The state where the great Australian Big Thing boom really took off. From the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour — the icon that started a national craze in 1964 — to Rambo the Big Merino at Goulburn and the Big Golden Guitar at Tamworth, NSW packs more headline-act Big Things into a single road trip than anywhere else in the country.
The Big Banana opened on the Pacific Highway in December 1964 and was the first commercially successful Big Thing in Australia. Within a decade, regional NSW was building giant prawns, merinos, guitars and oysters along every major highway — and most of them are still standing.
If you only see three Big Things in New South Wales, see these — the icons that have made it onto Australia Post stamps, Royal Australian Mint coins, and a million family photo albums.
The original. 5m × 11m of yellow ferro-concrete fruit on the Pacific Highway, opened 22 December 1964 — the icon that started Australia's Big Things craze. Full fun park behind.
Read the full guideRambo, the 15.2m × 18m, 97-tonne ram on the Hume Highway. Three-storey gift shop and exhibition inside, with the iconic view through Rambo's eyes from the top floor.
Read the full guide12m of gold-painted fibreglass at the entrance to Australia's country music capital. Unveiled by Slim Dusty on Australia Day 1988 and home to the National Guitar Museum.
Read the full guideEvery Big Thing in this guide plotted on a single map. The Pacific Highway corridor on the east, the Hume in the south, and a cluster of Riverina and New England icons inland.
For an interactive version with all pins, see our full Big Things map.
Filter by region or browse the lot. Each card links to a full guide (where available) with visiting info, opening hours, photos, and what's nearby.
If you'd rather link the icons into a multi-day drive, here are three classic NSW routes that pack in the most stops.
5–7 days, easy. The densest Big Things corridor in Australia — Tweed to Newcastle takes in the Banana, Prawn, Avocado, Oyster, Bull and Axe in one continuous coastal run.
4–5 days, easy. Sydney to Albury via Goulburn, Yass and Gundagai. The Merino, Dog on the Tuckerbox, Cherries and the Big Murray Cod at the Victorian border.
7–10 days, moderate. A loop through the New England, Snowy Mountains, and Riverina — Tamworth's Golden Guitar, the Big Trout in Adaminaby, the Wine Cask at Buronga.
Flights, accommodation, car hire, and airport transfers — everything you need to plan a self-drive NSW Big Things road trip.
Sydney, Newcastle, Ballina/Byron, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth.
Trip Planner ↗Coastal motels, country pubs, vineyards & Snowy Mountains lodges.
Trip Planner ↗One-way and round-trip from Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle.
Trip Planner ↗Sydney, Newcastle, Ballina-Byron, Gold Coast & regional NSW.
Airport Shuttle Services ↗Our 8-day Big Things Road Trip from Brisbane to Sydney spends days 4–8 in NSW — Banana, Prawn, Bull and Merino, with overnights at Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Goulburn. Small groups, expert local guides.
View the tour →NSW is just one of eight states and territories. Each has its own character — and its own roadside icons.