Mystery surrounds McDonald's 'opening soon' sign in middle of desert

Covering more than 170,000 square kilometres, it is the world's largest sand dune desert and attracts thousands of tourists each year. Now a mysterious sign has appeared in the Simpson Desert Conservation Park in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia.



Midway along the most popular 'road' that crosses the Simpson, more than 200 kilometres into the desert, a large sign has been erected on top of a 15-metre-high dune. Easily seen for kilometres in every direction it leaves visitors to believe that some time soon they will be able to order a double cheeseburger.

Rosaline Poohey, from Bunbury, Western Australia was making the crossing along The French Line track with a group of friends recently and described the sign as an eyesore. "It's not in keeping with the value of what you think you'd find in a national park ... I think it's completely inappropriate or not the right sort of sign for a landmark," she said. And it seems, McDonald's agrees.



McDonald's spokesman Chris Grant said the sign was a mystery to the company. "This one has us all intrigued," he said. "I can assure you it is nothing to with us. The font and the style used on the sign is not consistent with our branding and it serves us no purpose. It's beyond us why anyone would go the time and effort to install a sign like this," Mr Grant said. SA Environment Minister Ian Hunter said he would have Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources staff investigate the sign and arrange its removal.