Our Aussie Big Things List
[ more Top-10 Lists ]
Australia is well known for its big things scattered across the country. We often go out of our way to find them when we are out on the road. Here is a collection of over 60 “big things” that we have come across in our travels around Australia. There are so many, we could not restrict it to just our top 10 (our usual top list limit), though we have since made a page of our Top-10 Australian Big Things and Favourite World Big Things.
[updated in September 2021 with numerous WA, NT and SA big things]
The Big Buffalo, NT
The Big Buffalo in Darwin sits forlornly in a car yard in the suburb of Winnellie. You might see it as you drive past along the busy road, situated among the cars at Travans Cars and Commercials.
The Big XXXX Can, NT
A large xxxx can in the middle of the NT. Does anyone drink this anymore?
The Big Crocodile Head, Broome, WA
This big crocodile head is the entrance to the Broome crocodile park, located out of town. Unfortunately, it is just the head of the animal.
The Big Boxing Crocodile, NT
The boxing crocodile welcomes you to the amusingly named town of Humpty Doo, located on the road to Kakadu from Darwin. It is telling the tourists don’t be scared of crocodiles, they just want to have fun.
The World’s Tallest Bin, WA
The World’s Tallest Bin is in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. It is located at the top end of Hannan Street across from the Federal Hotel. This 8m high rubbish bin was erected in 1980 as a reminder for the locals to not litter.
The Big NT Stubbie, NT
I knew the NT stubbie bottles were big, but not this big. You will find this big thing in the town of Larrimah, on the Stuart Highway in the middle of the Northern Territory.
The Big Boxing Crocodile, NT
This Big Happy Jumping Crocodile is not far from the boxing crocodile. It is aptly placed outside the Original Jumping Crocodile Adelaide River Cruises.
The Big Carpet Snake
The Big Carpet Snake of Ayr is an impressive feature of Plantation Park, in Ayr. Queensland. We visited here in 2008, but we only just found this image of another big thing to add to our list. This 60-metre Giant Carpet Snake is called the Gubulla Munda. It is the totem of the local Jura people.
The Big Redback, Nannup
The big Redback spider (kid for size), in the park across the road from the Nannup Pub, Western Australia.
The Big Orange
The Big Orange is situated in Harvey, about an hour and a half south of Perth in Western Australia. The large orange is resting on a 10-metre tower, among the orchards of Harvey Fresh, at the Harvey River Estate. You can climb up to a viewing area inside the orange, with entry donations supporting the Telethon charity. Inside you will find lots of information and images about the history of Harvey.
The Big Wombat
We came across this not so well-known “big wombat” just off the Eyre Highway in Bookabie, worth the short detour along a dirt road. Turn south off the highway, through a gate with two small wombats, into the Scotdesco Aboriginal community. It’s located near their main admin buildings.
The Big Camera
Go through the lens of the big camera in Meckering in Western Australia and you enter an old camera museum.
The Big Penguin
It makes sense to create a big penguin in the town of Penguin, Tasmania. It is not just this statue, you’ll find penguins everywhere in this town, including penguin rubbish bins.
The Big Murray Cod
Situated at the train station in Swan Hill, Victoria, this was the first big thing we came across on our Around Australia tip in 2008.
The Big Potato
The Big Potato is located in Robertson, New South Wales, you’ll pass by it along the Illawarra Hwy as you pass through town. I’m glad they have labelled it as a big potato, as it is easy to confuse it with something else. The locals have a different name for it.
The Big Marble
Big Marble is a water-filled sphere located on the coast in northern Geraldton, Western Australia. It is really fascinating to walk around it and observe the scenery inverted in the sphere.
The Big Koala
The big koala is a new big thing located at the site of the dog sitting on the tuckerbox (not big), not far from Gundagai. And as always a bonus you can climb on it.
The Big Thongs
These large pair of thongs can be found on the sculpture scenic drive from Elliston, SA.
The Big Goanna
This big goanna is just one of the quirky things you will find along the main street of Coober Pedy, South Australia.
The Big Banana
The big banana in Carnarvon, on the west coast of Australia, is no match for the more famous Big Banana at Coffs Harbour found over the east.
The Big Oyster
The big oyster is situated out the front of the Oyster Barn, on the western end of Ceduna in South Australia. The Big Oyster was originally built as a float for Ceduna’s annual Oysterfest.
The Big Sundial
Located in Singleton NSW. When this sundial was made in 1987, it was the world’s largest, now it is just the largest in the southern hemisphere.
The Big Ram
This giant ram is in Wagin, Western Australia. Not to be confused with Goulburn’s Big Marino. Unfortunately, you cannot climb inside this one like its eastern state’s cousin.
The Big Trout
The Big Trout is a 10-metre-high fibreglass model of a trout found in Adaminaby, New South Wales. The statue is in honour of the popular fishing spot for trout.
The Big Galah
Situated halfway across the country, the Big Galah is located in Kimba, SA. There is not much else to see or do in Kimba, creating this big bird was one of the best things the town could have done.
The Big Captain Cook
On the outskirts of Cairns, Queensland, the great explorer once stood waving at passing drivers. Unfortunately, the statue has been sold and taken down, maybe to make a reappearance somewhere else in the future.
The Big Kangaroo
At the SA/WA border village. You will see plenty of dead kangaroos by the side of the road while crossing the Nullarbor, but nothing as big as this. So do you stop at this or drive a few km down the road for the Big Whale at Eucla?
