Brisbane Family Trip - Day 6 (Big Things)

Today was essentially a rest day after the traveling yesterday, though "rest day" is a relative term when you are on a holiday.

Late afternoon I felt like getting out and seeing the sights of Coffs Harbour, as we are only a couple of km down the road from it.

I also wanted to visit The Big Banana so it can be ticked off my "Big Things" list.

What's a Big Thing?

According to the plaque in front of the actual The Big Banana (photo below) "Big Things are now a form of artistic expression unique to Australia."

This is also recognised in Wikipedia - "The big things have become something of a cult phenomenon, and are sometimes used as an excuse for a road trip, where many or all big things are visited ..."

Preposterous! (excuse for a road trip, who would come up with such a thing ..)

Anyway, some of the more memorable Big Things I have encountered on previous trips include:

• The Big Lobster - Kingston SE, South Australia (I remember stopping and having lunch with the family one trip quite a few years ago. They were serving lobster on the menu - as well as prawns, crabs, and other crustaceans. Not sure if that restaurant is still open).
• The Big Penguin - Penguin, Tasmania (where else?)
• The Giant Koala - Dadswell's Bridge, Victoria (I think this was actually the first big thing I remember seeing.)
• The Big Pheasant -  at the entrance of Gumbuyah Park (now World), Tynong, Victoria.

This holiday, I have quite a few I want to tick off the list.

• The Big Merino - located in Goulburn, New South Wales (Tick - mentioned in an earlier entry).
• The Big Avocado - at  Tropical Fruit World, Duranbah
• The Big Prawn - Ballina, New South Wales.
• The Big Golden Guitar - Tamworth, New South Wales

 And there are a few located in Coffs Harbor

• The Big Banana
• Big Bunch of Bananas
• The Big Windmill
• The Big Slurpee (unfortunately dismantled in 2009)

So this is why Ben and I found ourselves driving to The Big Banana this afternoon.

The Big Banana itself measures 13 meters by 5 meters, so not hugely big when compared to the Big Merino (15m x 18m) or the big lobster (17m x 15m x 13m), however it's bigger than most of the ones you'd find at your greengrocer.

Proof of Visit

The Big Banana lays claim to it being the first of Australia's Big Things; built in 1964.

Now The Big Banana complex isn't just the oversized fruit. The property covers 45 acres and includes:

• Cheese Making Workshop
• Candy Making Workshop
• Souvenir Shop (obviously!)
• Cafe
• 4D Theatre Experience
• Mini Golf Course
• Laser Tag
• Ice Skating Rink
• 82 Metre Water Slide
• Downhill Toboggan Ride
• Water Park
• Gem Stone/Jewellery shop

 and soon to open  - reptile park.

So you can spend a fair while there.

As the website says - It's a whole BUNCH of FUN!

We had a look around, made commitments for a future visit (sometime), bought a The Big Banana T-shirt, shotglass (2) and fridge magnet, and then headed back for a drink.

We'll be leaving Coffs Harbour tomorrow to head further north, once we've visited Coffs Harbour's other Big Things.