A suite of interpretive signs was developed for the Solitary Islands Coastal Walk. The self-guided walk provides a high quality tourism product for the Coffs Coast combining a 60-kilometre walking route with quality interpretation and a range of services and facilities.
Interpretive signs
- NSW NPWS & Coffs Harbour City Council
- 2012
- Interpretive design, wayfinding, mapping, logo development, consultation
- Over 50 signs total with the interpretive signage component as follows:
– 4 x interpretive panels for shelters at Look at Me Now Headland (1955mm wide x 1185mm high)
– 2 x interpretive panels for shelters at Red Rock (2270 mm wide x 1060 mm high)
– 11 trackside signs that provide interpretation only (300mm wide x 800mm high)
– Memorial signs for shipwreck and lighthouse keeper
The Solitary Islands Coastal Walk
The provision of high quality information and interpretive signs was a major focus of this project. The Walk is in a high impact, harsh coastal environment and various sizes, construction and designs were implemented along The Walk. Materials used in The Walk interpretive signage and infrastructure are long-lasting and have relatively low maintenance requirements and costs. They include tamper proof fittings, UV resistant coatings, recycled plastic (resistant to termites, rot, splits and never needs painting), two-pak finishes and 6mm thick aluminium back plates.
Damerells Headland was the site that the signal station was moved to when the lighthouse was decommissioned. Two sets of double sided signs (300mm wide x 800mm high) were created to tell the stories of the lighthouse keepers. They were designed as if looking out the lighthouse window.
Interpretive signs at Look At Me Now headland is themed on the Walk, Aboriginal Heritage, lighthouse and history of Look At Me Now headland, including the flora and fauna. The signs feature Aboriginal place names, original art created by local Aboriginal artists, cultural information relevant to the walk, a welcome in Gumbaynggirr language, and the replacement of some culturally inappropriate material on older signage.
The Red Rock interpretive display panels are 2270 mm wide x 1060 mm high. ‘Shorebird Country’ was developed in February 2015 to complement the existing Solitary Islands Coastal Walk signage. It was designed to match the existing suite of signs which are installed in another shelter nearby. This environmentally based sign uses a combination of line drawings, photography and artwork.
The Solitary Islands Coastal Walk won the Gold Award for New Tourism Development in the 2013 Country Link North Coast Tourism Awards. It was also a finalist – NSW Tourism Awards.
