A ‘BOULDER Welcome’ will soon greet locals and tourists when they turn off the highway bound for the Myall Coast.

The long running Rotary project has been six years in the making.

“Since the modified turnoff was installed during the construction of the dual carriageway, what should have been an attractive ‘Gateway’ to our Myall Coast, has been sadly neglected,’’ Rotary’s Ian Mackenzie-Smith told News Of The Area.

Last week, a very large 14 tonne basalt rock was carefully placed on the rise above the roundabout at the highway intersection.

The long running project has involved many sectors of the community.

The boulder was donated by Hunter Quarries at Karuah.

“I had picked out another rock and then the quarry was flooded and we couldn’t get at it,” Ian said.

“But then they had another blasting and the Quarry said I’ve got another one for you that’s even better.”

A stainless steel sign saying “Welcome to Tea Gardens, Hawks Nest, Pindimar and Bundabah” is now being created by an expert in Inverell.

The local Men’s Shed is on board to help with installing solar lights to illuminate the sign and MidCoast Council has sprayed the boulder with an anti-graffiti agent.

A Government grant funded transport costs.

All in all it was a very exciting day for the Myall Rotary Club members.

Project Director Ian Mackenzie Smith however is understandably reluctant to put on a date on the finishing touches to the ‘Welcome Sign’.

“Since I’ve been dealing with this I’ve given up giving predictions on when things will be completed,” Ian laughed.
Watch this space.

 

By Margie TIERNEY