Bigger is Better!

Did you know that Australia is the world's largest island? It is also home to the world's largest coral reef and the world's largest monolith which may explain why the Aussie's are obsessed with big things.

It all started when an American named John Landi arrived from the U.S.A. He was involved in studies with insects that were plaguing the banana plantations. I'm not sure if he visited Hawaii on his way over to Oz or on a previous trip but he was quite taken by the massive Dole pineapple and had a flash of genius... "Let's build a really HUGE banana right here in Coffs Harbour and maybe it will help the banana sales." So that's exactly what he did. In 1964, the 5 meter high by 11 meter long Big Banana was finished. Each year millions of visitors flock to see an unusual collection of super-huge attractions now totaling over 150 big sculptures, objects and statues which are scattered throughout Oz.

I did a Google search to get a list of the top ten "Big Attractions" in Australia. You would think that my computer screen would have shown me The Sydney Opera House, The Great Barrier Reef or The Australia Zoo but NO... I was staring at "The Big Boxing Crocodile" which can be found on the road from Darwin to Kakadu in get this... Humpty Doo! Yes, that is the name of the town.

I was not surprised that "The Big Golden Guitar" was on the top ten list as we have heaps of friends that enjoy country music and said that while we are in Australia, "It is a must see!" Forget seeing Ayers Rock. Go and have a Kodak photo moment next to this 12 meter high instrument!

I would have to say that The Big Rum Bottle which is about 6 hours up the coast from my house is my personal favorite. Bundaberg, Queensland is world famous for it's rum and I find it quite amusing that people actually think that it is filled with rum! Even though it's not, it worth the trip.

When I found out that our new home was only 10 minutes from "The Big Pineapple," I knew we weren't too far out in "the bush," "the back of Burke," or "the woop-woop" as they say here in Oz. I was wrong...

On the way home from the airport we went from a beautifully paved 4-lane highway to a 2-lane paved road to a single paved road... then a gravel and dirt road, then just dirt... no road, to the entrance of our new home for the next year, "Happy Landings" which was a 1 kilometer very steep dirt road that even our driver said,"Holy Dooley, this makes me as nervous as a mother kangaroo in a room full of pickpockets!" He was "rapt" (very excited) when he made it to the top of the road and said, "Who-eee, and we're just in time for smoko, mates!" I looked at my sister and whispered, "Are we going to burn something down?"