Big Tourist Attractions in Australia – Part 3

Although this is our final part in our series of Big Tourist Attractions in Australia it is by no means a full account of what is out there. Rumor has it that there are over 150 of these over-sized structures across the country, some such as the Big Miner featuring in more than one state.

We hope that this gave you a bit of an insight into the quirky Australian culture and really encourage any feedback.

Here are this weeks BIG THINGS….

1. The Big Oyster – Taree NSW (12 meters x 4 meters)

On the outskirts of Taree, at Fotheringham Park, sits this Big Oyster on top of a building. The company that created this unusual sculpture also created the Big Prawn at Ballina.

2. The Big Wine Bottle – Pokolbin NSW (7 meters x 1.5 meters)

Located in the Hunter Valley which is home to some of Australia’s best vineyards stands the Big Wine Bottle. Thousands of tourists flock ever year to sample some of the best wine in the region. It was built in 1998 and the neck forms a chimney for an open fire contained within.

3. The Big Captain Cook – Cairns QLD (7 meters x 2 meters)

The Big Captain Cook has stood tall on the Captain Cook Highway in Cairns for almost forty years. The statue was originally designed as the mascot for a public bar however the measurements were mixed up and the statue turned out a lot bigger than expected. The statue is a tribute to Captain James Cook who is attributed to being the first white man to discover Australia back in 1770.

4. The Big Mower – Beerwah QLD (6 meters x 2 meters)

Just outside of Brisbane you will find this giant Lawn Mower in the town of Beerwah. It stands as a landmark for the shop aptly named “The Big Mower”.

5. The Big Miner – Kapunda SA (8 meters x 2 meters)

The first sight to greet visitors to Kapunda is that of The Big Miner which sits on the side of the road into the town. This is a depiction of ‘The Cornish Miner’ who was instrumental in the development of this whole region. The statue was named Map Kernow, being the Cornish dialect for ‘Son of Cornwall’, although he is more commonly known as Map the Miner now. It was unveiled on 5 June 1988 and the sculptor was Ben Van Zetten .

6. The Big Potato – Robertson NSW (3 meters x 8 meters)

The town of Robertson is well known for its rolling landscape but it is the rich soils, high rainfall and winter climate that has made Robertson a prominent potato growing area in NSW. Built in 1977 by local potato grower Jim Mauger, the Big Potato can be found on the main street at the eastern end of town.

On 6 March 2010 a group of young people adorned the potato with a very large face, to help brighten up the tourist attraction for the local agricultural show (as shown below). Sadly this comedic addition was torn town and damaged on its first night and despite requests to rehang the face the artsists considered the damage to be too significant to rehang it, but have not ruled out repairing it and putting it back up for a future special occasion.

Michael Glass

Michael is the founder of TravelByU.com
After backpacking around Europe he worked for Club Med in the Whitsundays and Mauritius before becoming a travel agent.
He is a passionate traveller and has recently set a goal to spend a year visiting the best festivals around the world.