Second floating Christmas tree arrives in Sutherlands Creek
An inside joke about Geelong’s famous floating Christmas tree between neighbours has made waves across the region.
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They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
However, that isn’t quite the case for four Sutherlands Creek families.
Their very own version of Geelong’s floating Christmas tree is more of a tongue-in-cheek parody than homage to its greatness.
One of the chief architects of the 5m tall Muhlebach Rd marvel, which is just a “tree wrapped in tinsel,” is Chrissy van Dreven.
She said the idea came about after some “banter” between neighbours last year.
Fast forward 12 months and the group have “upped the ante” after many Sunday afternoons spent working on it.
The parallels were uncanny, Ms van Dreven joked.
“The visual reference to the Geelong Waterfront tree is a not a coincidence but a considered effort, which we feel elevates the aesthetic and adds an extra touch of class to our floating tree,” she said.
A Facebook post brought the tree, located on a dam on a private property, to the attention of the broader community.
Ms van Dreven said she was glad the humour resonated with others.
“Out in Sutherlands Creek, everyone is quite funny … we did it for our own amusement, but the comments were hilarious,” she said.
One person sardonically commented that the Sutherlands Creek tree “looked better than the waterfront.”
The tree even caught the attention of an Australian icon — Mr Whippy.
“We had the (ice-cream) van down at the Christmas tree on Friday night … about 80 people from the community came down,” said Ms van Dreven.
“It’s definitely a big attraction … we’d love to put the little district of Sutherlands Creek on the map.”
The tree is a highlight for the small Golden Plains Shire community, which is made up of farms, vineyards, and a tennis club.
Ms van Dreven said the tennis club was a “really important social hub” for residents to come together, given the sparsely populated region.
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Originally published as Second floating Christmas tree arrives in Sutherlands Creek
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