{"id":6210,"date":"2018-09-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-03T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/?p=6210"},"modified":"2020-04-02T05:35:53","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T19:35:53","slug":"10-best-australian-big-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/australia\/nostalgia\/10-best-australian-big-things\/","title":{"rendered":"BIG NEWS! 10 OF AUSTRALIA\u2019S BEST BIG THINGS"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you haven\u2019t already heard, this year is Wotif\u2019s 18th birthday and we\u2019re celebrating by giving Australia its Next Big Thing. Seriously. We\u2019re taking nominations right now<\/a> and in a couple of weeks you can vote for your fave from a shortlist of finalists. It\u2019s going to be HUGE (all puns intended).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all super exciting and we\u2019re loving your clever and creative ideas. But a new Big Thing is a Big Deal and we thought some of you might like some inspo to help you think of a Big Idea for the Aussie destination you love. So to help, we\u2019ve rounded up 10 of our favourite Aussie Big Things. Check \u2018em out, starting with…<\/p>\n

10. Ploddy the Dinosaur<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Somersby, NSW<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

While she\u2019s technically not called the Big Dinosaur, most Big Thing experts agree that Ploddy was probably the first \u2018big thing\u2019 built in Australia. She was \u2018born\u2019 at Gosford\u2019s Australian Reptile Park in 1963 when the park\u2019s founder, Eric Worrell, decided he needed a little (OK, big) something to put his park on the map. Ploddy has had several makeovers over the years (haven\u2019t we all?) and when the park moved to Somersby in 1996, so did she. Stop by if you want to say hi!<\/a><\/p>\n

Say hello to the very first Aussie Big Thing \u2013 Ploddy the Dinosaur from Somerby, NSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

9. The Big Mango<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bowen, QLD<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

What\u2019s better than a delicious Bowen mango? A BIG Bowen Mango! The Big Mango stands next to Bowen\u2019s tourist information centre and it\u2019s a new kid on the Big Things block, having only been built in 2002. In 2014, it was stolen by Nando\u2019s to promote their new mango and lime flavoured sauce. But it was safely returned with a bonus \u2013 the Mini Mango, which is now a 10-minute drive down the road at Santa Barbara Parade.<\/p>\n

8. The Big Floating Tap<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Phillip Island, VIC<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
The Big Floating Tap at A Maze\u2019N Things, Phillip Island.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

We\u2019re not saying the Big Floating Tap is a miracle of human creation that somehow defies the laws of gravity… but we\u2019re not not saying it, either. Check it out (and decide for yourself) at A Maze\u2019N Things<\/a>, an award-winning (and mind-bending) theme park on Phillip Island that\u2019s full of illusions, puzzles, mazes, and magic.<\/p>\n

7. The Big Rum Bottle<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bundaberg, QLD<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

QLD actually has two big bottles of Bundy, but we say you\u2019ve got to go to the source. Head to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery to get your Big Thing fix and go behind the scenes to discover how one of Australia\u2019s most famous spirits is made. Visit in November \u2013 March to see the Mon Repos turtle nesting and hatching seasons as well!<\/p>\n

6. The Big Tennis Racquet<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Barellan, NSW<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
The Big Tennis Racquet, Barellan. Pic courtesy of Narrandera Shire Council.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

We love a Big Thing with a back story and the Big Tennis Racquet has a good one. Located in Evonne Goolagong Park, the 13.8-metre long Big Tennis Racquet is an exact 20:1 scale model of Evonne Goolagong-Cawley\u2019s old wooden Dunlop tennis racquet. If you don\u2019t know your tennis, Evonne is a Wiradjuri woman who, in 1971, became the first Indigenous Australian to win a Wimbledon Tennis Championship. Barellan is her hometown and the Big Tennis Racquet celebrates the town\u2019s connection to an Aussie champ.<\/p>\n

5. The Big Golden Guitar<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tamworth, NSW<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Tamworth is Australia\u2019s country musical capital \u2013 and what better way to show it than a giant golden guitar? The guitar is next to the Tamworth tourist centre<\/a>, which is also home to a wax museum (which is, naturally, full of Aussie country music superstars) and the Collectors Museum \u2013 the world\u2019s largest private collection of Donald Bradman memorabilia. That\u2019s 452 (not out!) reasons to pop in for a visit \ud83c\udfcf<\/p>\n

The Big Golden Guitar taking pride of place in Tamworth, NSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

4. The Big Ned Kelly<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Glenrowan, VIC<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Whatever your opinion of the Kelly gang\u2019s acts or Ned Kelly\u2019s status as an outlaw hero, there\u2019s no denying that the image of Kelly in his homemade armour, fighting his last stand against the police, is one of the most iconic in Australian history. It all went down in Glenrowan, Victoria, and today a 6-metre tall statue of Kelly commemorates the site. Have a squiz at Kate\u2019s Cottage<\/a>, on the corner of Gladstone and Kate Streets.<\/p>\n

3. The Big Merino<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Goulburn, NSW<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
The Big Merino, looking very snazzy at Goulburn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

Sorry, NZ, but with its massive merino, Goulburn is the real woolly capital of the world. And we do mean massive \u2013 the Big Merino is 15.2 metres tall, 18 metres long, and weighs a whopping 97 tonnes! It was built in 1985 and modelled on a real-life ram named Rambo \u2013 a stud (in every sense of the word) from a local farm. Today, the Big Merino<\/a> is a great place to stretch your legs or grab a new pair of fluffy uggs. Head to the Corner of Hume and Sowerby Streets, just off the Hume Highway.<\/p>\n

2. The Big Pineapple<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Nambour, QLD<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

When you think Big Things, you think the Big Pineapple. Built in 1971, the Pineapple is one of the originals and still one of the best. It\u2019s had some ups and downs over the years, but is now heritage-listed, with a zoo, mini steam train, and a rockin\u2019 annual music festival. But if you\u2019re a \u201890s Sunshine Coast kid like me, the Big Pineapple<\/a> probably holds a special place in your heart for the giant old-school parfaits it used to serve back in the day. Ahh,\u00a0memories \ud83d\ude0d<\/p>\n

1. The Big Banana<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Coffs Harbour, NSW<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

It was a tough call between the Pineapple and the Banana for the No.1 spot, but in the end we had to go for seniority. Built on an actual banana plantation way back in 1964 (just one year after Ploddy), the Big Banana<\/a> is one of Australia\u2019s first Big Things and it\u2019s still going strong 54 years later, with more than 1 million visitors every year. While the plantation remains, today the Big Banana is also home to an awesome fun park, with waterslides, toboggans, laser tag, ice skating, and mini golf. It\u2019s a great day out for the whole family, so make sure you check it out next time you\u2019re in Coffs.<\/p>\n

Full of Big Inspiration? Suggest an awesome Big Thing for your favourite Aussie destination\u00a0here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you haven\u2019t already heard, this year is Wotif\u2019s 18th birthday and we\u2019re celebrating by giving Australia its Next Big Thing. Seriously. We\u2019re taking nominations right now and in a couple of weeks you can vote for your fave from a shortlist of finalists. It\u2019s going to be HUGE (all puns intended). It\u2019s all super …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6212,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[740,757],"tags":[217,221,220,219],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6210"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6210"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6219,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6210\/revisions\/6219"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}