BIG IDEAS: 16 of the best Next Big Thing nominations


Have you heard the Big News? To celebrate our 18th birthday, Wotif is building Australia’s Next Big Thing and you get to help decide what and where it should be. We started by calling for nominations from all over the country, and we were inundated with thousands of clever, quirky, original, and meaningful ideas. It was tough work for our judging panel to narrow them down to a short list – but they got there and now you can vote for your favourite Big Thing (and go in the running to WIN $2000 towards your next Wotif holiday).

As much as we love our finalists, we couldn’t forget all the fantastic ideas that didn’t quite make the cut. Here are some of the other nominations our judges loved.

1. The Big Bin Chicken in Sydney, NSW

You guys really love your white ibises (aka bin chickens, aka trash turkeys, aka dump ducks… ) and we don’t blame you. Because as Joel C said…

“The ibis has become the Aussie battler of Sydney City. Forced out of its natural habitat by human intervention and global warming, it’s learned to adapt to its new habitat on the streets of our cities. It’s a survivor and represents what we all love about our country.”

2. The Big Dolphin in Lakes Entrance, VIC

Ibises aren’t the only animal with a fan club. The Big Dolphin – specifically, the Big Burrunan Dolphin – was another standout idea. Sandra E made a compelling argument:

“The Gippsland Lakes, around Lakes Entrance, are home to a special breed of bottlenose dolphin, the Burrunan Dolphin. Burrunan is an Aboriginal word meaning a ‘large sea fish of the porpoise kind’.”

3. The Big Cassowary in Kuranda, QLD

We had a lot of cassowary fans too, with location suggestions for all over Queensland. We liked Angela F’s reasoning the best:

“Cassowaries are an endangered species, primarily due to loss of habitat, attacks by domestic dogs let wild or not controlled by their owners, and motor vehicle strikes. Kuranda is a wonderful area of rainforest which has undergone a lot of habitat restoration.”

Although Jacqueline’s reason had a certain, simple charm:

“To please our dino-bird overlords.”

4. The Big Leafy Sea Dragon in Rapid Bay, SA

The best Big Things have a special connection to their home, and that’s why we loved this suggestion. As Shavojn R said…

“The leafy sea dragons or ‘leafies’ are South Australia’s state marine emblem. They are interesting and the ‘Big Leafy’ could be quite intricate in design. Rapid Bay is where they can be regularly seen by divers or snorkellers.”

5. The Big Dragon in Warwick, QLD

Another clever idea – and we had to give Jeff D a shout-out for his local history knowledge:

“It looks like the streets of Warwick were named for a 1765 book of ancient ballads by Bishop Thomas Percy. ‘Sir Guy of Warwick’, ‘Palmerin of England (Albion)’, and ‘The Dragon of Wantley’ all involved dragons. I believe Warwick has the only Dragon Street in Australia.”

6. The Big Loo in Dunedoo, NSW

Hey, it’s not all about history and classic literature. Our judges couldn’t help but smile at the idea of a Big Loo/Giant Dunny in Dunedoo. Because as Alison B said…

“Who hasn’t giggled when saying Dunedoo out loud?”

7. The Big Strawberry in Wamuran, QLD

We loved Wamuran’s passion for the Big Strawberry! Adrian R said:

“Wamuran produces 70% of Queensland’s strawberries, and with 6000+ international travellers for picking season and another 2000 for planting season, we have thousands of visitors. This would become an amazing tourist attraction to help grow this fantastic region.”

Wotif top tip: If you haven’t heard, Australian strawberry farmers are having a rough time at the moment. Aussie strawbs are still one of the most delicious (and healthy!) foods in the world, so remember – cut ’em up, don’t cut ’em out.

8. The Big Witch in Toowoomba, QLD

We never would have thought of this one! Jeff D gave us a (very cool) history lesson with this nomination:

“There are many old haunted homes and graves. Also, James St was named after King James VI of Scotland, who wrote the book Demonology about how to recognise witches, which was used by William Shakespeare in his description of the witches in Macbeth.

9. The Big Violet in Toowoomba, QLD

Lucky Toowoomba had more than one Big Thing suggested for it. The Big Violet was another great idea. As Jenelle R told us:

“It’s our city emblem. During and after the First World War, mothers in Toowoomba sold bunches of violets to raise money to build a war memorial to our citizens who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. This memorial stands proudly in our city, the venue for Anzac Day services and other memorial services. We are the Garden City as well, so a bunch of violets could be very appropriate as the Next Big Thing. It is also the anniversary of the end of WW1.”

10. The Big Revolving Door in Canberra, ACT

This one made our judges laugh. Because as Dennis S said…

“They need it.”

11. The Big Duck Orchid in Perth, WA

A very clever idea! Kit P’s scientific reason impressed our judges:

“Duck orchids are native to Australia and are incredible in that they use sexually deceptive mimicry, duping male wasps to mate with them to pollinate them.”

12. The Big Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) in Tassie

Another animal with a fan club. We saw nominations for Big Thylacines in multiple Tassie destinations. Emily hit the nail on the head with her reason, saying:

“This gorgeous extinct creature deserves its own landmark. We were the ones who drove it to extinction and we should be the ones to memorialise it.”

13. The Big Tractor in Freeling, SA

The little town of Freeling made a BIG impression on our judges with their suggestion of a Big Tractor. Glenys R told us…

“It would draw people to the area of McLeod’s Daughters and our country town. Would be great to see.”

14. The Big Gold Nugget in West Wyalong, NSW

Bland Shire was keen to prove they’re anything but. They thought a Big Gold Nugget would give them a bit of extra sparkle, with Jeff S saying…

“Gold was discovered in the Bland Shire at West Wyalong in 1893 and was mined until 1920. In 2004, a new gold mine was established in the Bland Shire and has produced the gold for Melbourne in 2016 and 2017.”

15. The Big Esky in Darwin, NT

A seriously imaginative idea! Our judges were wow-ed by Gino L’s creative vision:

“A giant esky that is actually a pub on the Esplanade. To be called Esky on the Espy – it sells itself. Any Aussie will put the Esky on the Espy on their next Aussie adventure.”

16. The Big Vegemite in Sydney (or anywhere)

Who could resist a Big Jar of Australia’s favourite spread? Even Vegemite themselves wanted to make it happen.

Want to find out which lucky towns made the final four? Check out the finalists and vote for who you want to win the Next Big Thing. You WIN $2000 towards your next Wotif holiday just for voting!*

VOTE FOR THE NEXT BIG THING

*AU residents 18+ only. Ends 11.59am AEDT 9/10/18. Limit one entry/vote per person per valid email address. Full terms and how to enter via link. Permit NSW LTPS/18/27577.

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