’t want to be right. What can I say – this daisy is drivin’ me crazy! As tall as he is handsome, the Big Flower has a kitschy charm and refreshing innocence that’s granted him cult status on the Central Coast. For … Continue reading The Big Flower, Ourimbah, NSW
Wood you like to visit a towering tomahawk and grab a load of quality kindling at the same time? I’ll go out on a limb and take that as a yes, so hatchet a plan to swing by Big Axe Firewood in beautiful Box Hill! The Axe lives beside busy Windsor Road, ready to welcome anyone lumbering along. He’s behind a fence, so I asked … Continue reading The Big Axe, Box Hill, NSW
Yes, I know, I never seem to age, but sadly the same can’t be said about the Big Strawberry. With peeling paint and a wilted stem, she’s one of the most pip-iful Bigs I’ve ever encountered. The strawberry emporium she promotes is closed, and a darkness has descended upon the village of Luddenham. Honestly, if the Big Strawberry were any gloomier, she’d be a blueberry. … Continue reading The Big Strawberry, Luddenham, NSW
What’s cute, cuddly, and widely beloved despite being considered daggy by zoomers? These three guys right here! Sardonic alien Gordon Shumway joined me on this visit to Featherdale Wildlife Park, where we met the un-bear-ably handsome Big Koala. He’s not the biggest arboreal herbivorous marsupial around – that distinction goes to the Giant Koala in Dadswells Bridge, Victoria. But he’s 1.5 metres tall and made … Continue reading The Big Koala, Doonside, NSW
2B or not 2B, that is the question. And the answer, of course, is not 2B, as the perky Pencil is clearly an HB, the most princely on the graphite grading scale. Positioned beneath the jaw-droppingly beautiful Nobbys Lighthouse along Newcastle’s eastern beaches, he doubles as a seat from which to enjoy this glorious part of the world. Despite what you may think, the area’s … Continue reading The Big Pencil, Newcastle, NSW
For more than a decade, the far-flung village of Narrandera was the centre of the Big Thing universe. As home to the World’s Largest Playable Guitar – a 5.82m-long acoustic axe that fascinated music lovers and Thing-o-philes alike – the region’s economy boomed. Then the unthinkable happened, and it all came crashing down. This is the story of how the music almost died. Looking to … Continue reading The Big Playable Guitar, Narrandera, NSW
Serving as a monument to Wimbledon champion and Barellan local Evonne Goolagong Cawley, the 13.8-metre-tall Big Tennis Racquet is a real grand slam and I’m sure you’ll love (it) all! Locals were courting the idea of a towering tribute to their tennis treasure for years, and made such a racquet that they netted themselves a Big! This wonderfully-realised statue was unveiled in October 2009 during … Continue reading The Big Tennis Racquet, Barellan, NSW
Everybody’s heard about this bird, which isn’t surprising because Stanley’s 18 metres tall and one of the nest-looking Big Things around. Yes, he’s aviary nice chap indeed! The elegant emu was lovingly crafted by local artist John Murray out of old VW Beetle bonnets and doors, then placed atop a stunning steel girder. This gem took up residence on the outskirts of the opal-mining village … Continue reading Stanley the Emu, Lightning Ridge, NSW
She’s a sexy humpbackThem other Bigs don’t know how to actI think she’s special, what a large humpback!Go visit Nala and don’t forget a snack Have a whale of a time and a blowhole lot of fun with Nala, the 22-tonne pride of Hervey Bay! The town is one of the best places on Earth for whale watching, but now you don’t need to risk … Continue reading Nala the Big Whale, Hervey Bay, QLD
He’s absolutely mango-nificent, but this tropical treat has flirted with scandal to become one of the most controversial Bigs around. The Big Mango, who lives beside the Visitor Information Centre, stands a regal 10 metres tall and was erected in 2002 as a tribute to Bowen’s ebullient agricultural industry. He cost $90,000, weighs in at seven tonnes, and is modelled after the delicious Kensington Pride … Continue reading The Big Mango, Bowen, QLD
For an unforgetta-bull experience, head to Rocky, where you’ll find multi-bull bulky bovines on display. All six Big Bulls have moo-vie star good looks and would love to meat you, so it’d be a mi-steak to miss them! The first two Bulls – a Braford by the Bruce Highway and a Brahman located on the main median strip in town – were con-chuck-ted in 1978 … Continue reading The Big Bulls, Rockhampton, QLD
“Bigs,” I’m sure you’re screaming, “the Big Rig – despite standing 140 metres tall and being an icon of the Maranoa Region – isn’t a Big Thing at all! He’s an actual oil drilling rig from the 1960s who was relocated to the centre of Roma in 2000 to attract tourists. If you’re going to include him, you might as well open the flood gates … Continue reading The Big Rig, Roma, QLD
Have a bowl, have a bat. Howzat! Howzat! Add eight Bigs to your score – all balls! Alright, alright, settle down! You’ve had a good giggle at the name of these Bigs, now it’s time to take an in-depth look at Alan Davidson’s Balls. Oi, I said quit it! There are seven oversized cricket balls dotted around the picturesque Alan Davidson Oval, each emblazoned with … Continue reading Alan Davidson’s Balls, Wyoming, NSW
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
Never smile at Daryl the CrocodileNo, don’t get friendly with Daryl the CrocodileDon’t be taken in by his games and larkOr the fact he lives at the Aussie Reptile Park Never smile at Daryl the CrocodileNever kiss his handsome head and stop to talk awhileNever listen to his hopes and dreamsOf gobbling up six football teams You may very well lose your bodyJust up the … Continue reading Daryl Somersby the Croc, Somersby, NSW
You can’t pan-dle the truth! Actually, you probably can, because it’s an indisputable fact that the Big Gold Pick and Pan are ri-pick-ulously magnificent! The cheerful chums were built by another legendary pair – Peter Mason and Tony Durham – under the supervision of the Grenfell Men’s Shed, in recognition of Grenfell’s history as a gold town. But first, a confession. When I was told … Continue reading The Big Gold Pick and Pan, Grenfell, NSW
There was a time, long before the age of man, when enormous creatures roamed the wasteland we now call Australia. From Tiddalick the Frog to Biladurang the Platypus, these behemoths filled the rivers with water, shaped the mountain ranges, and cast the stars into the sky. Dreamtime stories, passed down through a thousand generations, keep the history of our homeland alive. Gubulla Munda, a carpet … Continue reading The Big Snake, Ayr, QLD
