•NGT March 06 - Nimbin Good Times

Dream Of AquariusGarry goes to greener pasturesby Wendy KayOne Saturdaynight recently,I went up tobuy a plate of CuriousCurry from a stall infront of the NimbinTown Hall. Therewas Mark Rodriquez,doing a great trade,selling his tasty vegetarian food and delectablebread rolls, cakes and slices.As I drove up in my ‘chariot’, I found myselfin the midst of an Aquarian celebration. Themusic, the chanting and the melodious rhythmicbeating of a small hand held drum, was livelyand noisy. Soon a procession of children,each holding a lighted candle in a homemadecandleholder, wended their way into the TownHall; the adults followed.In the hall, all these alternative people carriedon their celebration; many singing Krishna orHare Krishna and the music and movementaccelerated and Benny Zable moved aroundwith his beautiful hand painted Nimbin flag,which was literally floating above bobbing heads– a result of Benny’s skill and swiftness and of alovely spirit pervading this joyous occasion.The crowd drifted into the annex for theopening of the “Some Children of the Dream”photo exhibition. Diana Roberts made a speechand said amongst other things “sometimes Ifeel I would like to put a wall around Nimbin(presumably to protect us from undesirableoutside influences) and I think Nimbin haschanged more in the last couple of years thanin the first 17 years following the AquariusFestival.”Diana referred to the “Children of the Dream”and suggested “perhaps Nimbin can show therest of the world, the way”.These inspiring words were applauded by thepeople who were packed into the annex. A glassof wine and savoury snacks were offered for $1a serve and then the bubble broke, with a burstof spontaneous singing; everyone broke intosong, obviously a well loved and old familiartune that I had not heard before. It was sungover and over again with great sincerity andwarmth. These are the moving words:May the long time sun shine upon you,All love surround you,And the pure light within youGuide your way on.The singing of this lovely song, spontaneousand joyful, yet gentle and sweet, seemed to meto be, in effect, ‘un grand finale’ as these happypeople, the alternative people of Nimbin, triedto show, by their luminosity of spirit, that theSpirit of Aquarius is still alive. Actually, manywere not trying .... Their ways are of gentlenessand peace.So when you see someone who might appeara bit scruffy - perhaps with dreadlocks andgarb of hippie garments, let us remember (we socalled ‘straights’) that there is real beauty, often,Published by Red Cedar Press and Lismore CityCouncil in ‘99 Not Out, Short Stories and PoetryAnthology, Northern Rivers Seniors Week 1999.in being bent! I am serious, because I knowthere are divisions in Nimbin and I know alsoof many positive and good things happeninghere.If we take our blinkers off and open ourhearts, appreciation of Alternative can dawn.This is a reminder for me too. However, thereis another side to Nimbin.... Graeme Dunstancalled it the shadow, when he came to speakto the Nimbin Older Women’s Forum. In1973, Graeme told us, the Australian Unionof Students was given an open-ended budget –with $20,000 they opened the Rainbow Cafe.“When we opened the Rainbow, it was themost joyous place”, Graeme said. “There wastalent and luminosity of Spirit; Troubadoursand people came, the flotsam and jetsam ofculture. The 1973 Aquarius Festival attractedvisionaries and prophets, and then on the otherhand, came criminals and emotional cripples.Nimbin opened doors to lots of good; and thenthere, was the shadow.”There is still talent and luminosity of spirit inNimbin. For instance, Nimbin has more visualartists than anywhere else in Australia.The ‘73 Festival established a different way tolook at Green issues. In ‘73, values were sharedas practical experience; “People came to livethese values, in sufficient numbers, to make itviable, for instance, Green politics”, Graemesaid. “And the homebirthing movement startedin Nimbin and also Multiple Occupancy.” Hereflected, “a result of this, is that people onMOs are now very good at finding resolutionsto property disputes.”Graeme Dunstan told our meeting that theshadow is a reflection of wrong in other partsof the world. “The fact that people, especiallythe young, are turning to drugs, is a socialphenomenon facing the whole world. The faultfor this must be found within our society,” hesaid.Everyone who has had a close encounter (ofa colourful kind!) with Nimbin since the ‘73Festival, has been touched by the place in oneway or another.Sometimes the street scene