Nine metres high and weighing 35 tonnes, the Big Prawn is one of Australia’s most famous Big Things. It’s hard to miss as you drive the main road into Ballina. It’s also hard to imagine the town…
Nine metres high and weighing 35 tonnes, the Big Prawn is one of Australia’s most famous Big Things. It’s hard to miss as you drive the main road into Ballina. It’s also hard to imagine the town without it.
However, a prawnless Ballina was almost a reality. Twenty years after its birth in 1989, the giant crustacean was looking a bit long in the pincers, and locals debated fiercely over what should be done about it. Shockingly, there was even talk of demolition. Thankfully, hardware store Bunnings (which lives is next door) came to the rescue, and following a AUD400,000 makeover, the new-and-improved Big Prawn was unveiled in 2013. For the first time, it even had a tail.
Getting a pic with the prawn is a must-do if you’re in Ballina. And if the sight of all that seafood makes you peckish, fear not: there are some great places selling fresh catches on the other side of the road.
Pure joy as you wake to the sunrise. Awe as you make it to the snowy peak. A sense of adventure as you motor across red plains. The relief of rejuvenation as you wade into an alpine stream. Connection as you taste native, fragrant leaves. A sense of belonging as you return to your favourite holiday house. Freedom as you dash into the waves. Discover the endless feelings a visit to NSW can inspire.
