Mole Creek started out in the 19th century as a camp for loggers and trappers [1]. Nowadays it’s a tourist town [2]. I’ve heard the B12 road west from Deloraine through Mole Creek towards Cradle Mountain [3] is Tasmania’s busiest tourist road. True or apocryphal? I’ve no idea. Most of Mole Creek’s businesses are geared to tourism: caravan park, guesthouse and restaurant, craft shop, hotel, café, rental cottages, B&Bs [4]. The hotel and café provide tourist information. From late Autumn (i.e. Easter) to early Spring (i.e. now) – the tourism off-season – the village hibernates. But in the past few days, coinciding with the Victorian school holidays, it’s started to stir: a sprinkling of cars with mainland licence plates, couples and families eyeing the craft shop’s display window offerings, people excitedly pointing cameras at the snow-capped Great Western Tiers [5]. All are signals the 2010/11 tourist season’s begun. To celebrate, and to help the tourists orient themselves and navigate to local natural and man-made attractions, we have a new sign. It’s on a giant board across from the guesthouse. The same board used to sport an amateurish sign. Recently a signwriting crew painted it over, then hand-painted the new sign. As the photograph shows, its style’s art naïve [6] – kind of. For wider views, click here [7]. Me? I like it – mainly as it’s not corporate. I think the world has far too many signs. But this one’s a good ’un. You betcha.
2 weeks ago
