Friday, 18 October 2013

We like them BIG ...

Here in Australia we like things BIG.

It's a big country ... and it has some really big things occurring naturally.


But we don't stop at that.

We like to build things .... really, really BIG things.

I don't know why ... but it's clearly a part of the Australian psyche and culture.

We build them ... and then we go and visit them.

We load up the car ... and the kids ... and head off on a road trip ... usually during the stinking hot summer holidays.

We drive for hours ... or days ... and when we finally get there ... we stand in front of them ... and get our photos taken.

It's an Australian tradition.





This is just a very small sample of our big things ... you could travel all over the country in search of big things ... and you'd find them ... everywhere.

Here on the NSW Central Coast ... we have our very own BIG thing ... granted it's not as big as some of the other BIGGER things ... but we love him dearly ... he's a local icon.

Yesterday was a horrible, horrible day.  The temperatures were in the high thirties (Celsius) ... the wind was blowing a gale ... and we had not had any decent rain for weeks and weeks.  This can only mean one thing ... bushfires.

This was the sky at my place yesterday afternoon ... so I knew there was one not too far away.


By evening it was all over Facebook ... evacuations, homes lost and horror of horrors our BIG thing ... gone.


Our hearts go out to all those that have lost their homes ... and all their belongings ... but thankfully not their lives.

But then ... as the smoke cleared ... on a new ... and thankfully cooler day ... he rose like a phoenix from the ashes ... our Friday morning miracle.


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40 comments:

  1. Juliet18 October 2013 at 12:27

    There's a shrimp that WOULDN'T be thrown on the barbie!!!!

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  2. Connie18 October 2013 at 12:49

    Yikes! I can't believe that shrimp survived. I live in wildfire country, too. Southern California. Wildfire is actually considered a season around here. Hope you are well. xxx ooo

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    1. Angels have Red Hair19 October 2013 at 19:03

      We're all fine ... bushfires are to be expected around here too ... but they have certainly come early this year.
      xx

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  3. Unknown18 October 2013 at 15:44

    Yikes! I hope you all are safe and THANK goodness that crawfish thingy (shrimp? lobster) didn't go up in smoke! xxoo

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    1. Angels have Red Hair19 October 2013 at 19:04

      We are all safe and sound ... who knows how he survived.
      xx

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  4. Vix18 October 2013 at 18:01

    Take about throw another shrimp on the barbie, the typical Brit impression of an Aussie. I'm amazed that one survived! Love all those larger than life pieces and glad you escaped that terrifying bush fire. x

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    1. Angels have Red Hair19 October 2013 at 19:08

      Honestly we have big things all over the place ... it's incredibly kitsch ... which I love ;0)
      xx

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  5. Melanie18 October 2013 at 19:33

    It's a miracle - The Flying Shrimp Thing survives! I'm so glad everyone else did too, despite the crippling damage to property. I'm glad you're okay. I think big things may be a Commonwealth quirk - we have Big Things in Canada too. Two of my faves are a giant nickel and a giant Ukranian painted egg.

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    1. Angels have Red Hair19 October 2013 at 19:14

      Ooohh .. they sound good ... I remember visiting the Big Banana as a kid and thinking it was soooo big ... I went back as an adult and it seemed to have shrunk!!
      Maybe we are showing off ... trying to get the Queen's attention ;0)
      xx

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  6. Peaches McGinty19 October 2013 at 02:07

    how terrifying?and thankfully people survived - the giant shrimp is a masterpiece as is the other mahoosive pieces, I'm particularly loving the giant pineapple! x x

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    1. Angels have Red Hair19 October 2013 at 19:16

      The giant pineapple is a particularly popular tourist destination in Queensland. You'd get your picture taken out the front of it ... and then ride a train through the pineapple plantation ... woohoo ... we know how to show a tourist a good time over here ;0)
      xx

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  7. Jan19 October 2013 at 17:21

    That prawn will be the subject of stories in years to come.

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    1. Angels have Red Hair19 October 2013 at 19:18

      It sure will ... the miraculous survival story ... I've already seen it on the news twice
      xx

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  8. Curtise19 October 2013 at 21:20

    I had no idea that Aussies had a big thing about Big Things! I am just dim, obviously. The bush fires have looked terrifying, but it's good to know the Big Shrimp survived. It's supposed to be cockroaches which will survive a nuclear disaster, isn't it? Perhaps crustaceans will be in the mix too! xxxx

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    1. Angels have Red Hair20 October 2013 at 09:33

      We certainly seem to breed them tough over here ;0)
      xx

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  9. Allison20 October 2013 at 07:16

    miracles do happen!.....we have a big prawn close by in Ballina.....back in its hey day you could climb up inside him and enjoy the view......of the industrial estate across the road.....good times! x

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    1. Angels have Red Hair20 October 2013 at 09:38

      LOL ... I do believe I have seen your big prawn ... but missed the opportunity to climb him. No doubt OH&S would have put a stop to that. I think I read that he has turned into a Bunnings Hardware now ... tell me it isn't so.
      xx

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  10. Unknown20 October 2013 at 08:57

    how terrifying! that shrimp laughs in the face of barbies!! keep safe my lovely xxxx

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    1. Angels have Red Hair20 October 2013 at 09:40

      It didn't get TOO close to us ... though 20 minutes up the road is definitely close enough.
      xx

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  11. Holly Hollyson @ Full of Beans and Sausages24 October 2013 at 21:19

    Wow - what a sight!! I love that the shrimp survived! that is an awesome picture!! We have forest fires in the summer here too, glad I have never been close to one though!

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  12. Olivia24 October 2013 at 21:29

    Don't scare me like that "...horror of horros... our BIG thing". I thought you had lost your home too.
    Such devastation. My cousin's house is fine but neighbours either side lost theirs. tragic and lucky x

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    1. Angels have Red Hair25 October 2013 at 16:15

      It's amazing how the fire seems to pick and choose what to destroy. It's been a scary, horrible week.
      xx

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  13. Janet Camilleri24 October 2013 at 21:36

    I've been to all those BIG things, except the guitar. Glad you are safe and hope we get some good soaking rain (NOT floods) soon!

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    1. Angels have Red Hair25 October 2013 at 16:17

      I'm not sure that you are missing too much ... (sorry any Tamworth people) ... yes we need rain badly ... but it would be typically Australian if it flooded when they finally came.
      xx

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  14. Becky from Becky and James24 October 2013 at 22:04

    Wow! I had heard it had burnt down, I can't believe it's still standing! It's been so horrendous. I have only ever seen Rambo in terms of big things. It's disappointing.

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    1. Angels have Red Hair25 October 2013 at 16:18

      Sounds like you need to go on a good, long road trip ;0)
      xx

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  15. Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me24 October 2013 at 22:48

    So confronting and scary, fire scares me so much more than water - safe stay :)

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  16. Anonymous25 October 2013 at 07:32

    Glad to hear you are all safe such scary stuff going on out there.

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  17. Rhianna 25 October 2013 at 14:16

    Oh bless! So glad it survived and hope that is the last of it for near you (and everywhere actually

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  18. Anonymous25 October 2013 at 17:14

    Wow - there is a God. Meanwhile the big potato in Robertson deserves to be roasted.

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  19. Maxabella30 October 2013 at 12:53

    The bush fires are no match for our BIG things (especially the big hearts of our fireys and friends). x

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