Updated June 2025
Originally published August 2019
Australia has a bit of a thing for, well… big things. Scattered across the country, there are more than 150 oversized Aussie roadside attractions - from giant fruit and animals to boots, bottles and beyond. These Big Things in Australia range from cheeky tourist traps to genuine community icons, and they’ve become must-see stops for anyone road tripping across the country.
Take the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour (yep, the one from the Dune Rats’ Dalai Lama Big Banana Marijuana), or the 100-tonne Big Merino in Goulburn - just two of the most famous big things in NSW. Whether you're backpacking, hiring a campervan or chasing photo ops for the ‘gram, these offbeat Aussie landmarks are half the fun of the journey.
Not all Australian Big Things are created equal, though. So we’ve rounded up some of the best ones worth the detour.
Image thanks to Smith’s Lawyers
Humpty Doo might not be the most action-packed town in the Northern Territory, but it’s home to what could easily be one of the best Big Things in Australia. Towering 13 metres tall and throwing a mean right hook, the Big Boxing Crocodile has been squaring up to travellers since 1987.
Built by local legend Marcel Britnal, this larger-than-life croc was no cheap gimmick. It cost a hefty $137,000 at the time - that’s over $330,000 in today’s money - and was designed to survive not just tourist scrutiny, but the brutal conditions of a tropical cyclone.
Part folk art, part fever dream, this big croc punches well above its weight. Forget the Boxing Kangaroo - if there’s one Aussie animal you’d back in the ring, it’s this heavyweight reptile icon.
Image thanks to Melbourne Tourism
That papier-mâché-looking body. Those wiry ear hairs. That fixed, slightly menacing stare that says both “I’m better than every other koala” and “look at me wrong and I’ll swing.” And let’s not forget those giant, discoloured, unblinking eyes.
Standing tall in Dadswells Bridge, Victoria, the Giant Koala easily takes the title for Australia’s scariest big thing. And yes - that includes The Big Funnel-Web Spider. Despite the haunting look, it’s an iconic stop on the Western Highway and has earned its place among the weirdest roadside attractions in Australia.
Located in Dadswells Bridge, Victoria the Koala was built in 1989 on the tail end of the big thing boom. At 14 meters tall and a weight of 10 tonnes the sculpture was created by Ben Van Zetton. It’s got a store inside the koala, which feels a bit weird entering a giant animal, where you can buy all sorts of koala based tat. If you’re ever heading between Melbourne and Adelaide, why not stop off and say hey to this big Aussie icon.
Image thanks to TripAdvisor
While Tamworth’s Big Golden Guitar holds the crown for Australia’s largest, the Big Guitar in Narrandera, NSW claims a different title - the biggest playable guitar in the country, and the second-largest in the world.
Built by Robert Palmer in 1988, this oversized acoustic legend stretches nearly 6 metres long and took more than 300 hours to craft. It takes two people to play - making it the perfect supersized prop for anyone brave enough to bust out Wonderwall in public. (Please don’t.)
The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour is said to be one of Australia’s first big things, kicking off the country’s obsession with oversized roadside attractions. Built by Alan Harvey in just three months, this 13-metre-long bright yellow berry is about 70 times the size of your average peelable plantain.
The banana marks the entrance to the Big Banana Fun Park, but let’s be honest - nobody stops for the fun park alone. The banana is the star of the show, and it's practically a rite of passage for anyone road-tripping the East Coast of Australia. Like any good tourist trap, there’s a gift shop to mark the moment you met this fruity legend. If you’re passionate about potassium, you’re in luck. You can buy fresh bananas, dried bananas, banana lollies, chocolate-coated bananas, and a bunch of other banana-related stuff.
In the wise words of Gwen Stefani: “This sh*t is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.”
Image thanks to Atlas Obscura
Australia really loves its fruit when it comes to oversized landmarks. The Big Pineapple joins a juicy lineup that includes the Big Mango, Big Avocado, Big Apple (not the New York one), Big Banana, Big Mandarin - you get the idea.
Standing at 16 metres tall (or about 64 regular pineapples stacked), this massive fibreglass fruit was originally built as a roadside attraction for the Sunshine Plantation on the Sunshine Coast. These days, it’s more than just a photo stop. The site now hosts the annual Big Pineapple Music Festival, which has featured acts even bigger than the pineapple itself - and that’s saying something.
Whether you’re chasing quirky roadside attractions, ticking off Queensland’s best big things, or just want a selfie with an enormous fruit, the Big Pineapple delivers.
Image thanks to Pedestrian.Tv
We might’ve crowned the Big Boxing Crocodile as Australia’s best big thing - but the Big Wine Cask gives it a serious run for its money. This legendary Aussie icon paid tribute to budget nights, sticky floors, and the humble goon bag that fuelled many a backpacker’s party.
Built around 2010 by Stanley Winery in Buronga, New South Wales, this colossal cask stood 8 metres high, 11 metres long, and 7 metres wide - big enough to hold a hypothetical 400,000 litres of boxed wine. That’s a lot of Fruity Lexia. And yes, it absolutely deserved its place among Australia’s weirdest roadside attractions.
But here’s where it gets tragic. The Big Wine Cask is no more. In 2012, Stanley’s parent company rebranded and painted over the structure, transforming it from a national treasure into… a storage shed. A massive missed opportunity, if you ask us. Gone, but never forgotten - the Big Wine Cask now lives on in legend (and in the hearts of every backpacker who’s danced under the stars with a goon bag in hand).
Image thanks to Claire Garner
Look, we love a good Aussie roadside attraction - but The Big Potato in Robertson, New South Wales? It’s... a tough one to defend.
Built in 1977 by local potato grower Jim Mauger, this oversized concrete spud was originally meant to house a potato information centre. That dream never panned out, and what we’re left with is a lumpy brown monolith that looks more like a forgotten prop from Mad Max than a tribute to tubers. It’s been called everything from “a giant turd” to “a sad vegetable sausage” - and honestly, fair.
To its credit, The Big Potato had a brief moment of glory in 2010 when it was transformed into The Big Mr. Potato Face thanks to a rogue art installation. But these days, it mostly sits awkwardly in a paddock, attracting confused road trippers and ironic Instagram posts. Still, if you’re ticking off Australia's worst big things, this one’s a must-see.
Image thanks to Idiot4Hire
From bananas to boxing crocs, Australia’s big things are bizarre, brilliant, and worth the photo stop. Planning a road trip? Check out our travel deals and start ticking off these giant icons.
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