So far we’ve travelled roughly 3900 kilometres from Sydney to Kalgoorlie taking in a staggering 37 ‘Big Things’ in Australia, but there are still so many more to come! However, the east coast of Australia has by far the densest population of big things, so this part of the trip, the western coast of Australia, leaves you with plenty of time to enjoy the scenery.
Day 11 – Kalgoorlie to Esperance
(4 hours 10 minutes)
Esperance doesn’t have any big attractions but it’s not far out of the way, and it is such a pretty town surrounded by beautiful coastline that I thought it was a worthy part of the road trip. And while you’re there make sure you check out nearby Lucky Bay, considered the whitest beach in Australia. The Comfort Inn Bay of Isles offers four star Esperance accommodation with breathtaking views of the Bay of Isles.
Day 13 – Espearance to Margaret River
(4 hours 50 minutes)
The first real big thing on this part of the tour is the Big Barometer in the town of Denmark. The Big Barometer was built in the Netherlands and donated to the community of Denmark Western Australia in 2007. Standing at over 12.5 metres high, the Big Barometer is a working water barometer and has been officially recognised as the world’s biggest barometer in the Guinness Book of Records.
A further 35 kilometres west will bring you to the Big Marron at the front of the Old Kent Winery in Walpole. The reason for the Big Marron’s presence seems to be unknown although Marron are plentiful in the local waterways. Also in Walpole is the Big Tingle Tree, one of Australia’s natural ‘big things’. The Big Tingle Tree is exactly what it says… a big Tingle Tree, with a girth of 24 metres it is the largest living eucalypt in the world and an impressive sight to see. The next stop is the beautiful Margaret River for the night and once again, although it doesn’t have any big attractions, it is just too beautiful to pass.
Day 14 – Margaret River to Perth
(3 hours)
There are (or at least were) three big attractions on the 3 hour trip from Margaret River to Perth, two vegetable (or more accurately fruit) and one animal!
The first attraction, The Big Apple was once a 6 kilometre detour from the town of Donnybrook out the front of a large apple orchard, the kind that allows visitors to pick your own fruit. The apple sat on top of a large tower and apparently you could climb inside to view the surrounding country side. Unfortunately this ‘big thing’ has gone the way of many other large attractions and closed down. The apple was replaced by The Apple Fun Park which claims to be the biggest free entry playground in Australia.
Further towards Perth in a small town called Brunswick is the Big Cow, affectionately known as Daisy, a life size replica of a Friesian cow erected as a tribute to the local cattle industry. The cow is a popular tourist attraction and a must see on any ‘big thing’ tour of Australia.
The last but not least is The Big Orange in Harvey, one of at least 4 big oranges in Australia. The four metre high restored attraction sits atop a ten metre tower and contains a viewing tower over the surrounding orchards.
Only an hour and a half further north and we’re in Perth, the home of The Big Staircase a structure similar to a double helix of DNA in construction. The big staircase was constructed at the Kings Park Botanical Gardens and boasts a 15 metre high viewing platform to take in the spectacular views which reach as far as Rottnest Island. Choose from accommodation close to Perth’s CBD in Comfort Hotel Perth City or choose to stay at Quality Resort Sorrento Beach located on Perth’s beautiful Sunset Coast.
Next: The Choice ‘Big Things’ in Australia Tour – Part 5
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