Australasian Leisure Management
Jul 17, 2012

Survey reveals Australia's favourite 'big things'

The Big Banana at Coffs Harbour in NSW has topped a poll of Australia's favourite 'big things'.

The poll of 1,008 Australians, commissioned by TomTom, the supplier of in-car navigation products, revealed Australia's love affair with its big iconic attractions.

The survey showed 34% of Aussies named the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, NSW as the country's favourite 'big' attraction. The country's favourite big fruit also scooped the title for the attraction that Aussies would most like to visit.

Out of over 150 'big things' attractions across the country, Australia's top 10 are:

1. The Big Banana Coffs Harbour, NSW
2. The Big Pineapple Woombye, Queensland
3. The Big Merino Goulburn, NSW
4. The Big Lobster Kingston SE, South Australia
5. The Big Golden Guitar Tamworth, NSW
6. The Big Blue Heeler Muswellbrook, NSW
7. The Big Koala Dadswells Bridge, Victoria
8. The Big Rum Bottle Bundaberg, Queensland
9. The Big Beer Can Cobar, NSW
10. The Big Bench Broken Hill, NSW

The research also revealed that the Big Koala at Dadswell Bridge in Victoria is considered the most Australian 'big thing.' It ranked ahead of other quintessentially Australian attractions, with the Big Blue Heeler (Muswellbrook, NSW), the Big Captain Cook (Cairns, Queensland) and the Big Beer Can (Cobar, NSW) rounding out the top five.

The survey also asked what the country's strangest 'big thing' is. The Big Boxing Crocodile was named as the weirdest attraction by over a third of national respondents, although Northern Territorians seem to love their local icon. The Big Potato (Robertson, NSW) and the Big Knight (Knockrow, NSW) came in close behind on the oddest list, each with 20% of votes.

TomTom Asia Pacific Vice President Chris Kearney explained "Aussies love their road trips so it's no surprise that with over 150 'big things' across the country, they're often a popular excuse for a detour or stop."

The survey also asked about what Aussie icon respondents would like to see as the next 'big thing'. The meat pie most voted for by men came out on top at 22%, followed closely by a pair of thongs at 21% of votes.

As Australians hold high admiration for their home grown celebrities, TomTom wanted to find out which are considered worthy of being immortalised with a 'big icon' statue. Steve Irwin and Dame Edna were named as the favoured personalities at 36 and 35% respectively, besting Kylie Minogue and Shane Warne.

Image shows the Big Banana.

19th October 2011 - FUTURE LOOKS SWEET FOR NAMBOUR’S THE BIG PINEAPPLE

15th July 2009 - CELEBRATING BIG THINGS

2nd May 2008 - GREAT BIG HIPPO TO BE UNVEILED AT THE BIG BANANA

Australasian Leisure Management Magazine
Subscribe to the Magazine Today

Published since 1997 - Australasian Leisure Management Magazine is your go-to resource for sports, recreation, and tourism. Enjoy exclusive insights, expert analysis, and the latest trends.

Mailed to you six times a year, for an annual subscription from just $99.

New Issue
Australasian Leisure Management
Online Newsletter

Get business and operations news for $12 a month - plus headlines emailed twice a week. Covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism, and venues.