It’s one giant step for Lightning Ridge, one giant leap for Australia’s reputation as the home of very big tourist attractions.
The remote opal mining town is the latest to challenge the Big Banana, the Big Merino and the Big Crocodile as housing the biggest bizarre tourist attraction around.
An 18-metre sculpture of a steel emu, nicknamed Stanley, has just been unveiled in this dusty community in north-western New South Wales, and no doubt will be the star feature of many a tourist’s photograph.
The town hopes the giant sculpture near the Castlereagh Highway turn-off just out of town will bring in grey nomads by the caravan load.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that this ‘half of the Australian coat of arms’ is made from VW Beetle bonnets and doors by local artist John Murray and is perched on a giant steel girder.
‘Stanley’ was apparently originally destined to become an advert for beer on the Birdsville Track but it was decided it was just too expensive to truck him to Queensland … so he stayed at the ‘Ridge’.
And it seems like the giant emu could have started something very big. Walgett Shire has just announced a $10,000 competition to encourage farmers and property owners to erect sculptures on their properties along the highway!
Could this latest addition to Lightning Ridge’s tiny permanent population hep the town to draw more than the 80,000 or so visitors it currently gets annually? Will you be among them? How many Big things have you been photographed next to on your travels? Which is your favourite?
Comment below.
yes it will soon get around lots of grey nomads
will come in droves
Stanley is stunning.
He is more a work of art than a tourist attraction in the same way as the big banana, sheep or croc are.
The Rest Area opposite Stanley is a great spot to stop too.