Regional Victorian vandal’s smashed avocado tribute
A road sign to the Victorian regional centre of Avoca has been vandalised in tribute to Australia’s priciest breakfast meal.
It’s a long way to the shops if you want a sausage roll but it’s only 13km to get some smashed avo it seems.
A road sign to the Victorian regional centre of Avoca has been vandalised in tribute to Australia’s favourite (and priciest) breakfast meal with “Avoca” becoming “Smashed Avocado” and “13km” turning into “$13”.
The picture of the altered post on the Sunraysia Highway was tweeted out by The Australian’s columnist Bernard Salt on Sunday night and has garnered huge hits on social media.
Salt’s name has forever been connected to smashed avo since one of his columns on the breakfast favourite received international attention.
“I saw it on my Twitter feed last night and took a screenshot but nobody has yet claimed it despite it going gangbusters online,” Salt told The Australian.
“It must be one of the cleverest graffiti signs in the nation’s history … I think VicRoads should leave it there as it’ll becoming a huge tourist attraction.”
Salt said most replies to his tweet have said $13 is too cheap for smashed avocado. He has yet to visit Avoca in Victoria’s central highlands and try out their own avo on toast.
“I am happy to be invited by the Mayor and adjudicate any local smashed avo contest,” he said
“Smashed avocado is the story that won’t die; it’s become part of Australia’s popular culture.”
“It’s amazing to think this dish created in the hipster heartlands has had this sort of reach.”
Senior Constable Trevor Budds of Victoria Police confirmed the sign has been graffitied.
“I drove past it the other day … it was just ‘Avocado’ for a week and then someone’s added ‘smashed’,” he said.
Someone has been defacing vicroad’s highway signage precisely 13 km from the township of Avoca in Central Victoria. And, no, it wasn’t me. But I must say I very much admire their handiwork. #smashedavocado #avocado #smashedavo pic.twitter.com/klZOLRS0YM
— Bernard Salt AM (@BernardSalt) April 15, 2018
“We’ll be informing the local council and getting them to clean it up.”
VicRoads told The Australian they have sent a member of their team to go and check the sign.
“We will restore the sign to its former glory,” a VicRoads spokeswoman said.
Pyrenees Shire Council was also yet to confirm the graffiti but the local Avoca Community Centre said the sign had been altered.
Either way, smashed avo lovers maybe out of luck in Avoca. Local cafe the Avoca Coffee Grind has told The Australian they don’t serve avocado in the off season as it is too expensive.
VicRoads regional manager Mal Kersting said they will be getting rid of the graffiti despite calls on social media to keep the smashed avocado addition.
“Removing graffiti – even if it’s funny – takes time and money that could be better spent on improvements like fixing pot holes, rolling out new line-marking or cutting roadside grass,” he said.
“It can also cause distraction to motorists resulting in road safety risks.”
Women egged in anti-Semitic attack at Bondi Beach
Three men allegedly set upon a number of women on Saturday night in Sydney's east, throwing eggs at them, with police believing they were targeted because of the clothes they were wearing.
Nation ‘must not go down road’ of faith-based parties: PM
Parties founded on religion would undermine social cohesion, according to Anthony Albanese, as he reminded rogue senator Fatima Payman that she owed her election to Labor pre-selection.