Highlighting Australia's Big Things

Seeing as Australia is the world’s biggest island, Tourism Australia thinks it is only fitting that we promote all the other big things on show around Australia as well.

As part of Tourism Australia’s current campaign to promote our great country to visitors “There’s Nothing Like Australia”, the people of Australia are being asked to upload their family holiday snapshots and stories to the campaign website, www.nothinglikeaustralia.com.

There have been thousands of people who have done just that, with quite a few uploading their photos of the big things they have visited on their travels as well, things like the Big Banana, The Big Pineapple and even the Big Ned Kelly.

In total, there are more than 150 of these Big things dotted all over Australia and Queenslands Big Things are quite prominant in the scheme of things as we seem to have more than our fair share of them, with the Big Gun, the Big Bull, and The Big Mango among many others.

There are many theories about why we Aussies have a fascination with all things large, with many of ultimately them boiling down to advertising, be it showing off something that the local area is famous for or just to arouse curiosity in passers by.

Many Queenslanders will have passed a big thing or two on trips up and down the coast over the years and it begs the question, how many Queenslanders have never even stopped to take a closer look or snapshot of the family giving them the once over?

Back to Tourism Australia, the intention is to put these big things on the international tourism map, quite literally, as there will be a map created as part of the campaign which will give potential visitors a way to find even more reasons to enjoy a holiday in Australia.

Aussies only have until midnight on May 12 to upload images and stories about their favourite place down under, and Tourism Australia is keen to see the current wave of enthusiasm for the campaign continue right up until submissions close.

Tourism Australia chief Andrew McEvoy says that while many of the "big" things have already been posted on the site, there is always room for more.

"The bigs are such a great example of the Aussie sense of humour and ingenuity that it's impossible to imagine an Australian holiday map without them," he said.
"But it's up to Australians to put them there.”

"There can't be too many family photo albums that don't have a shot of mum, dad and the kids lined up in front of the Big Banana, or the Big Pineapple.

"Now is the time for everyone to open those old albums and share these fantastic holiday fun times with the world."