THE BIG BANANA
TURNS 50 THE BIG BANANA, THE FIRST AMONG AUSTRALIA’S GIANT TOURIST LANDMARKS, OPENED IN DECEMBER 1964. IT WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF MR JOHN LANDI, WHO HAD COME HERE FROM AMERICA TO STUDY THE INSECTS WHICH ATTACK COMMERCIAL BANANA PLANTATIONS.
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ohn Landi had heard of a famous “Big Pineapple”, which overlooked the Dole Pineapple Cannery in Hawaii: “We eat what we can, we can what we can’t” was their equally famous company slogan. He decided to use a “big banana” to promote his roadside fruit sales. The Banana Growers’ Federation welcomed his idea and provided half the funds for the project. A local engineer, Alan Chapman, designed the giant sculpture by taking precise measurements of the prize-winning banana from the 1964 Coffs Harbour Agricultural Show. The Big Banana is constructed of ferrous concrete. It is 13 metres long, 5 metres high and 2.4 metres wide. Visitors can walk through The Big Banana and see in photographic form, how a bunch of bananas is grown. When it was first built, The Big Banana stood in splendid isolation with only a banana plantation backdrop. There were no buildings or urban development near it, so it appeared to be huge. Many people now visiting The Big Banana ask if it is the original “Big Banana”, because it no longer seems to be as large as they remember it. It is the original BIG BANANA, but because of the development around it and the realignment of the Pacific Highway, it has been somewhat dwarfed by progress. By the mid 1960s, John Landi had opened a milk bar, and his banana milkshakes made Coffs Harbour famous. The Big Banana became a favorite rest stop for travellers on the Pacific Highway. John Landi had a dream of turning The Big Banana into a Disney-style theme park, but sadly this was not to be. He sold his half interest in The Big Banana to John Enavoldsen, a local banana grower, who became the sole proprietor.
In 1988 The Big Banana was sold to Horticultural World, partly owned by a local accountant and entrepreneur, Bob Johnson, who set about transforming The Big Banana into a fun-filled education showcase for horticulture. Adjoining properties were acquired and the 43-acre site on the slopes surrounding Coffs Harbour’s famous landmark went through a nine month intensive redevelopment project with a $30 million budget. The grand opening was on 25th June 1989. Sadly, this coincided with the “recession we had to have”, and The Big Banana went into receivership. In 1993 it was bought by a small Australian owned family company controlled by Mr Kevin Rubie. Since 1993 there have been gradual changes made at The Big Banana. First was the installation of the Wiegand Family Toboggan Ride, which has proved very popular with the locals as well as holidaymakers and those just passing through. For those with limited time, a skywalk was built over the top of the bananas, giving access to the amazing views from above the plantation - a great way for travellers to brush away the cobwebs and stretch bodies and legs weary from driving. In 1999 The Big Banana Ice Rink opened and has been very well received. It is great to see so many people enjoying themselves and learning new skills at the same time. In 2002 The Big Banana Indoor Snow Slope was opened. Many people who had never seen snow have enjoyed a snow experience on the Snow Tubes here. Sadly, the cost of electricity made the snow slope unviable, but there are plans to transform this site to a new and exciting attraction by 2016. In 2003 the Big Banana Souvenir & Gift Shop underwent extensive refurbishment
and remodeling. It now has 50% more floor space than the original store and has an exciting new range of souvenir and giftware. In 2006 the Rubie family welcomed The Village Building Company as joint venture partners in the park and soon after, The World of Banana’s theatre and plantation tour was opened. This informative tour gives and in-depth and humorous background on bananas and the banana industry in Coffs Harbour. In 2008 The Big Banana inflatable waterpark was installed, featuring the biggest inflatable water slide in the world! The waterpark has continued with great success and is a favorite with locals and visitors alike. In September 2013 we welcomed a new attraction to The Big Banana, one of the most advanced Laser Tag systems in the world, Laserforce “AREA 351”! This system caters for all ages with its unique and advanced “handicapping system”, making it fun and challenging for everyone. In December 2014 we introduced a 36 hole Mini Golf course which was constructed at the base of the banana plantation Cliffside. The course has integrated some of the theming of the early 1900’s town that was originally installed for the train ride. These structures have been restored to maintain another big part of the Big Bananas history. Every one of our mini golfs 36 greens are individually hand sculpted to make them a challenging and enjoyable experience for the entire family. There are also many more rides, attractions and improvements planned for The Big Banana in the coming years so watch this space! The Big Banana is a family place with something for everyone. It’s a “Whole Bunch of Fun!” coffs coast focus.
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