New welcome corner in Sea Park turns heads
Don’t miss the next movie night at Southport Beach on January 3 at 19:00.
If you haven’t yet seen it – Sea Park has a lovely new welcome sign and garden.
All thanks to the creativity and passion of local shop owner, Sydney Neil, and the ongoing efforts of Tidy Towns Sea Park to Banana Beach.
Cindy Baker, who leads the volunteer group, organised the new Welcome to Sea Park sign, adding the perfect finishing touch to Sydney’s stand-out garden.
Sydney, who runs the quaint florist, gifts and nursery shop on Umdoni Road (adjacent to the R102), has been hard at work transforming the outside of his business into a vibrant ‘welcome corner’. A pod of beautifully crafted concrete dolphins, surrounded by bright blooms, now greets motorists and passers-by. The installation has turned heads and, almost overnight, become a new village landmark.
And this is only the beginning. Sydney says he has ‘wonderfully exciting plans’ for the exterior of his shop in the new year.
“I wanted to uplift the area – bring colour and make it a happy place,” he said. He hopes other shop owners will follow suit to help improve, clean and brighten the suburb even further.
Reflecting on 2025, Cindy said it has been a rewarding year for the volunteer-driven initiative. Southport Beach maintained its prestigious Blue Flag status – and Cindy and her small team continued to look after, spruce up, tidy and clean Southport, Anerley, Sea Park and Sunwich Port beaches.
Banana Beach, however, remains a challenge. “I can’t clean there as I get no support from the surrounding area,” she said.
Despite this, Cindy remains upbeat. “So many positives and lots of support. I am thankful for all the help – especially from my happy helpers. Please continue to support Tidy Towns,” she said.
Cindy has big plans lined up for 2026 – including games, movie nights and more community-focused events.
Don’t miss the next family movie night at Southport Beach on January 3 at 19:00.
If you would like to donate towards Tidy Towns Sea Park to Banana Beach, contact Cindy on 082 5504368.
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