Advertisement

Go Bananas Over These 6 Giant Fruit Monuments

Check out these fruit monuments that are so gigantic, they’ve become iconic sights for tourists

By Pamela Chow for Weekender Singapore

History has shown that, as an expression of love and passion for something or someone, humans raise a giant monument in its favour. This has led to the construction of some of the most beautiful statues and buildings in the world, but it has also birthed a collection of odd and over-the-top — but strangely endearing — landmarks scattered around the globe.

In this feature, we take a look at how people have showcased their love for fruits with these humongous landmarks that look as sweet as their namesakes.

Visitors can walk through the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, where the Big Banana Fun Park also offers other attractions like a toboggan ride and plantation tours. (Photo: Elliott Bledsoe / Flickr)

The Big Banana: New South Wales, Australia

This gargantuan banana in the city of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, isn’t just a statue. It’s the centrepiece of Big Banana Fun Park, built amidst a banana plantation, and visitors can actually walk through the fruit.

Built in 1964, the Big Banana was one of Australia’s first “Big Things”. Other attractions at the Big Banana Fun Park are a downhill toboggan ride, ice skating rink, a water park and banana plantation tours.

Big Banana Fun Park, 351 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia.


Also read: A Giant “Sherlock” & “Doctor Who” Theme Park Is Coming


The Big Pineapple in Bathurst, South Africa, houses an auditorium and an observation deck amidst pineapple fields. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

World’s Largest Pineapple: Bathurst, South Africa

Homage to the prickly fruit that grows abundantly in the town of Bathurst, South Africa, The Big Pineapple is a 16.7m-high attraction that dominates the landscape. Inside the pineapple, visitors can sit in a 60-seater auditorium and watch a mini-documentary on the pineapple industry and learn about local agriculture and wildlife through displays.

Climb up to the third floor and you’ll reach an observation deck, from which you can take in sweeping views of the surroundings. Back down on ground, visitors can join a tour on the back of a farmer’s tractor and take a ride through the pineapple fields.

Bathurst’s Big Pineapple is the world’s largest by just 70cm. The second-largest one is located in Sunshine Coast in South East Queensland, Australia.

The Big Pineapple, Summerhill Farm, R67, Bathurst, South Africa.

The Peachoid is a famous water tower in Gaffney, South Carolina, which has appeared in television series “House of Cards”. (Photo: Bruce Tuten / Flickr)

Peach Tower: South Carolina, USA

If Roald Dahl’s characters were real, James Trotter would be very pleased with this giant peach in Gaffney. The Peachoid — known locally as The Peach — is actually a 41m-tall water tower that was built in 1981.

A New Jersey artist, Peter Freudenberg, painted the tank after studying local peaches, and this giant peach now holds some 3.8 million litres of water. The Peachoid was a focal point in the first season of television series “House of Cards”, in which it became the subject of a political and potentially legal battle due to its humorous resemblance to a butt.

The Peachoid, Peachoid Road, Gaffney, SC 29341, USA.


Also read: 7 Must-See Iconic Film Locations Around The World


This fibreglass structure is an ode to the man who grew the largest pumpkin in the world in 1977. (Photo: Loozrboy / Flickr)

World’s Largest Pumpkin: Manitoba, Canada

This may be the world’s largest artificial pumpkin, but it is also a tribute to the largest grown pumpkin in the world. Roland’s Large Pumpkin in the town of Roland in Manitoba, Canada, was created in 1990 during the Roland Centennial in honour of Edgar Van Wyck or the “Pumpkin King”.

In 1977, Van Wyck became a local legend when he landed his family — and the town — in the Guinness Book of World Records for growing the largest pumpkin in the world. To celebrate, this 3.65m-tall pumpkin was built out of steel rods and covered in orange fiberglass.

It certainly makes for a quirky photo opportunity, especially during Fall. In fact, you can join in the Roland Pumpkin Fair held on the first Saturday of October and enjoy a pancake breakfast, craft sale, pumpkin tea and desserts, a harvest supper and the original Great Pumpkin and Vegetable Weigh-Off.

Roland’s Large Pumpkin, Pacific Avenue, Roland, Manitoba, Canada.

The 10.7m-tall Big Apple in Colborne, Ontario, is a bakery, restaurant and observation deck. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Big Apple: Ontario, Canada

New York City may be famously nicknamed “the Big Apple”, but the city of Colborne in Central Ontario, Canada, actually has its own giant apple. The Big Apple, located off Ontario Highway 401, is a bakery, restaurant and roadside attraction.

At 10.7m in height, Big Apple also features an observation deck from which you can take in views of the surrounding landscape and the highway. Head back outside and visitors can also enjoy a petting zoo, a miniature golf course (complimentary!) and other facilities.

And just in case you can’t get enough of apples, you can make a stop at Frazeysburg the next time you’re in Ohio, USA. It’s home to a 6m-tall basket overflowing with large apples. This attraction is property of the Longaberger Homestead, which you can book a stay at.

Big Apple, 262 Orchard Road, Cramahe, Ontario K0K 1S0, Canada.
Longaberger Homestead, 5563 Raiders Road, Frazeysburg, Ohio, USA.

The World’s Largest Box of Raisins is a giant structure measuring 3.65m in height that can hold about 7,500kg of raisins. (Photo: Prayitno / Flickr)

Big Box of Raisins: California, USA

Located next to the Sun Maid offices in Kingsburg, California, the World’s Largest Box of Raisins is a giant structure measuring 3.65m in height that can hold about 7,500kg of raisins. In 1992, it did actually hold raisins but it has since been emptied.

After snapping a memorable photo with this statue, raisin lovers can head into the Sun Maid gift shop that sells everything raisin-themed imaginable, from home décor to a Monopoly board game. You can also sample and purchase different flavours of chocolate-covered raisins.

The site is open on weekdays from 8.30am to 5pm, and is closed on some holidays. Kingsburg is also home to a giant Swedish Coffee Pot, which serves as a water tower.

The Sun Maid Market, 13525 S Bethel Ave, Kingsburg, CA 93631, USA.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of Weekender, Issue 156, July 22 – August 4, 2016, with the headline ‘Go Bananas’.