will stir one’s soulwith compassion; emotions often run high inNimbin; anger and disgust run rife at times;generally though, it’s a town of great toleranceand the acceptance ‘of difference’ makes ourtown a special place.Along with the breathtaking beauty of thescenery, we have the scenario of a fascinatingand extremely diverse bunch of strugglingindividuals living their lives for real. These arenot plastic people, often faltering along life’sway, sometimes hanging it all out for all tosee. The ageless words ‘fellow feeling make uswondrous kind’ cameos, the essence of Nimbin.It’s the people of Nimbin from all walks oflife, from the different spheres of society thatmake the place the wonderful place that it is.Nimbin’s police sergeantGarry Acton is movingon after four years in thejob. He is transferring toMurwillumbah, where hewill be closer to his family.“I’ve always been Garry,” hesaid, typifying his personableapproach to policing duties.When he first took theposition at Nimbin, it hadbeen vacant for 13 months.Reflecting on his time inthe job, he said he saw amarked changed in attitude,both on the street andamongst police. “Lismorepolice were initially reluctantto take shifts in Nimbin,but now are volunteering,”he said.“The role of the cameras isnoticeable,” he maintained.“They make people thinktwice before doing an antisocialact.”Greg Pike has beenappointed as the newsergeant. He had workedpreviously at Lismorestation. “I think he’ll bealright,” said GarrySkate Park progress slow, unsteadyThe future of Nimbin’s$120,000 steel skate parkfacility remains unclear,following the postponementof a Council workshop toreport on progress.The workshop was tohave been held in Lismoreto inform Councillors andthe public on the currentsituation, the noise studiesand the options to deal withthe issues surrounding thislong-planned facility.Work halted on theconstruction on the multichallengeSK8 Park in anadvanced stage followingcomplaints to Council fromnearby residents last year. Aconsultative committee wasformed, representing theinterest groups in the park’sdevelopment.It is understood that thissmall group has been atloggerheads for some time,though the official reason forthe delay is clerical. No datehas yet been fixed for thepostponed workshop.The rusting half-pipeshave been the target ofheart-felt graffiti in recentweeks, mostly unflatteringto Council’s resolutionprocess. In a Youth ClubOn the job. Tursa workersat the skate park this month,where Commander Bruce Lyonsshowed his support for physicalactivities for youth in the village.documentary, it wasdescribed as “Nimbin’s whiteelephant,” and was screenedto mayor Merv King at the 39Hours film-making premiere.Nimbin LifestyleReal Estate66 Cullen St, Nimbin6689 1305Geoff, Peter,John, Grant,www.nimbinrealestate.com.auLiz & RitaPage 2 The Nimbin GoodTimesMarch 2006www.nimbingoodtimes.com

Since when are we out of control?An unfortunate incident at the cemeteryturn-off, involving a motor accident and analleged assault on a woman police officer, hasbecome a public relations disaster for tourismdependentNimbin.It is predictable that Thomas Georgewould inflate the incident to further his longstandingcase for additional police resources,particularly as, facing preselectionfor his now-difficultre-distributed seat, a lawand-ordercampaign wouldbe handy. But he went too farby extrapolating to the nonsensicalcomment, “Nimbin(is) a Cronulla-style riotwaiting to happen.” It doesno justice to his case, or hiscredibility.He was at it in the DailyTelegraph as well on Friday,in ‘A bad trip for Nimbin,’suggesting we would “becomethe next Macquarie Fields orCronulla,” and in Monday’sTele the alleged assault nearNimbin was listed with othersin a side bar to illustrate the growing levels ofviolent attacks on police officers throughoutthe state. Even if Thomas George gets hisextra 10 police, and there are many who thinkadditional resources could be more effectivelyapplied in Nimbin, the collateral damage tothe reputation of the village is inestimable.Mr George described policing difficultiesto the Telegraph: “When someone is arrested,Thomas George. Agenda drivenby political expediency?locals gather in a mob and try and intimidatethe officer,” apparently in reference to anisolated incident last year involving a plainclotheddetective, which is currently before thecourts with the facts of the matter untested.Police commander Bruce Lyons was ableto provide good back-up to George for theStar: “Nimbin is an extremely difficult area topolice and it is dangerous.Many times our police havebeen injured and