Australia's Big Things

What of Australia's Big Things? It occurred to me that my frequent jaunts the length and breadth of the country were taking me (quite coincidentally) to many of the Big Things, so I decided I should make a half-arsed incomplete effort to point my own digital camera in their general direction. The sensibility and essence of a Big Thing seems to be uniquely Australian (although there ARE surely some foreign Big Things). Part eccentric folly, part celebration of an area's claim to fame, part attempt to create a tourism magnet of varying strengths, to rejuvenate a struggling area or business, to advertise. I personally think uniformity of nomenclature would make things neat and tidy... "Big _____" (insert name of object, person, foodstuff, and so on. None of this "Golden" this and "Giant" that... no, doens't work for me... BIG!!!! How big? Well, since I've rarely bothered to  frame myself (or anyone else) in the picture, size references are up to your imagination (or research).

The Giant Koala - Dadswell Bridge, Victoria. It was up for auction... "Pssst... wanna buy a koala?"

The Big Mango - Bowen, Queensland. Nice colours in the paint job! Part of my idea of photographing Big Things when I happen to find myself near them, is to try to snap from some different or unusual perspective, or capture a detail. Easier said than done, and I'm not sure it's worth it, but I've had a go, where practicable!

The Big Oyster - Taree, NSW. Designed and made by the same blokes who made the Big Merino (Goulburn, NSW). Not quite as impressive (but not as much to work with in terms of shape as there was with the Merino). Now suffering the 'indignity' of urging would-be tyre-kickers to shell out for a pearler!

The Big Potato - Robertson, NSW. All the nicknames and disparaging comparisons are obvious to guess.

And why not visit the Gift Shop? (Left)

Meanwhile, since such a versatile staple food cannot be celebrated highly enough, I bring you... The Big Spud - Sassafras, Tasmania Hmmm. Well, we know potatoes have eyes... but do they wear hats?

The Big Cane Toad - Sarina, Queensland. The toad, made of fibreglass, started life as a float in a local Mardi Gras-style parade.

The Big  Ned Kelly - Glenrowan, Victoria. Australia's celebrated crimial writ large... My sister lives in this part of the world now... what I haven't told her (understandably) is that I've recently seen not one but TWO letter boxes in my local area shaped like Ned Kelly's famed home-made iron helmet!

The Big  Orange - Berri,  South Australia. As glimpsed from the Sturt Highway through the scrubby bushland.

The Big  Impostor - Somewhere in the Netherlands. Atop a fish shop, a sizeable crustacean.

Big things I've encountered or been near (but didn't or couldn't, or couldn't be arsed, or can't find photograph) The Big Captain Cook - Cairns, Queensland The Big Gumboot - Tully, Queensland The Big Wool Bales - Hamilton, Victoria The Big Merino - Goulburn, NSW The Big Pineapple - Nambour, Queensland The Big Pineapple - Gympie, Queensland The Big Prawn - Ballina, NSW The Big Crab - Miriam Vale, Queensland. The Big Banana - Coffs Harbour, NSW The Big-ish Uluru - Karuah, NSW.

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