Offbeat Outdoors: Eccentric Sculptures & Natural Curiosities

Offbeat Outdoors: Eccentric Sculptures & Natural Curiosities

Venture outdoors and discover Australia’s wild side — not just its landscapes, but the quirky and whimsical art, oddities, and natural marvels that pepper the countryside. From life-sized gnome gatherings and giant fruit statues to mysterious pink lakes and playful termite mound sculptures, Offbeat Outdoors celebrates the surprising and delightful. These are the stops that turn a road trip into an adventure full of unexpected smiles and memorable photo ops.

Weird & Whimsical Outdoor Attractions in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Attraction
Description
Address / Location
Key Info
Belconnen Owl
Belconnen Owl is a towering concrete owl that divides opinion: “iconic” or “unsettling.”
Belconnen, Canberra ACT
Sculpture, Landmark, Debate
Deep Space Communication Antennas
Deep Space Communication Antennas include outdoor satellite dishes — including the one that helped relay the Apollo moon landing footage.
Tidbinbilla, Canberra ACT
Science, Space, Historic
Dinosaur Museum Entrance Sculptures
Dinosaur Museum Entrance Sculptures feature giant dinosaurs peeking over hedges before you even enter — classic roadside photo op.
Gold Creek, Canberra ACT
Dinosaurs, Photo Spot, Family
Parliamentary Kangaroo Topiary
Parliamentary Kangaroo Topiary are hedge sculptures trimmed into kangaroo shapes — a whimsical take on Aussie politics.
Near Parliament House, Canberra ACT
Sculpture, Politics, Whimsical
Street Art & Murals
Street Art & Murals are large-scale and often eccentric murals that surprise around every corner.
Braddon & Civic, Canberra ACT
Street Art, Murals, Urban
UFO Playground
UFO Playground is a space-themed play space with alien figures and UFO climbers.
Yerrabi Pond, Gungahlin ACT
Playground, Space, Kids
Wide Brown Land Sculpture
Wide Brown Land Sculpture is steel script spelling “Wide Brown Land,” inspired by Dorothea Mackellar’s iconic poem.
National Arboretum, Canberra ACT
Sculpture, Poetry, Iconic

Border Attractions — may also appear in NSW

Weird & Whimsical Outdoor Attractions in New South Wales (NSW)

Attraction
Description
Address / Location
Key Info
Amigo’s Castle (grounds & sculptures)
Amigo’s Castle (grounds & sculptures) is a hand-built eccentric stone castle surrounded by quirky outdoor artworks.
Lightning Ridge, NSW
Sculpture, Castle, Quirky
Elvis Presley Festival Installations
Elvis Presley Festival Installations are temporary and wildly creative street art that pops up during the annual festival.
Parkes, NSW
Festival, Street Art, Temporary
Glowworm Tunnel
Glowworm Tunnel is an abandoned railway tunnel lit by thousands of bioluminescent glow-worms.
Wollemi National Park, NSW
Nature, Glowworms, Tunnel
Gularabone Galahs
Gularabone Galahs are quirky galah sculptures made from recycled materials and scattered across town.
Gulargambone, NSW
Sculpture, Recycling, Birds
Sculpture by the Sea (temporary)
Sculpture by the Sea is an annual clifftop sculpture exhibition — outdoor art with ocean views.
Bondi, Sydney NSW
Sculpture, Exhibition, Coastal
SS Ayrfield Shipwreck
SS Ayrfield Shipwreck is a rusted ship overtaken by mangroves — a haunting floating forest.
Homebush Bay, Sydney NSW
Shipwreck, Nature, Unique
Warrumbungle National Park
Warrumbungle National Park is Australia’s first Dark Sky Park — a cosmic playground for stargazers.
Coonabarabran, NSW
Stargazing, National Park, Dark Sky

Devils Marbles, NT

Weird & Whimsical Outdoor Attractions in the Northern Territory (NT)

