You’ll find the Big Ayers Rock in North Arm Cove in New South Wales, Australia. Unlike other Big Things of Australia that amplify the size of an object, the Big Ayers Rock scales down its replica by a 1/40 scale.
The real Big Ayers Rock, named Uluru by the local Aboriginal people of Australia, is found in Kata Tjuta National Park. It is the world’s largest monolith rock standing at the height of 348 metres, and measures 9.4 kilometres in circumference.
In 1990, a downscaled replica of the Uluru rock was used to create the roof of a roadhouse in North Arm Cove. Its first owners, Mark and Mal Leyland, first built it as part of their amusement park called The Leyland Brothers. After its construction, it quickly became an iconic landmark for travellers along the Pacific Highway.
The business did not go well for the brothers, prompting them to auction the property in 1992 after losing at least $6 million worth of investment. In 2009, new owners transformed the iconic landmark into a camp, renaming it the Great Aussie Bush Camp.
Big Ayers Rock on Fire
Unfortunately, the Big Ayers Rock no longer stands after it was reduced to a shell during a fire on the night of August 2, 2018. By the time of the fire, the Big Ayers Rock served as a restaurant at the camp.
All that remains are memories of what was once a favourite campsite for thousands of children and an iconic landmark for travellers and locals.
But the real Big Ayers Rock, Uluru, still remains.
Other Big Things in New South Wales
Away from the sad ending of the Big Ayers Rock, New South Wales offers more Big Things for your adventure. Here is a list of a few that you may be interested in reading about here on our blog:
- Big Knight in Knochrow
- Big Beer Can in Cobar
- Big Bicycle in Chullora
Big Lamb in Guyra
