Peering across the drought-stricken mallee scrub and Gariwerd, this marsupial Ozymandias is located outside the Victorian town of Ararat, possibly charting the decline of the Australian gold rush.

The Big Koala is the undisputed man-made highlight of the drive between Melbourne and Adelaide. There is little challenge to the Koala's preeminent status, given that the other modern landmark on the Western Highway is the largest single-bin silo in the Southern Hemisphere at Nhill. Keeping in the tradition of Big Things in Australia, the ferro-concrete shell of this mammoth marsupial houses a gift shop selling a wide array of sheepskin products and stuffed Australiana.

When illuminated at night, the Koala has been known to make drivers swerve with incredulity

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