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Location: Nambour, QLD (100km N Brisbane)

Take the Nambour exit from the Bruce Highway, go past the Big Pineapple, drive straight through town (take no turn-offs), head 3 or 4km north out of Nambour and the Big Cow is on the left partway up a rise.

Date visited: 21 Dec 2002

Bigness: I was quite impressed by the size of the cow as we approached it. While it's no Big Merino, it is still a beefy specimen - about 4 or 5 Emmas high according to the picture below. Most cows are pretty stocky to begin with, so I think whoever built this has done a fine job in at least making him quite sizeable - even big enough to get inside as the steps in the background suggest. Being near the top of a hill, the Big Cow also has a well-positioned vantage point to look out over the tropical landscape of Nambour. 7/10

Interest Factor: Impressive as the Big Cow is, it's still just a cow standing in a field doing not much at all. I've been told the Big Cow was once part of a bigger tourist attraction in the form of a farm, where kids could milk cows and partake in other such farm activities. Sadly now the cow is stuck behind a fence (an easily jumpable fence at that, but I respected the cow's personal enclosure) and is on a property owned by a furniture and outdoor shop (which is directly to the left of the cow, above). So I guess they own the cow now and they aren't giving the public access to it! (Hence the fence) Which is a shame, because even though you should be able to get inside and look around, you can't. I'm also told (by my reliable source sitting next to me) that the inside of the cow contained useful information such as "the history of milk" among other things. This is what the public is being denied by the fascist pigs in the outdoor shop! So unfortunately the Big Cow isn't going to bring hours of enjoyment, not even to someone like me. Maybe Emma though, because she likes cows. 4/10

Weirdness/Realism: So far as cows go, the Big Cow looks quite genuine. I mean, if I was standing a good couple of hundred yards away and I had poor depth perception, I'd quite easily mistake it for a real cow. Except perhaps for that one crazy eye.. that's just weird. 9/10

Accessibility: In terms of finding the Big Cow, you don't have to go too far out of your way. The day we visited it we also managed to see about 3 or 4 other Big Things, so you're not in the middle of nowhere. Admittedly we did have to stop at a petrol station for directions because the only information I had with me was "Big Cow" and "Nambour", but it turned out we were on the right road and only a minute away anyway. The Big Cow is just off the road so you can see it quite clearly as you approach. Since the road it is on runs parallel to the Bruce Highway, I daresay you can see it driving down there too. 8/10

Tourist Factor: Sadly, due to the Interest Factor, this is where the Big Cow loses points. We were the only ones there admiring the cow in all its glory (even on such a fine summer day!). There were a handful of other people around but they were there specifically for the furniture and outdoor shop, not the cow. Who knows? Perhaps if you purchase something from the shop you're allowed to go through the secret back door and get a free tour of the Big Cow. I should've checked that one out. One point because we were actually there to see the Big Cow. 1/10

Overall: I'm going to be slightly biased here, mainly because Emma likes cows so much, and I was genuinely impressed (compared to, say, the Big Fish). As soon as I find out when and why the farm closed, I'll update it here. I might also be able to get a hold of some photos from when the farm was still around, so stay tuned for that. Anyway, I'm guessing the Big Cow used to be a pretty major drawcard for tourists, but now it's just a sad and lonely relic of the past, destined to live the rest of its life staring out over the highway with that crazy eye, hoping, wishing, waiting for that day when once again kids of all ages will pour inside and learn about the magical world of milk. 7/10