police doget intimidated.” Thesecomments stand markedlyat odds with the everydaypleasant experience ofa peaceful co-operativevillage, noted by millionsthroughout the world,but if it helps get moreresources….As for Lyons’ unfortunatecomment at his pressconference, filmed byPrime, “This is a typicalexample of the type ofpeople that live in Nimbin,”it was the tenor of his text,but he too had gone too far, and had to wearit all day, sending a much more carefullywordedclarification for publication thefollowing morning. It was now “…typical ofsome offenders, and their disregard for thepolice,” and he had “every faith” in the “greatmajority of the Nimbin community…workingtogether.”Running the comment as it stood in theWelcome to Nimbin, it’s a riot.By Gerald TaylorLate February and on thevillage street, like piles ofburning autumn leaves, youcan smell the bullshit steaming,must be slagging season on Nimbinonce again.Thomas George, ourrepresentative in Sydney, certainlyseems to think so. No big surprisethere as every year about this timeNimbin cops a flogging. Last yearit was about broken windows alongthe village street, the year before itwas the Rainbow getting trashed.Possibly it’s an annual lack of newsaround this time or more likely it’sjust a way for the cops, media andpollies to kick a few heads and scoregoals with the electorate. Whateverthe reason it’s predictable andboring and Thomas George, ourrepresentative tool, should knowbetter. And I don’t use the term`tool’ lightly.Tommy is off to Sydney toNimbin VillageButcherFriendly and obliging servicePhone 6689 1311demand that Nimbin gets ten copson permanent patrol in the village.According to him we need all thecops we can get because the villageis at risk of falling into a state oftotal anarchy; the old hippies areat war with the young drug lordsand the whole place is balancedon the brink of riot. Tom thinksthis because a young drunk thugassaulted a female cop while shewas arresting him, as if this neverhappens anywhere else in his rightwing electorate.But Tom doesn’t really believe thiscrap, it’s just that he hates Nimbinand would like nothing better thanto nuke the joint as a warning toany other dissidents in his manor.Also by defaming the communityTom gets boocoo brownie pointsfrom the redneck flowers thatspring eternal in his National backpaddock.But why pick on that blunt toolTom when so many others arelining up to take a crack at ourvillage. Take the Northern Star, ourmercenary local rag, for instance.`Nimbin Freaking Out’, the bannerheadlines read and goes on toexplain that the village is spirallingout of control and that pot is openlysold everywhere on the street.Pot openly sold on the villagestreet! When did the Star learn ofthis abomination? Could it havebeen thirty years ago when theStar originally let the cat out ofthe bag and reported on the illegaltrade that thrived in the feraltown? Wake up to yourself editorEldridge.Does this drivel improve yourcirculation or do you have ulteriormotives for this type of moronicsensationalism? Maybe the streetdealers are bribing you to advertisetheir product. If this is the case,please stop it, we just can’t handleany more pot tourists, we get sixbusloads from Byron every day asit is.And then there’s our new Northfirst place waspretty lazyjournalism.Surely noinvestigativejournalist, andthere wereseveral there,would letsuch an arrantgeneralisationstand withouta follow-upquestion.Or was JaneGardner’soriginal pieceedited beyondrecognitionby a lazysub, lookingto play it up to reflect house style withsensationalist gusto?The Star’s offensive slur gratuitously repeated in on response to Tarang Bates’well-meaning letter.The Weekend Star’s editorial was a welldeservedapologia for the Star’s reports onNimbin, which rarely cast the village in apositive light and are often prone, as in thiscase, to draw sweeping conclusions from anisolated incident. “Nimbin out of control, saypolice” had been the best possible headlineThomas George could have, “to present hiscase to parliament next week,” and shore uphis conservative support for bringing order towhat the editorial now called “these louts whocause trouble, an element.”An assertion that has gone unchallenged isCoast head cop, Bluey Line. Blueyhad a gob full of venom to smearthe town with and I, as a long termresident, take exception to hisnarrow and incorrect nastiness.In an interview with the NorthernStar Bluey stated that one of hisfemale officers had been assaultedwhile arresting a young drunk andthat this behaviour was typical ofNimbin residents. Well, check outmy record