Footloose - Big Things ... No Big Deal (October 2006)

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Coming back from the Northern Territory a few weeks ago I once again drove past The Big Koala, just east of Horsham in western Victoria and as normal thought, “Geez, that makes me want to stop. Yeah … right!’

Still, we seem to have a bit of a thing for BIG inanimate objects and now they are dotted all over the country. But, even with a hefty stretch of the imagination they could hardly be called good looking while some are downright ugly – The Big Koala a case in point!

Yeah, I know its about marketing and attracting attention, or trying to make people stop, but its hard to believe the trouble some people, communities and businesses have gone to in their efforts to tantalise us. And some surely would put you right off.

One of the first BIG statues to be erected in the country was ‘The Big Banana’ on the highway near Coffs Harbour. It may even have been the very first ‘Big’ mother sucker in Australia but whatever and where ever it was, it set a precedence which now sees a plethora of gigantic statues from beer cans and rolling pins to galahs and crocodiles.

It seems, after my in-depth research, that NSW leads the ‘Big Statue stakes’ with a heap of giant statues all over the state. Competing with the Big Banana at Coffs you’ll also find The Big Koalas, which mightn’t be as big as the one at Dadswell Bridge near Horsham, but they look a darn sight better.

Then there is The Big Axe in Kew, south of Port Macquarie while The Big Bull can be found in Wauchope and The Big Merino at Goulburn. Wandering further a field you’ll find a 12-metre high Big Golden Guitar in Tamworth, the Big Submarine at Holbrook, the Big Trout at Oberon, some Big Cherries at Young, a bloody Big Mosquito in Hexham, while Singleton has The Big Sundial.
      
Up in the Sunshine State you couldn’t help but notice The Big Pineapple gracing the highway just south of Nambour. Just north of the town on the way to Eumundi is … or was, The Big Cow. It’s gone now I believe. Surely nobody would have flogged it?

Way up north in Normanton there’s Krys the Crocodile and while they reckon it was made lifesize and depicted an 8.6-metre croc shot in the area you got to think (hope?) that there isn’t any more crocs of that size in the country.

Just down the road from the croc is the Big Barra, gracing the highway in front of a caravan park if my memory serves me correctly.
Over in Cairns is the Big Captain Cook out the front of a motel, while a long way south is the Big Fruitisforus Dinosaur at Ballandean on the New England Highway – big, but still smaller than lifesize, I’d hazard a guess. Not far north on the same highway is the Big Apple, just out of Stanthorpe.

In Victoria they have a Big Ned Kelly at Glenrowan, a Giant Murray Cod in Swan Hill, a woeful looking Big Worm as you head down towards Phillip Island, while the Big Rolling Pin sits atop a store in Wodonga.

Over in WA they have the Big Ram in Wagin (smaller than the one in Goulburn NSW though), a well executed Big Prawn just out off Exmouth, while The Big Black Marron can be found at the Old Kent Winery east of Walpole.

 

 

 

South Australia has a few giants scattered across the state. WA bound travellers will see The Big Galah at Kimba and if they go into the roadhouse will get a idea of how much effort went into its construction. The Big Rocking Horse at Gumeracha has won awards while The Giant Lobster, on the outskirts of Kingston SE, is a beauty.

 

 

Not to be completely left out, down in Tassie they have The Big Penguin in, of course, the town of Penguin on the north coast.

 

 

 

I’m sure there’s more. Please don’t tell me about them. They’re no Big Deal!

Want to see more 'big things', then check out the web site at: http://www.wilmap.com.au/bigstuff/default.htm

 

 

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