Attraction
Description
Address / Location
Key Info
Aboriginal Art Poles
Aboriginal Art Poles feature vibrant Indigenous art displayed on towering painted poles outdoors.
Katherine, NT
Indigenous Art, Sculpture, Culture
Cage of Death Viewing Decks
Cage of Death Viewing Decks are outdoor platforms to watch brave visitors plunge into a croc tank — bizarre and bold.
Darwin, NT
Adventure, Crocodiles, Viewing
Devil’s Marbles (Karlu Karlu)
Devil’s Marbles (Karlu Karlu) are naturally balanced granite boulders steeped in Aboriginal legend.
Near Tennant Creek, NT
Nature, Geology, Cultural Significance
Glen Helen Gorge
Glen Helen Gorge features towering red cliffs surrounding a freshwater swimming hole — surreal and remote.
West MacDonnell Ranges, NT
Gorge, Swimming, Scenic
Interpretive Art & Signs
Interpretive Art & Signs provide artistic and often cheeky signage complementing the Devil’s Marbles.
Tennant Creek, NT
Art, Signs, Humor
Litchfield Termite Mounds
Litchfield Termite Mounds are magnetic termite mounds that resemble tombstones arranged in eerie formations.
Litchfield National Park, NT
Nature, Termites, Unique
Million Dollar Fish Signs
Million Dollar Fish Signs are kitsch seasonal signage tied to the NT’s cash-prize fish hunt.
Top End, NT
Signage, Event, Kitsch
Painted Termite Mounds
Painted Termite Mounds are painted termite sculptures unexpectedly tucked along bush tracks.
Mataranka, NT
Nature, Art, Surprise
Pub’s Bra Wall
Pub’s Bra Wall features hundreds of bras hanging on a pub wall — an offbeat Aussie icon.
Daly Waters, NT
Pub Culture, Quirky, Landmark
Tiwi Islands Outdoor Art
Tiwi Islands Outdoor Art showcases totem poles and open-air Indigenous art blending storytelling and tradition.
Tiwi Islands, NT
Indigenous Art, Totems, Culture
Wycliffe Well UFO Attractions
Wycliffe Well UFO Attractions is an alien-themed roadhouse dubbed Australia’s UFO capital.
Wycliffe Well, NT
UFO, Roadhouse, Oddity

Paronella Park, QLD

Weird & Whimsical Outdoor Attractions in Queensland (QLD)

Attraction
Description
Address / Location
Key Info
Bouncing Stones
Bouncing Stones are sacred stones that make sound when struck — a Kuku Yalanji cultural treasure.
Daintree, QLD
Indigenous Culture, Nature, Unique
Glow-Worm Caves
Glow-Worm Caves are home to thousands of glow-worms lighting up this magical natural display.
Tamborine Mountain, QLD
Nature, Glowworms, Caves
Musical Fence
Musical Fence is a playable outdoor instrument — strum the fence for a makeshift melody.
Winton, QLD
Music, Outdoor Fun, Interactive
Paronella Park
Paronella Park is moss-covered castle ruins in a rainforest — part romance, part fairytale.
Mena Creek, QLD
Ruins, Rainforest, Fairytale

Weird & Whimsical Outdoor Attractions in South Australia (SA)

Attraction
Description
Address / Location
Key Info
Big Rocking Horse
Big Rocking Horse is the world’s largest rocking horse with an on-site toy factory and wildlife park.
Gumeracha, SA
Iconic, Family, Toys
Blue Lake
Blue Lake is a mysterious lake that changes colour from steely grey to vibrant blue.
Mount Gambier, SA
Natural Wonder, Lake, Colour Change
Cave Gardens Light Art
Cave Gardens Light Art features neon animal sculptures glowing within an urban sinkhole garden.
Mount Gambier, SA
Art, Neon, Urban
Ghost Town Sculptures
Ghost Town Sculptures are artworks made from relics in a forgotten mining town.
Blinman, SA
Sculpture, History, Mining Town
Oodnadatta Track
Oodnadatta Track is an offbeat road trip route packed with eccentric roadside exhibits.
Outback SA
Road Trip, Oddities, Outback
Steamtown Sound & Light Show
Steamtown Sound & Light Show is an outdoor theatrical experience featuring dramatic steam train projections.
Peterborough, SA
Theatre, Trains, Outdoor
Underground Churches & Hotels
Underground Churches & Hotels are famous for troglodyte living — from homes to chapels buried beneath the red earth.
Coober Pedy, SA
Underground, Unique Living, History
Wadlata Giant Tunnel
Wadlata Giant Tunnel is a massive outdoor replica of an outback wind tunnel that greets visitors.
Port Augusta, SA
Sculpture, Outback, Large

Weird & Whimsical Outdoor Attractions in Tasmania (TAS)

