Big Banana – Coffs Harbour

Acclaimed as Australia’s first Big Thing and definitely up their in Australia's top 5 – I have to say I was disappointed when I finally got to see the Big Banana. Not only did I have to line up to wait for a picture – what!! But it was much smaller than I thought it would be (it sneakily gets a lot of points for it’s size due to it’s length) but – unlike the prawn, it doesn’t make your jaw drop in grandeur! It also has it’s name clearly marked on it – cheap trick or clever marketing?! It’s highly commercial and although you can go inside, the inside only offers 2 seconds of poster memorabilia before being ushered/pushed through by the person behind you (maybe we went at the wrong time of the year!). It was fun to see, you know, to tick it off my list, but yeah I’ve seen better :P  (sorry beloved icon!)

DETAILS
Size: 11m x 3m 
Year: 1964 
Address: The Big Banana 351 Pacific Hwy, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Australia (it’s literally impossible to miss as you drive through Coffs) 
Photo Taken: Jan 2014

SCORE
Size **** 
Accessibility ***** 
Aesthetics *** 
Unusual ** 
Location* 
15/25 stars

Big Bunch of Bananas – Coffs Harbour

If you’re traveling south through Coffs Harbour you’ll encounter this big bunch of bananas on the main road after the Big Banana! Again quite hard to miss and easy to pull over and grab a pic! I was impressed with the bunch of bananas, even though they obviously live in another thing’s shadow (*cough* big banana *cough*) they are quite novel and well made and put a smile on my face. Their downside is that they’re stuck on top of a fruit shop left to be overtly commercial :( 

DETAILS
Size: 6m x 2m 
Address: Cunninghams Bananas and Tomatoes (fruit & veg shop) Pacific Hwy, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 (southern end) Australia 
Photo Taken: Jan 2014 

SCORE
Size *** 
Accessibility 
Aesthetics *** 
Unusual ** 
Location** 
10/25 stars

Big Windmill – Coffs Harbour

The Big Windmill is one of those Big Things where you have to question, it’s big thing merit, I means windmills are pretty big already! But to give it credit, it's an exceptionally big windmill with a restaurant inside and a horrific back story too :(

In 1968 Mr Franz de Keever, a Dutch architect working in Melbourne and his wife Rie purchased the six acre site with a view to building a motel and authentic Dutch restaurant. After completing ten motel units, construction on the Windmill Restaurant started in 1972. Originally the most difficult problem was finding the eight timber poles of the same size and width to support the structure. Finally after a long search Mr De Keever found what he was looking for in forests near Kempsey. However tragedy struck in 1974 when half way through the construction Mr De Keever fell while working on the frame of the mill.  A small brass commemoration plaque with his initials “F.D.” is located outside at the base of the mill. 

The site remained half finished until 1977 when Hans Eecen and his family called in to stay at “De Windmolen” as it was then named. After long discussions with Rie De Keever they purchased the motel and Hans set about completing the windmill. The blades or “wieken” were made in Holland by Harry Dercke who came out to assist with the assembly. It was officially opened in 1982 by the Ambassador from the Netherlands – a tribute to two very determined Dutchmen. Hans continued building onto the motel to complete the present 43 rooms. – source 

So go visit it and pay respects to someone who believed in the Big Thing vision :) 

DETAILS
Year: 1982
Size: 15m x 7m (guess-timation!)
Address: Comfort Inn Big Windmill 168 Pacific Hwy, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia 2450
Photo Taken: Jan 2014 

SCORE
Size *****
Accessibility**** (restaurant was closed when we passed by so no going in for us!)
Aesthetics ***
Unusual
Location*
13/25 stars