Committee gives old town signs makeover

FRESH LOOK: Eketahuna's Our Town Committee has breathed fresh life into the former town entrance signs. This sign has been placed at the top of the Camp-ground hill, and entrance to Eketahuna's historical cliff walk. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Eketahuna's former town signs have been given a new lease on life after being retouched, repainted and recycled by the Our Town Committee for display.

Our Town spokeswoman Denise Clifton said the freshened up "Kiwi Country" sign, which is now placed at the top of the camping ground hill, is a perfect fit for the location.

"We've put it at the top of the Camp-ground hill on Stout Street, at the southern entrance of the cliff walk," she said. "I felt that because the camp-ground is now such a well known and award-winning spot, it's a nice thing to have the sign placed there."

The idea to rejig the signs after they were replaced in the town upgrade is just one project the Our Town Eketahuna committee has been working on to increase interest in the small rural service town.

"The big Kiwi Country sign is actually made out of totara, so it would have been a shame to waste such a lovely wood.

"So as an Our Town group we decided that if we could recycle these signs and put them elsewhere in the community, then that would be a really great thing, especially because the signs were donated to the community by local people.

"The other big Eketahuna sign which just says "Eketahuna" will actually be put in behind the kiwi when that gets moved. And it looks really good, so it's going to be absolutely very bold and vibrant, that's for sure."

The committee have also recently been sponsored by Resene to repaint the town playground's fence "vibrant rainbow colours all the way around", and will also be carving a waka tiwai from a naturally fallen totara to be displayed in town, a project which will involve people throughout the community.