By Robert Schrader
Weird and Amazing Travel Expert, about.com
My reason for visiting the town of Coffs Harbour, Australia was seeing kangaroos on the beach, so imagine my surprise when, driving north along the Pacific Ocean, I came upon a massive, fake banana. And I do mean massive: At over 30 feet long and hanging 15 feet off the ground, it is the largest banana in the world.
Why does this massive false fruit, which is often cited
as "Australia's Most Photographed Object" and was commemorated on a
2007 postage stamp, exist? Continue reading to learn.
What is the Meaning Behind the Big Banana?
To
be sure, although Coffs Harbour is more famous among visitors for the
aforementioned kangaroos, its surfing and how easy of a getaway it is
from the big city of Sydney, Coffs Harbour's economic importance derives largely from the role its plays in Australia's banana industry.
Or at least, it once did.
Banana
farming in Coffs Harbour began in 1891, when a man named Herman Reich
brought banana plans with him to the then-new town, which spawned dozens
of other banana farms throughout coastal New South Wales state in the
years that followed.
Although the numbers for Coffs Harbour's bananomics
today place it behind fishing and tourism, banana farming is
undoubtedly the industry that put that town on the map.
How Big is the Big Banana?
The
official size of the Big Banana is 11 meters long, 5 meters high and
2.4 meters wide – or, 33" long, 15" high and 7'2" wide, for those of us
who don't use the metric system. For reference, the length of the
average banana is approximately 6", which means that Coffs Harbour's big
banana is about 66 times as long as most bananas you've seen.
In
more general terms, the Big Banana is large enough that it's quite
literally impossible to miss as you drive up the Pacific Highway. This
is both due to its sheer size, as well as the fact that its nearly
fluorescent color stands out so dramatic from the verdant reen face of
the surrounding mountains, which are appropriately blanketed in banana
plantations.
Big Banana Theme Park
Speaking of tourism,
the Big Banana itself is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg for
tourists who travel to Coffs Harbour, which is approximately seven hours
north of Sydney, to see it. That's because it serves as the marker of
an entrance to a theme park of the same name.
After being wowed by
its namesake monument, you enter a world of thrills at the Big Banana
Theme Park. The Toboggan, for example, twists and turns through more
than 2,000 feet of track. For something a little more relaxing, take in
the 36 holes on offer at Max's Mini Golf. Beat the heat inside the
spacey "Area 351," an alien-themed laser tag adventure.
Speaking
of beating the heat, the theme park has more than half a dozen
water-related attractions, such as the "Big Kahuna" water slide and the
"Adrenaline Rush" water obstacle course, which provide welcome
relief from Coffs Harbour's hot, humid summers. Click here to learn more about the Big Banana Theme Park, or to buy advance tickets.
