Big Banana facts for kids
| Location | Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°16′29.15″S 153°08′01.67″E / 30.2747639°S 153.1337972°E |
| Opened | 22 December 1964 |
| Slogan | "It's a whole bunch of fun!" |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Area | 45 acres (18 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 12 |
| Water rides | 8 |
The Big Banana is a super fun tourist spot and amusement park in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. It's called 'The Big Banana Fun Park'. The park is built right in the middle of a real banana plantation. Its main feature is a giant banana you can walk through!
This huge banana was built in 1964. It was one of Australia's very first "Big Things". These are giant roadside objects that attract visitors. The park has lots of cool things to do. You can try a downhill toboggan ride or go ice skating. There's also an XD Theatre and Mini Golf. You can zoom down a Giant Slide or play Laser Tag. Plus, there's a water park for splashing fun!
You can also learn about bananas at the World of Bananas educational experience. They even offer tours of the banana plantation. In 2014, a part of the park that wasn't being used anymore was damaged by fire. The Big Banana also sells lots of banana-themed products. You can find souvenirs and grab a bite at the restaurant. In January 2014, almost 150,000 people visited the park. The Big Banana has been a family-owned business since Patrick Hughes opened it in 1964.
The idea of the Big Banana has been copied by other places. For example, there are also Big Bananas in Carnarvon, Western Australia. The Big Banana has even been recognized internationally for its unique design.
Contents
What Fun Things Can You Do at The Big Banana?
Current Attractions: A Whole Bunch of Fun!
The main attraction is the Big Banana itself, which is 15 meters long! You can also enjoy the thrilling Giant Slide, which is 82 meters long. Get ready for some action with laser tag and a game of mini golf. You can cool off at the ice skating rink. There's a special theatre that teaches you all about bananas. Don't forget the exciting toboggan ride and the awesome water park. There's even a reptile zoo where you can see cool creatures!
Past Attractions: What Used to Be There?
The park used to have three scenic monorail trains. These trains ran on a special track. They linked different display buildings and took visitors up the steep hill of the plantation.
In 2005, something unusual happened. One broken monorail train was being pushed by another for repairs. But the connection broke, and the broken train rolled into a lagoon in the park.
The monorail track also passed by a lagoon that had a moving bunyip statue. A bunyip is a mythical creature from Aboriginal stories. This bunyip was turned off in 2005. Much of the old track can still be seen around the park. The two train sets that were left are now sitting on tracks near unused buildings.
-
Carriages from one of the old train sets, next to an unused greenhouse.
-
One of the old train sets, with parts of another set in the front.
Big Banana on Stamps!
Did you know the Big Banana is so famous it's been on a stamp? In 2007, Australia Post released special 50-cent postage stamps. These stamps celebrated Australia's "Big Things." The Big Banana was one of them!
Other "Big Things" featured on these stamps included:
- The (Big) Golden Guitar in Tamworth, New South Wales
- The Big Lobster in Kingston SE, South Australia
- The Big Merino (a giant sheep) in Goulburn, New South Wales
- The Big Pineapple in Nambour, Queensland
See also
