The category where the Big Things genre is at its most itself — gloriously, unapologetically weird. A 17-metre mosquito on the Hexham foreshore. A 100-metre earthworm-shaped building in South Gippsland. A boxing crocodile outside a Top End petrol station. A taxidermied film-star buffalo behind a country pub. These are the icons that make the genre what it is.
The famous Big Things (Banana, Pineapple, Merino) are commercial successes. The quirky ones are pure expressions of "why not?" — built because someone in a small town thought a giant statue of a local oddity would be funny. They almost always are.
A giant mosquito, a giant earthworm, and a boxing crocodile — three icons that exemplify what makes Big Things truly Australian.
17 metres of corrugated-iron mosquito on the Hexham foreshore, north of Newcastle. A tribute to the wetlands' most famous resident — built 1965, deliberately ugly, beloved by truckers heading up the Pacific Highway.
Read moreA 100-metre walk-through tunnel building shaped like the Giant Gippsland earthworm — the world's largest earthworm species, found only in South Gippsland. Possibly the strangest building in Australia.
Read more8 metres of fibreglass croc in boxing gloves outside the United Service Station. Pure Top End absurdity in the very best Big Things tradition — and a beloved tourist photo stop.
Read moreMost of Australia's quirkiest Big Things are in regional and remote areas — built by small-town councils, motel owners, and individual eccentrics. The geographic spread tells you they're a national phenomenon.
For an interactive version with all pins, see our full Big Things map.
Filter by category or browse the lot. Each card links to a full guide where one exists, plus location info and what's nearby.
The weird ones are scattered — but a few coherent runs link several at once.
2 days, easy. Sydney to Brisbane via the Big Mosquito at Hexham (north of Newcastle), the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour, and the Big Prawn at Ballina. Three completely different flavours of Big Thing on a single drive.
3–5 days, demanding. Adelaide to Perth via Kimba (Big Galah, marking the halfway point of the journey across Australia). For travellers serious enough to make the actual Nullarbor crossing — the Big Galah is the most photographed landmark of the trip.
2 days, easy. Darwin → Humpty Doo → Adelaide River → Litchfield. The Big Boxing Crocodile (Humpty Doo) plus Charlie the Buffalo (Adelaide River) plus the natural wonders of Litchfield. The classic Top End weekender, with two of the genre's strangest icons.
Quirky icons cluster in regional and remote areas — car hire is essential. Here's where to start.
Newcastle, Adelaide, Darwin, regional hubs — start close to your target icons.
Trip Planner ↗Country motels, regional caravan parks, the Adelaide River Inn.
Trip Planner ↗Essential — the quirky icons are mostly in remote and regional spots.
Trip Planner ↗Every major Australian airport · ground transfer specialists.
Airport Shuttle Services ↗Our 8-day Brisbane–Sydney Big Things tour includes a stop at the Big Mosquito at Hexham — one of the quirky-roundup hall-of-famers — plus other regional oddities along the Pacific Highway. The genre's strangest icons, on a single guided trip.
View the tour →Quirky is just one lens. If you'd rather plan around a specific region, here's the state-by-state index.