It's a bad sign: Why do we need to be the Sunshine Coast?

OPINION: Why does the Sunshine Coast need to claim more land or add more tourist attractions to their belt?

OPINION: I LOVE the Sunshine Coast. I grew up spending hours in the water there on day trips and long summer holidays.

But I live in Gympie, where I grew up unknowingly falling in love with the grass under my feet and the hills under my bike wheels, and the two are vastly different.

I do not identify as living on the Sunshine Coast, and the sign (planted by the Department of Transport and Main Roads) on the highway just north of Gympie welcoming visitors to the sprawling coastal metropolis of the Sunshine Coast is unnecessary and just darn cheeky.

Why does the Sunshine Coast need to claim more land or add more tourist attractions to their belt?

>> 'We're still here': Sign claims Gympie is Sunshine Coast

Moreover, why does Gympie tourism need to ride on the coat tails of the Sunshine Coast? We have our own coast - the breathtakingly beautiful Cooloola Coast, and last I heard our coast was drawing massive crowds who not only fall in love with Rainbow Beach (with its long list of award-winning titles) but also use it as a gateway to Fraser Island, spending their dollars on the way.

I find it surprising the sign was approved by the Gympie Regional Council, according to Transport Minister Mark Bailey.

I say thanks, but no thanks. We sit just fine on the map.