He’s plump, he’s round, he’s very, very red – The Big Raspberry looks good enough to eat! But you can’t gobble this ‘berry because he’s made from recycled farming equipment and wouldn’t taste very nice at all.
Fortunately, you won’t have to go far for a fruity feed, as this Big is out the front of the legendary Westerway Raspberry Farm, home to Tasmania’s finest raspberries. No, no, make that Australia’s finest raspberries.
Actually, you know what? Let’s just say they grow the world’s finest raspberries.
Right-o, that should ensure I never have to pay for raspberries when I’m travelling through Westerway!
The Big Raspberry stands as a juicy expression of the region’s robust sense of community pride. Local legend Uncle Desi and his buddy Randall came up with the idea, whilst welding savant Sam pieced him together from plough disks, 44 gallon drums and a clapped-out tractor exhaust.
Sadly, I couldn’t find the surnames of these fine gentlemen – but I guess that’s just the Wester-way they like it!
Unveiled to a curious, yet optimistic public in December of 2017, The Big Raspberry enchants with his ruffled drupelets, foppish sepal and unwavering adherence to sphericalism. This, my friends, is one very circular fruit.
And he’s not alone, with the bulbous Big Cherry just down the road in Rosegarland. Fruit salad? Yummy yummy!
The Big Strawberry’s farm gate shop is open during the raspberry season – from the beginning of December until the end of May – and offers a treasure trove of berries, jams, ice cream and cheeky alcoholic beverages.
Just think twice before reaching for a second can of the oh-so-scrummy raspberry sour. At a hefty 3.5% ABV, you might wake up with a berry sore head in the morning!
