Big Banana

{{Short description|Tourist attraction in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia}}

{{Infobox amusement park

| name = The Big Banana

| image =

| location = Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia

| opening_date =22 December 1964

| closing_date =

| season = Year-round

| area = {{convert|45|acres|ha|abbr=on}}

| rides = 12

| coasters =

| water_rides = 8

| owner =

| coordinates = {{Coord|30|16|29.15|S|153|08|01.67|E|display=inline,title|type:landmark_scale:1000}}

| slogan = "It's a whole bunch of fun!"

| homepage = {{URL|https://www.bigbanana.com/}}

}}

File:Australian_Icon_'_The_Big_Banana'_located_in_Coffs_Harbour,_Australian_icon_(cropped).jpg

The Big Banana is a tourist attraction and amusement park ('The Big Banana Fun Park') in the city of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. The grounds of the park are set amongst a banana plantation, featuring a large walk-through banana. Built in 1964, it was one of Australia's first Big Things. Other attractions include a downhill toboggan ride, ice skating rink, XD Theatre, Mini Golf, Giant Slide, Laser Tag, a water park, the World of Bananas educational experience, and escape rooms. Plantation tours are also available.{{cite web |last1=Ruby |first1=Kevin |title=About the Big Banana |url=http://www.bigbanana.com/aboutthebigbanana.html |website=Official Website |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212000848/http://www.bigbanana.com/aboutthebigbanana.html|archive-date=12 February 2010}} On the evening of Australia Day 2014, a disused scenic lookout attraction was destroyed by fire.{{cite web|url=http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/fire-rips-through-big-bananas-lookout/2151058/|title=Fire rips through Big Banana's lookout|publisher=Coffs Coast Advocate|date=27 January 2014}} In keeping with the plantation theme, banana-related products are shown or sold in the park which also has a souvenir shop and restaurant.{{Cite web|url=https://bigbanana.com/rides-attractions/gift-shop/|title=The Big Banana Fun Park :: Gift Shop|last=www.dinkumweb.com.au|first=Dinkum Web Solutions -|website=bigbanana.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-19}} In January 2014, during the peak tourist season the Big Banana received close to 150,000 visitors.{{cite web|url=http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/big-banana-shrugs-fire-and-declares-business-usual/2157387/|title=Big Banana shrugs off fire and declares business as usual|author=White, Greg|publisher=Coffs Coast Advocate|date=1 February 2014}} The Big Banana has been a family owned business since it was opened by Betty and John Landi, and Stella and John Enveoldson in 1964.

The original Big Banana has been copied by the Big Bananas at Carnarvon, Western Australia.

In 2011, Huffington Post included the Big Banana in their list of the "Top 10 Pieces of Folly Architecture."{{cite news| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/10/the-top-10-pieces-of-foll_n_1087467.html?ref=travel&ir=Travel#s463570title=The_Wonderful_Barn | work=HHuffington Post| title=PHOTOS: 10 Architectural Puzzlers | date=10 November 2011}}

Attractions

= Current =

Along with the Big Banana which is 15m long, featuring the Giant Slide 82m slide,[https://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/an-82m-six-storey-rush/3105474/ An 82m long, six-storey high rush] the site includes laser tag, mini golf, ice skating rink, a theatre providing an educational experience, and a toboggan ride, a water park, a reptile zoo, and escape rooms."[http://www.bigbanana.com/rides-attractions/ Rides and Attractions]", The Big Banana. Retrieved 13 August 2015.

= Former =

The park featured three scenic monorail sets driven on a two beam track. The monorail's track linked display buildings and transported visitors up the steep slope of the plantation.

In 2005, a broken down set was being pushed by one of the two other sets to a maintenance shed for repairs when the coupling system failed and the broken down set ploughed into the lagoon within the park.{{Cite web|title=Banana express hits rock bottom|url=https://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/apn-banana-express-hits-rock/11454/|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Coffs Coast Advocate|language=en}}

The track passed by a lagoon that featured an animatronic bunyip, which was shut off in 2005 due to budget constraints.

Much of the track remains throughout the park and plantations while the two car sets that remained have been left unattended on tracks each near a disused buildings.

File:Big Banana Train 1.jpg|alt=Big Banana Train Set|Carriages belonging to one of the two remaining train sets now out of service, next to an unused green house.

File:Big Banana Train 2.png|alt=Big Banana Train Set|One of the two remaining train sets now out of service with a driver car and carriage belonging to the other set in the foreground.

Postage stamps

Australia Post issued a set of 50c postage stamps in 2007 commemorating big things, including the Big Banana.{{cite web |url=http://www.gibbonsstampmonthly.com/story.asp?storycode=3094&preview=1 |title=Australia salute Big Things |work=Gibbons Stamp Monthly |date=June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226185722/http://www.gibbonsstampmonthly.com/story.asp?storycode=3094&preview=1 |archive-date=26 February 2009}} The other big thing stamps were: