Australian Tourism & its obsession with "Big Things"
By veganbliss
@veganbliss (3895)
Adelaide, Australia
September 9, 2010 7:38pm CST
It seems nearly every region in Australia feels it has to build a big structure representing what the locals do there. There were 146 of these constructions in Australia in 2002, many of which can be climbed by adults or children. They've only been there for the last few decades. Usually a small business grows up around them to maintain & add value to the structure & they'd be only too happy to share the history of it, the reason for building it & anything else one wishes to discuss. One thing's for sure... you haven't seen Australia until you've visited all of them! Check out the link:
http://www.bigthings.com.au
I've only been to five of them in my own state, each well worth the visit. What's your story? Which ones would you see if you were in the area?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
21 Jan 11
Here is the Big Trout in Adaminaby in the Snowy Mountains of NSW.
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
21 Jan 11
Well placed!
. Any trouble finding them? Can you climb them?
Your kids? My, how they've grown!
There's another version of the Big Merino I've seen somewhere.
What's next on the list? Or do you just keep going until you bump into a super-structure?
. Any trouble finding them? Can you climb them?
Your kids? My, how they've grown!
There's another version of the Big Merino I've seen somewhere.
What's next on the list? Or do you just keep going until you bump into a super-structure?
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
11 Sep 10
I have seen many of these things on my travels, particularly the ones closest to me in QLD and Northern NSW, but also some of the Victorian and South Australian ones too.
I have seen the Big Pineapple, Banana, Apple, Bicycle, Pie, Muffler, Redback Spider, Strawberry, Avocado, Ayers Rock, Dog on a Tucker Box, Guitar, Murray Cod, Prawn, Submarine, Cow, Koala, Ned Kelly, Worm, Wave and Lobster. 
There were some other things on the list that were on the Gold Coast, but I do not recall seeing them, but I may have without realising that they were 'BIG' things! 
There were some other things on the list that were on the Gold Coast, but I do not recall seeing them, but I may have without realising that they were 'BIG' things! @RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
11 Sep 10
Below is a photo of my wife trying to eat the Big Lobster in S.A. I just uploaded some other BIG photos that I have taken on my travels. They are on my profile page under my photos.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
11 Sep 10
I have travelled up and down the East Coast between here and Melbourne and all over Victoria plenty of times over the years, but I only visited Adelaide for the first time last Xmas holidays on our road trip down to Melbourne to see the family. We have friends in the Adelaide Hills and they invited us over to stay for a few days. 
It was a great trip and relaxing without the kids. I liked what I saw of Adelaide but I could not believe how dry and desolate it is in the surrounding areas. The landscape is nothing like here! I want to go back and stay for longer next time. We did not get to see much.
I worked at Tropical Fruit World in 1997 for a few weeks. I had friends who worked there and they got me some work experience there for a tourism course that I was doing. I love the place. We always stop in there and get fruit whenever we are going past. 
Kids?? Are you talking about the photo with the stone man in Melbourne? The boy in the skull & crossbones t-shirt and the girl directly behind him in front of me are my kids. Everyone else in that photo I do not know.
It was a great trip and relaxing without the kids. I liked what I saw of Adelaide but I could not believe how dry and desolate it is in the surrounding areas. The landscape is nothing like here! I want to go back and stay for longer next time. We did not get to see much.
I worked at Tropical Fruit World in 1997 for a few weeks. I had friends who worked there and they got me some work experience there for a tourism course that I was doing. I love the place. We always stop in there and get fruit whenever we are going past.
Kids?? Are you talking about the photo with the stone man in Melbourne? The boy in the skull & crossbones t-shirt and the girl directly behind him in front of me are my kids. Everyone else in that photo I do not know.1 person likes this
@buenavida (9984)
• Sweden
10 Sep 10
Hi, veganbliss It looks like Australia is too far away from where I am, but who knows if I can come to a visit one day..
It is a very interesting country with lots of wild animals that I would like to see. I would have to do a lot of research before the visit - I don´t know so much about it, especially not about those "big things" you mention.
Anyway, as long as we can learn new things, life is interesting..
It looks like Australia is too far away from where I am, but who knows if I can come to a visit one day..
It is a very interesting country with lots of wild animals that I would like to see. I would have to do a lot of research before the visit - I don´t know so much about it, especially not about those "big things" you mention.
Anyway, as long as we can learn new things, life is interesting..@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
10 Sep 10
Hi :-)
I can guarantee lots of great photo taking opportunities :-)
Hope it could help anyone planning a trip over here. Most of these things don't get a look in when it comes to planning a trip here. As far as I know, all of these structures are free to climb, though one does have an honesty box for donations to the cause. The better ones are part of a small business where a family or couple could spent the day doing all the activities on offer. I tried to upload images, but an error message came up & I had to start over. You can see all the images on the website link.
All the Best :-)
1 person likes this
@Hellen813 (75)
•
15 Nov 10
I've never been to Australia, but I really want to go . Aussies seem like very funny and down to earth people.
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
16 Nov 10
Thanks for stopping by . Hope we can make it worth your while when you come here. If you want to know how to find your way around, just PM myself or RawBill1 & we'd be happy to help you out all we can. Now might not seem like the best time to travel here, with the way the currency is right now, but on the plus side for you is our tourism industry is suffering heavily because of it, so you may well find that prices are now a fraction of what they used to be & operators will be falling all over you to make sure you get the best service we can offer .
. Hope we can make it worth your while when you come here. If you want to know how to find your way around, just PM myself or RawBill1 & we'd be happy to help you out all we can. Now might not seem like the best time to travel here, with the way the currency is right now, but on the plus side for you is our tourism industry is suffering heavily because of it, so you may well find that prices are now a fraction of what they used to be & operators will be falling all over you to make sure you get the best service we can offer .