Another 5 ‘Big Things’ in NSW

The Big Bench, Line of Lode Miner's Memorial

Australia loves its oversized objects, and in NSW there are plenty of them. From giant animals to enormous ugg boots, here are 5 more iconic ‘Big Things’ in NSW to add to your road-trip bucket list.

1) The Big Bench, Broken Hill

Sitting pretty on the top of the Line of Lode, a memorial on top of a silver ore mine in Broken Hill, the Big Bench makes anyone look like a little kid at two-and-a-half-times the size of a normal park bench. For more mining history, the Albert Kersten Mining and Mineral Museum offers hands-on insight with almost 2,000 specimens, including an impressive 42kg silver nugget.

2) The Big Bush Turkey, Kyogle 

Big Bush Turkey, Kyogle - Credit: @Australia's
Big Things Facebook Group

Built by a local Kyogle couple, the Big Bush Turkey is an 8m-wide, 4m-high concrete ode to these controversial Australian native birds. The Northern Rivers town is surrounded by national parks where you can do your own bird watching including Richmond Range, Toonumbar, Border Ranges, Wollumbin and Nightcap.

3) The Big Hat, Yeoval

Big Hat, Yeoval - Credit: @Australia's Big Things Facebook Group

The 6m-tall Big Hat is an oversized, bronze version of famed Australian bush poet Banjo Paterson’s, located in Yeoval, between Dubbo and Parkes. See more of the poet’s life across the road at the Banjo Paterson Museum, head to the Banjo Paterson Poetry Festival in his hometown of Orange held each February, or don your own hat for a safari at nearby Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo.

4) The Big Oyster, Taree

Big Oyster, Taree - Credit: @Australia's Big Things Facebook Group

In its heyday, this 20m-high, 27m-wide Taree mollusc was home to a restaurant and souvenir shop. Now a shell housing a car dealership, it’s still an apt symbol of the treasures that come from the town’s significant waterway, the Manning River. Try a freshly shucked dozen at Stones Oysters, book an oyster farm tour with Brighton Oysters (and even stay the night!) and get a bird’s-eye view over the valley with a scenic flight with Manning River Aero Club.

5) The Big Lawn Bowl, Port Macquarie

The Big Lawn Bowl in front of Club Lake Cathie
Credit: Club Lake Cathie

This two-tonne bright blue bowl sits at the entrance to Club Lake Cathie, a lawn bowls and function centre in Port Macquarie. Join in for a free game of bowls (check the schedule and register ahead) or do as the locals do and relax on the crystal-clear banks of Lake Cathie with a picnic, forest walk or, if the tides are right, a swim.