Jumbo koala prepares to hit the road on its way to north Queensland

A 700kg koala has been stopping traffic in Brisbane’s west - and he’s about to turn a lot more heads.

Dr Daliri’s koala at Moggill.

If you see a 700kg koala motoring up the Bruce Highway, don’t be alarmed.

Sculptor Dr Farvardin Daliri created the monster marsupial that will be towed up the highway doing a tour of regional Queensland ahead of the Townsville Cultural Festival in August.

“I’m putting the final touches on it and then it will be unveiled at Woolloongabba on the 9th before we hit the road and have five stops on the way to Townsville,” he said.

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Dr Daliri is based in Moggill and has spent two months creating the 4.5m-high koala, much to the delight of his neighbours.

The koala that's been stopping traffic in Bellbowrie.

“I just recently got him out of the backyard. I was working on him over the Christmas holidays,” he said.

Dr Daliri said he moved him out into public view to take him for a test drive around Bellbowrie to ensure he was mechanically ready ahead of his road trip.

“We’ve taken him around Bellbowrie to make sure he handles well, then we backed him in and I’m doing final decorations,” he said.

“People just want to take photos with him. I didn’t realise that in Brisbane people hadn’t seen anything like this. People just stop their car on the road.”

The giant koala ready to roll out of Moggill.

Dr Daliri and his koala will depart Brisbane on April 9 from Multicultural Development Australia’s Woolloongabba office following a traditional smoking ceremony.

The furry mascot will stop at communities including Maroochydore, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay and Bowen ahead of the cultural festival held from August 16.

Dr Daliri began sculpting large-scale art works for the festival many years ago.

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His pieces have included depictions of Johnathan Thurston, Slim Dusty and Ned Kelly.

The sculptures are paraded through Townsville to launch each festival, but this is the first year one will hit the road and tour beyond the north Queensland city.

The koala comprises a welded steel frame covered in fabricated steel mesh and a layer of artificial turf and paint.

A variety of formal receptions, community activities and cultural ceremonies are planned at each of the koala mascot’s tour stops throughout regional Queensland.

The Townsville Cultural Festival will kick off with a carnival parade on August 10.