go-see-do guide for adventurous travellers
At first glance, this sign in Far North Queensland’s Atherton appears to be a fairly standard ‘No Parking’ notice. But is it really? A few deviations, slight, but immediately detectable by your sign-junkie-sleuth MAY show something more sinister… Generally, a no-parking area would be signed ‘No Parking Anytime’. Note the difference! Available times or other instructions are normally listed underneath – as[…]
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Either that, or campers with WAAAAAY too much time on their hands! This rocky greeting was sighted just after the October 2010 school holidays - so perhaps it was a bored kids project!! In a mystery location somewhere between Bunyeroo and Brachina Gorges in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges National Park, the sign is a tragic reminder of the effects of the[…]
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Don’t panic! As far as I’m aware, there are NO giant squid plaguing Australia’s northern beaches – despite the graphic on this sign!! But no giant squid doesn’t mean there’s no danger. What IS prevalent during October – May in Australia’s Far North is the Irukandji (carukia barnesi), one of the most virulent jellyfish in the world. Its sting (ie marine ‘Stinger’) brings[…]
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Note to overseas visitors: DON’T PANIC! This ISN’T a standard Australian road sign. In fact, it just MIGHT be the only one of its kind in Australia! Let me know if I’m wrong … Other than consistently having the coldest minimum winter temperatures in Queensland, the town of Tambo on the Matilda Way is also on the map as home of Tambo Teddies, a[…]
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If not for my mate pointing it out, I would never have noticed this sign on the dunes near the Largs Bay Jetty, South Australia. It’s pretty small, and doesn’t have any of the visual cues that indicate warning. If I noticed it at all, it would have been to subconsciously dismiss it as a kind of yin/yang sign, and therefore pretty[…]
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Readers who enjoyed ‘Signs #2 – Huh???’ will appreciate these photos from the Cowley Beach Army base, sent to me by reader Russell Constable. Russell is a keen conservationist, and his blog ‘Ella Bay Forever!’, details some of the issues this wonderful area faces. The more observant will note that Russell and I also share a passion for exclamation marks (so[…]
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You gotta love a town that puts its money where its mouth is! This sign, at the Barcoo River crossing into Isisford, Central Western Queensland, leaves visitors in no doubt as to the town’s allegiances. Regular readers will already know Isisford as not only the historic site where Isisfordia Duncanii was discovered, but also a massive embarassment for me – read about[…]
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Now doesn’t that give you a disturbing mental image?!?! This sign, found in Innes National Park, South Australia, is pretty self explanatory. The only thing missing is a graphic to go with the third line!! But sometimes the imagination can provide a better picture … Stay off the edge!! RFBBPTYKV5MQ
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Other Australian signs may have more punchy graphics and wording, but this sign, found on a fence in Cooktown, definitely wins the ‘Huh???’ award. The fence surrounds a plot of land with an unremarkable building next to a service station on the outskirts of town, from which the sign is clearly visible. At first glance, it looked like a pretty standard ‘keep[…]
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The graphics on this sign leave the reader in no doubt as to what will happen to the car if the road ahead is covered by water! Signs like these are probably Australia’s way of making up for being largely monolingual – although not all sign ‘art’ is so clear cut!! These signs are fairly common in the Wet Tropics[…]
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