The Big Whale
A whale by the side of the road in Eucla may seem out of place here, but a short drive will get you to the coast for some whale watching. As was pointed out by my children, it is not really a ‘big thing’ as the whale is smaller than life-size.
The Big Humpty Dumpty
The Big Humpty Dumpty is located in Carnarvon, Western Australia, outside an abandoned fruit farm on the outskirts of town.
The Big Merino
Goulburn, NSW. This is the most well known of several big sheep around the country.
The Big Dinosaur
This big dinosaur (maybe to scale?) was at Kronosaurus Korner, outside of a Museum in Richmond, Queensland.
The Big Trout
This big fish (we think it is a trout) is in Edenhope, Victoria.
The Big Dinosaur Ant
The Big Ant is located in Poochera, South Australia. Another worthwhile stop along the Nullabor for the big thing hunters! The ant statue is in honour of the dinosaur ants which were discovered at Poochera in 1977. Relative to the size of the actual insect, this big thing is very big.
The Big Miner
This big miner is just one of the quirky things you will find around Coober Pedy, South Australia.
The Big Oyster
The big oyster in Taree, NSW is unusually placed on the roof of a car dealership.
The Big Dog
At Corrigin, Western Australia. This large dog was built to commemorate the world record 1,527 ute convoy of 2003. Not sure what a dog has to do with it – they should have built a large ute.
The Big Wheelburrow
The big wheel burrow is in the outskirts of Port Hedland in the north of Western Australia.
The Big Whale
The big whale at the Nullarbor Roadhouse, South Australia, has had a makeover since we first saw it about ten years earlier. It has turned from a cartoonish whale to this realistic looking one. It is on our big things list, but is actually small for a whale.
The Big Crocodile
The big crocodile in Wyndham, in the north of WA.
The Big Western Rock Lobster
The Big Western Rock Lobster is located on the corner of the Brand Highway and Moreton Terrace in Dongara- Port Denison, Western Australia.
The Big Bass
The big wooden bass in Bulahdelah in NSW.
The Big Aboriginal Woman and Child
This big statue of an Aboriginal woman and child and perentie lizard is in the same small town of Aileron, where the big Aileron man statue stands on the hill overlooking the town.
The Big Banana
One of the most popular big things in Australia is the big banana in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia.
The Big Pineapple
Another popular big thing in Australia is the big pineapple near Nambour Queensland.
The Big Prawn
The big prawn is on top of a seafood shop in Ballina, New South Wales, Australia.
The Big Lobster
When we passed the big lobster in Kingston, South Australia, it was for sale. I wonder if anyone bought it.
The Big Rocking Horse
Situated in Gumeracha, South Australia, the big rocking horse is part of a complex that includes a wooden toy factory and a wildlife park.
The Big Anmatyerr Man
The imposing Anmatyerr Man stands on the hill behind the Aileron Roadhouse, on the Stuart Hwy just north of Alice Springs, Northern Territory. There is a big woman and child statue is here too.
The Big Ned Kelly
This is a six-metre-high Big Ned Kelly, standing guard outside of the Glenrowan Post Office. There is another big Ned in front of the Ned Kelly Hotel in Maryborough, QLD.
The Big Map the Miner Statue
The Map the Miner statue in Kapunda, South Australia represents the Cornish miners who once worked at the town.
The Big Cricket Bat
The Big Cricket Bat in Narrikup, Western Australia, is worth a stop for the cricket-loving and big thing loving families. There is also a fence made from cricket bats. There are 491 bats in total (yes, we counted them all).
The Big Numbat
This Big Numbat in Williams, Western Australia, is not as big as it looks. At just over one metre tall it is still much bigger than the real thing, the state animal of WA (no, it’s not the quokka)
The Big Winch
The big winch overlooking Coober Pedy, South Australia. In a town of quirky things, this is not that interesting. It has had a new paint job since this photo. There are also the remnants of a previous version that was blown down in a storm.
The Big Apple
Not in New York, though we came across this is the apple isle. In Spreyton, just south of Devonport in the north of Tasmania, situated above a fruit store.
The Big Marron
Found out the front of Old Kent River Wines and Marron, in the south-west of Western Australia, near Denmark.
The Big Boot
The Golden Gumboot, the world’s largest gumboot in Tully, Queensland.
The Big Barramundi
On top of a cafe in Daintree Village, Queensland.
The Big Seat
Great views when sitting on the large seat in Broken Hill, NSW.
The Big Orange
The big orange promoting Orange World in Wentworth, NSW.
The Big Bundy Bottle
At the home of Bundaberg Rum in Bundaberg, Queensland.
The Giant’s Chair
The Giant’s Chair is located at the Sky High Lookout, Dandenongs Victoria.
The Big Mango
The big mango in Bowen, Queensland is a great photo op in this region known for mangoes.
King Neptune, Two Rocks, WA
You don’t have to venture far from Perth to find something large and ancient. Only an hour north of the city in the coastal town of Two Rocks is this giant statue is basically all which remains of an abandoned theme park, though our Percy Jackson fans were disappointed it was Neptune, not Poseidon.
Big Apple, Donnybrook, WA
A couple of big apples in the streets of Donnybrook, south of Perth in Western Australia. There is a much bigger apple in Donnybrook, but it is now on private land and you have to stay at the farmstay to view it.
Wow, that’s a lot of big things, and we have seen all of these. However, there are many more to be found as you travel around Australia. They are sometimes hard to find, which is surprising as they are so big!
See our other Australian big things lists:
- The Big Things of Western Australia
- The Big Things of South Australia
- The Big Things of the Northern Territory
[ more Top-10 Lists ]
