Top tourist attractions in Australia that started as a joke

Well-known for their sense of humour, Australians like to poke fun at everyone. They laugh at themselves, laugh at each other, and love to poke fun at bureaucracy. No wonder that some of the quirkiest tourist attractions might have started out as a bit of a joke. Mentioned below are some of the top tourist attractions in Australia that started as a joke.

1.     The Dunny At Humpty-Doo

The name itself raises a bit of a giggle with visitors. The local gift shop owner, Waldo Bayley writes Australian bush poetry that pokes fun at everything and everyone. Beside reciting in the same traditional, boring way, Waldo decided to devise a hilarious way to deliver his prose. Started as a bit of a joke this place has turned into a major tourist attraction that draws tourists to enjoy a little Aussie humour.

2.     Coila Prawn Girl

Between the Highway of the Princes and the Southern NSW coastal towns of Moruya, drivers never gave a second glance to the tiny fuel stop at Coila until 2013. A new owner came up with an alluring idea to attract passers-by to halt and maybe buy some local prawns. For encouraging motorists to stop the bikini-clad mannequin is tied to the roadside advertising sign. Passers-by often stop to pose for a picture with the attraction. 

3.     Gnomesville

This quirky tourist attraction is a result of a cheeky community protest over proposed council roadworks. The residents “claimed the plot” by placing a couple of garden gnomes on the site sarcastically. The gnomes quickly doubled up as the joke spread. It was estimated that there are 5,000 gnomes residing in ‘Gnomesville’ which has become a tourist attraction with visitors adding more gnome to the collection.

4.     Utes in The Paddock

A couple of years ago a local landholder decided to turn a rusty old Ute into an artwork. To convert rusty car bodies into art forms artists were invited which resulted in the attraction of many tourists to the district. You will get to see Clancy of the Overflow and Dame Edna Everage sitting on an ancient “Dunny.” The place is famous for depicting popular Australian icons, all using medium like the Holden Ute.

5.     Mad Max 2 Museum

Some of us become over-passionate about movies and we prefer watching rerun. Similarly, a man moved halfway around the world to open a new museum. An English man named Adrian Bennett came in spent his time collecting relics, actual props and memorabilia of his favourite movie which resulted in the collection being converted into a full-scale museum.