How I Spent My Summer Vacation Quiz

Answer: Scotty

The Big Scotsman has been standing outside Scotty's Motel since 1963, making it the first recorded 'big' attraction. There is some dispute about this, however, since some deem that it was not built primarily as a tourist attraction, so should not count as the first. Most of these people are associated with the first 'big' attraction erected solely for tourists, which we will visit later on. Scotty was designed by Paul Kelly, who later also designed "Larry", the 17-metre (56-foot) tall Big Lobster for the tourist centre in Kingston SE, SA.

Answer: Running

The Stawell Gift is one of the world's richest running events. It is a handicap event, meaning that each runner starts at a different position as they run the nominal 120 metres (132 yards). There is much gambling on the event, which was first run in 1878, near the end of the Victorian gold rush, as a competition between miners.

The Giant Koala is made of bronze on a steel frame, and weighs in at around 12 tonnes. A close look at its beady eyes will dispel all those notions of cute and cuddly bears falsely borne by many tourists.

Answer: Glenrowan

The Hume Highway now bypasses Glenrowan, but many tourists make the detour to see the Kelly exhibits and have a rest break. On 28 June 1880 the Kelly gang was cornered in the Glenrowan Inn, where they had taken about 70 hostages. In the ensuing shootout, two hostages died along with three of the four gang members. Ned Kelly was captured after being shot multiple times in his legs, which the armour did not protect.

He was hanged in Old Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880, reputedly saying "Such is life" as his final words.

Answer: Snowy Mountains Scheme

While the other three projects all produced impressive dams, they were not constructed in Australia. Between 1949 and 1974 the Snowy Mountains Scheme produced a complex of dams, tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts that runs seven hydroelectric power stations, and provides significant irrigation to dry inland areas from the diverted mountain rivers. Much of the construction work was done by immigrant workers, and the large number needed contributed to rapid population growth and cultural diversification during the post-war period.

Lake Eucumbene is one of the best trout-fishing spots in southeastern Australia, and the Big Trout celebrates the value of visiting fishers to the small community. It was built in 1973 by Andy Lomnici, a resident of Adaminaby.

Answer: Merino

The Big Merino has long been a favourite stopping point for busses transporting people between Sydney and Melbourne, as well as with tourists. In 1994 the Hume Highway reconstruction meant that it no longer ran past the Big Merino, which was subsequently relocated to be back on the main road again. On the ground floor you will find the usual trashy trinkets sold as tourist souvenirs; the first floor has a display about the wool industry. If you are so inclined, you can climb to the top and look out through Rambo's eyes.

The merino has long been one of the most significant breeds of wool-producing sheep in Australia. The other breeds mentioned are meat-producing, not known for their wool.

Answer: Evonne Goolagong

Evonne Goolagong grew up in Barellan, where Bill Kurtzman fostered her playing until she moved to Sydney under the sponsorship of Vic Edwards. In 1971 she won the French Open and her first Wimbledon title; the Australian Open was hers for four consecutive years from 1974 through 1977, as was the US Open from 1973 through 1976.

In 1976 she was actually the World Number One female tennis player for two weeks, but a computer glitch meant that it wasn't realized at the time, and her name only appeared in the records in 2007. Married to Roger Cawley, she now lives in Queensland where she runs tennis camps for youngsters hopeful of emulating her success.

Answer: Broken Hill

Broken Hill was originally a silver mining town, but the lead-zinc mining is what led to the international success of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, now a part of BHP Billiton. The 'broken hill', actually a chain of hills with a break in them, that provided its name no longer exists, having been mined beyond recognition.

Pro Hart, who was born in Broken Hill in 1928, was one of the leading figures in the Australian Outback school of painting before his death in 2006. He designed the Big Ant for the hotel in Stephens Creek, a few miles north of Broken Hill. It was moved to Broken Hill in 1990, when it was donated to the city.

Anyone interested in a picnic?

Answer: Country

The Tamworth Country Music Festival includes the Country Music Awards of Australia, for which the trophy is a solid bronze guitar 325 mm (just over a foot) tall, on a wooden base. The Big Golden Guitar is about 12 m (40 ft) tall, and is made from fiberglass and wood. The official opening was conducted by Australian country music legend Slim Dusty in 1988.

Answer: Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour established the Bif Banana in 1964 to promote awareness of the local banana industry. Visitors can walk through the banana, inside which banana-related products are displayed, some available for purchasing. The site also features a (small) banana plantation, a waterslide, an ice skating rink, an indoor tobogganing slope, and a restaurant.

Answer: Potatoes

Yes, it's the Big Potato. That's all there is, a brown lump beside the road, with a sign (which disappears periodically) welcoming you to Robertson. The concrete potato can be entered, and the inside is sprayed white to resemble potato flesh, although grafitti covered much of the surface the last time I visited.

This was planned to be the first stage of developing a Potato Information Centre, but funds ran out, and local interest has not been sufficient to drive the project to completion. In the words of Gershwin, "You say potayto, and I say potahto, ... Let's call the whole thing off."