Cheap and Cheerful Roadside Attractions across Australia
Follow us on a road trip through Australia, stopping at some road-side attractions that could only be found here.
Australia is full of character. Its large and varied landscape means that a drive in any direction is sure to reveal something unexpected. But in between the energetic cities and untouched landscapes, you’ll find some places where you can pull over to stretch your legs—and end up having a laugh as well. Now, those places are no longer something you just hope to stumble across. With this guide, and a Thrifty rental car, you can add these quirky pit stops to your map and make them part of your journey.
The ‘Big Things’ of Australia
Australia’s ‘Big Things’ are a big deal. They’re a collection of massive roadside sculptures, each representing a single ‘thing’. There’s the Big Pineapple, the Big Lobster, the Big Banana (complete with matching amusement park), the Big Boxing Crocodile, and even the Big Bogan (named after the slang term for a down-to-earth working class Australian). The list goes on, and some people even create an entire road trip based on tracking them down.
Pink Lakes and Painted Silos
Lake Bumbunga in South Australia and Lake Hillier on WA’s Middle Island are lakes that’ll make anyone pull over. That’s because they’re both naturally pink, due to the high salinity levels and a special kind of algae and halobacteria.
Further inland, the Silo Art Trail has turned Victoria’s Wimmera and Mallee regions into an open-air gallery. Giant murals stretch across disused grain silos, painted by Australian and international street artists.
Coober Pedy
If you’re road-tripping through the Red Centre, a stop in Coober Pedy is essential. This outback opal-mining town is famous for its underground homes, churches, and hotels—all built underground to escape the extreme heat. You can visit many of them for a small donation or modest entry fee. The town’s welcome sign, featuring a truck perched on stilts, is a photo op in itself, and the nearby Breakaways Conservation Park is a budget-friendly detour full of colourful desert landscapes.
The Dog on the Tuckerbox
The Dog on the Tuckerbox is a legendary piece of Aussie folklore. This roadside statue in Gundagai is inspired by a 19th-century poem, and represents a loyal working dog guarding his master’s lunch. It’s free to visit, and is best enjoyed from the viewing point of the picnic area nearby.
Roadside Fruit Stalls
As you drive your rental car through the countryside, you’re almost guaranteed to stumble across some stalls selling locally-grown fruits. These stalls are as basic as it gets—in fact, they’re often not even staffed at all. All you need to do is drop some coins or notes into the donation box, and you can drive away with some of the freshest fruits of the season to fuel your roadtrip.
Queensland’s Retro Highways
If you’re travelling through Queensland, the inland highways are a time capsule of Australian road-trip history. In Winton, you’ll find life-sized dinosaur sculptures at the free Lark Quarry fossil site lookout. In Mackay, the Platypus Beach Reserve offers picnic spots beside creeks where you might be lucky enough to spot the real thing. Many country towns in Queensland have heritage museums or quirky local collections that charge only a gold coin donation—a small price to pay for a history lesson or exploration of local art.
Stop and Start the Adventure
Australia has unforgettable destinations in every direction. But along the way is when some of the best memories are made. Whether you’re stopping in your car to wait for an echidna to slowly cross the road, or stopping at yet another that claims it has ‘Australia’s best vanilla slice’, these are the moments that remind you that you’re in Australia—and none of them cost a thing. With a Thrifty rental car as your road trip companion, you can either track these destinations down, or just wait for them to find you, without overspending along the way.