Attraction
Description
Address / Location
Key Info
Convict Brick Trail
Convict Brick Trail features sidewalk bricks that share convict stories in a unique outdoor history trail.
Campbell Town, TAS
History, Outdoor Trail, Convicts
Miniature Hobart Village
Miniature Hobart Village is a tiny outdoor replica of colonial Hobart.
Richmond, TAS
Miniature, History, Family
Sheffield Outdoor Murals
Sheffield Outdoor Murals is a town-wide mural project — every building becomes a storytelling canvas.
Sheffield, TAS
Murals, Art, Community
The Westbury Maze
The Westbury Maze is a hedge maze with fun sculptures peeking through the shrubbery.
Westbury, TAS
Maze, Sculpture, Family Fun
Wombat Statue
Wombat Statue is an adorably large wombat sculpture greeting visitors to Trowunna Wildlife Park.
Mole Creek, TAS
Sculpture, Wildlife, Family

Weird & Whimsical Outdoor Attractions in Victoria (VIC)

Attraction
Description
Address / Location
Key Info
Amazing Mill Markets
Amazing Mill Markets are open-air oddities and vintage treasures lining this quirky bazaar.
Daylesford, VIC
Markets, Vintage, Oddities
Cliffside Cemetery
Cliffside Cemetery is a breathtaking burial site perched on a dramatic hillside.
Walhalla, VIC
Cemetery, Scenic, Historic
Cock’s Eldorado Dredge
Cock’s Eldorado Dredge is a ghostly industrial relic that resembles a steampunk sculpture.
Eldorado, VIC
Industrial, History, Sculpture
Goorambat Angel Mural
Goorambat Angel Mural is an enormous angel painted on a church wall — part of silo mural heritage.
Goorambat, VIC
Mural, Art, Heritage
Redwood Forest Tree Art
Redwood Forest Tree Art is natural sculptures woven among towering redwoods — serene and otherworldly.
Warburton, VIC
Nature, Sculpture, Forest
The Big Camera
The Big Camera is a giant camera-shaped building housing a photography museum.
Meckering, VIC
Photography, Architecture, Unique
William Ricketts Sanctuary
William Ricketts Sanctuary is a mystical forest of Indigenous-inspired clay sculptures nestled in nature.
Dandenong Ranges, VIC
Sculpture, Indigenous Art, Nature

Gnomesville, WA

Weird & Whimsical Outdoor Attractions in Western Australia (WA)

Attraction
Description
Address / Location
Key Info
Ben Prior’s Park
Ben Prior’s Park is a backyard-style museum filled with salvaged curios and sculptures.
Coolgardie, WA
Museum, Sculpture, Eccentric
Gnomesville
Gnomesville is a quirky bushland attraction where thousands of garden gnomes have gathered from around the world.
Wellington Mill, WA
Roadside, Sculpture, Family Friendly
Horizontal Falls
Horizontal Falls are sideways waterfalls caused by powerful tidal currents – a natural oddity you can boat through.
Kimberley Region, WA
Natural Phenomenon, Adventure, Remote
Hyden Wildlife Sculptures
Hyden Wildlife Sculptures features whimsical animal figures dotted through the scrub near Wave Rock.
Hyden, WA
Sculpture, Nature, Regional Art
Lake Hillier
Lake Hillier is a naturally pink lake whose surreal colour is due to salt-loving microbes.
Middle Island, WA
Nature, Unique Landscape, Remote
Pinnacles Desert
Pinnacles Desert is filled with thousands of limestone spires rising from golden sands.
Nambung National Park, WA
Nature, Geological, Photography Spot
Rottnest Island Quirks
Rottnest Island Quirks include sculpture bikes, funny signs, and cheeky quokkas.
Rottnest Island, WA
Sculpture, Island Fun, Animals
The Big Galah
The Big Galah is a giant pink galah statue welcoming travellers at the WA border.
Eucla, WA
Big Thing, Roadside Stop, Photo Op
The Big Orange
The Big Orange is a hollow orange-shaped building – once a lookout, now a nostalgic Aussie roadside relic.
Harvey, WA
Big Thing, Novelty Architecture, Roadside
Trees of Gold
Trees of Gold are shimmering metallic trees lining streets as a tribute to Kalgoorlie’s mining roots.
Kalgoorlie, WA
Sculpture, Urban Art, Mining History
Whimsical Wonders: Indoor Oddities & Quirky Museums ➤

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Big Golden Gumboot Tully

Big Golden Gumboot Tully

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Discover the Big Golden Gumboot, one of the quirkiest and most iconic things to do in Tully, Queensland. This towering tribute to Australia’s wettest town celebrates record-breaking rainfall—and yes, you can climb inside! Here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit, including nearby experiences like sugar mill tours and scenic rainforest drives.

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