New sculpture welcomes visitors to Erica

Chainsaw sculptor Brandon Kroon has created a new sculpture to welcome visitors to Erica.
The 2.5-metre wide wooden sculpture was inspired by the town's rich timber logging history and replaces the "Top Tidy Town" sign that has greeted visitors since the 1990s.
The $6500 project was delivered by Baw Baw Shire Council through the Victorian Government's Bushfire Community Recovery Fund.
A Drouin local, Mr Kroon said the project was "pretty humbling and pretty exciting."
"Being part of Baw Baw Shire, it really became a priority for me. I really wanted it to be something special," he said.
"I hope it represents the town as much as a sign can, and I hope it points people to the beauty of the nature that's nestled in the area and its history in the timber industry."
The design includes a two-person buck saw, historically used to cut timber, a log round that pays tribute to the sign's predecessor, and native plant and animal life in the form of eucalypt leaves and a kookaburra, which are found in the Mountain Rivers Region and throughout Baw Baw.
Mr Kroon recently won first place at the US Open Chainsaw Sculpture Championship in Wisconsin by creating an intricate crocodile sculpture that wowed the judges.
The owner and operator of BK Carving entered the world of chainsaw carving when he was about 20-years-old, having worked as a motorcycle mechanic for a short while. Within a year, he had already made his hobby into a full-time job.
The Erica sculpture is another great addition to Mr Kroon's additions to the Gippsland area, which includes the ferry captain carving in Rhyll and a giant lace monitor carving at Mirboo North's Baromi Park Nature Playground.
Erica resident Bec Closter, who was involved in the inception and consultation stages of the project, said the result represents the town's history.
"We think it's beautiful and love that it was done by a local artist who really understood what we were trying to achieve," she said.
"Celebrating the history of the town is what the project was all about."
Baw Baw Shire mayor Annemarie McCabe said council was "thrilled" to provide the piece of art.
"Thank you to everyone who was involved in the project, particularly Brandon, who has done a fantastic job of capturing the ideas of the community and bringing them to life," she said.