Big Things
My Dad was a big believer in driving holidays when I was a kid. Each Christmas he would bundle us into the car and head off on a drive. The drive felt like it took an eternity to some location that was far removed from our little farm. The alternative was to drive to the airport, fly to a different state, hire a car and then drive for a couple of more hours.
During these travels we got to see some amazing parts of Australia and some things that truly make this country and its people unique. My favorite things to see where the “big things”. Dotted all over this great brown land are monuments to the achievements, produce and things that make that town great or at least a little quirky. Celebrations of the triumph that tower over the land welcoming all and usually providing some sort of morning tea or tourist information.
With Everything from the Big Trout to the Big Pair of Glasses there are now over 140 big things in the country, some of my personal favorites include
Located at the southern end of the city it is well worth stopping to visit this 15m Merino Monster. Built as a dedication to the wool that is produced in the area “Rambo” as he is affectionately known has stood proudly in Goulburn for many years. He is the home to a gift shop and provides a home for the “history of Wool in Australia” exhibit. For me he symbolizes cold mornings on school excursions to Sydney and the excitement felt at escaping to the big city.
For years this monument has meant one thing to me. HOME. I was very young the first time I saw the cherries from the back seat of my dads Falcon. My sister and I were dazzled by the big fruit while hoping to stop so that we could get some huge cherries. Obviously at that age the “big thing” concept was wasted on us. Over the years they still give me the feeling of home and are certainly worth the trip during the cherry season. Young is the cherry capital and the fruit that comes out of the region is truly the best in the country. Stop in and pick up a case of the fruit or stay over night and take part in the Cherry Festival.
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This monument could have been built in Innisfail, Babinda or Tully. The Boot is in recognition of the huge rainfall experienced by North Queensland with the aforementioned towns laying claim to the highest rainfall. Tully recorded a rainfall amount of 7.98 meters in a single year. With a spiral staircase in side the 8m boot you can make your way to the top to over look the town and get a fantastic view of the Big Green Tree frog. With a small gift shop to buy trinkets this is as good one to get your photo taken with.
Standing at 11m tall the Big Wine Cask has been standing tall at the Stanley Winery in NSW since 1983. Unlike the carefully planned big things that I have previously mentioned this one was all about beautification & imagination. The cask was originally just an ordinary if not ugly plant shed that received a make over. It was even given a tap made by the manufacturer of the inner bags. If the cask were to actually hold wine it would hold a massive 400,000 liters of wine. Now to build the “Big Asprin”
The Big Golden Guitar Tamworth NSW
Tamworth has become Australia’s equivalent to America’s Nashville. This is our home of Country music. Yearly the Tamworth Country Music Festival draws huge crowds over the Australia Day long weekend. The festival celebrates Performers, Writers and Legends of Australian Country Music with the culmination being the Golden Guitar Country Music Awards.
Many of Australia’s Country favorites like Slim Dusty, Gina Jeffries and Troy Cassar Daley have been honored winning the Golden Guitar.
The Big Golden Guitar is a tribute to the awards and to Australian Country Music. You can find this O.T.T. monument standing out the front of the Golden Guitar Tourist Information Centre on the New England Highway
So get out, jump in a car and see this great country and its big things.
By Rachel Carpenter