Bluey. The only time Iever struck a cop was while we wererole-playing in her bedroom behindthe police station and she told me tospank her.Fair dinkum! And that was onlyafter she’d told me to cuff her to thebed-head. Personally I love a girlin uniform, or sometimes even notin uniform. And, for the record, Ialways come quietly.But enough gratuitous gossipand back to the fun bit; slaggingThomas George, our special toolin Sydney and the main offenderin defaming Nimbin. Tom if you’regoing to pretend to represent us atleast come out and talk to us, yourconstituents.Lyons’ absurd comment that “businesspeople have stretchers in their shops as partof the furniture.” One phone call would haveconfirmed that the Hemp Embassy, Museumand Neighbourhood Centre have stretchers,along with other first aid equipment, as partof a long-standing strategy to prevent overdosedeaths. And they are kept discretely out ofview.But he might be right about one thing. Thisjust might be the only town ”in Australia, inthe world” to have devised its own successfulcommunity health practices to meet changingneeds. Without any help from ThomasGeorge.We won’t hurt you. We mightsmear you with the sort ofexcrement you continually smear uswith but so what, there’s so muchshit on your hands no one willnotice and anyway you can alwaystell your drunken buddies that youonly ventured out to Nimbin to putus in our place and not to score a bagof grass, as everyone will assume.Lastly, another bit of bad newsfor the village; the parting of Garry(action without the ‘i’) Acton.So long Garry and good luck inyour next posting, you’re a greatSergeant, a genuinely decent humanbeing with a good understanding ofthe community you patrolled.Let me finish this whinge piecewith Garry’s words as reportedin an interview with the DailyTelegraph regarding the recentNimbin near riot; `This (Nimbin) isa town that stands alone on what itsopinion is of the drug laws’.Ain’t that the truth? So if youbastards can’t say anything honestabout us then do us all a favour anddon’t say anything at all.Open 7 days8am - 5pm weekdays11am - 4pm weekendsPhone 6689 1010 Fax 6689 1210www.nimbingoodtimes.com March 2006 The Nimbin GoodTimes Page 3

Nimbin Safe Community ProjectTraining for disastersNimbin would face ashortage of trainedpeople to deal withvictims of a disaster, shouldone strike the area. “Theurgent need for appropriatelytrained Emergency Servicespersonnel has beenhighlighted by the bushfiresand floods in NSW”according to RegionalManager of Red CrossNorthern NSW, VahidehHosseini.“Fortunately, we haven’thad a lot ofnatural orman madedisastersin Nimbin,but ifdisasterdoes strikein the area,there is ashortageof trainedpeopleto carefor thoseaffected.Hence it isextremelyimportant to increasethe number of trainedvolunteers in this regionso that they can work inshifts if necessary, and theone day course is essential.Often people are moved tooffer their services when adisaster arises, but withoutproper training their goodintentions are of little help.Employers are sometimeswilling for their workersto become involved, butunless people are trainedbeforehand they cannot beeffective in times of disaster.”Red Cross is aparticipating organisationin the NSW DisasterPlan, recruiting membersof the local community toprovide Personal Support todisaster victims, usually intheir own or a neighbouringarea. Red Cross providespersonnel to care for thoseimpacted by a disaster,meeting and registeringpeople at evacuation centres,taking time to listen andcare, providing informationon other participatingorganisations, and a varietyVolunteersneededRed Cross islooking for caringpeople to join localPersonal SupportTeams, assistingpeople evacuated during disasters.FREE TRAINING & LUNCHPROVIDEDin Nimbin, on Thursday, 23rd March2006, 9.30am to 3.30pm at NimbinSchool of Arts, 47 Cullen StreetRSVP to Lyndall on 6622-3244 byMonday 20th Marchof other practical tasks toassist those in need at sucha time.“Personal Supportvolunteers need to be teamplayers, caring and practical,with a good deal of commonsense and a listening ear”,Vahideh Hosseini said. Ifcalled on, volunteers need tobe able to work for a shift,and the one day trainingcourse is essential.Red Cross are looking forpeople with the followingqualities:• 18 years or older and ableto work an occasional shiftof six to ten hours.• A good listener,people from differentbackgrounds and cultures;literate in English.• Willing to be trained andwork with others in a teamled by Red Cross.• Practical, withcommonsense, calm inemergencies.Red Cross will beconductinga FREEPersonalSupporttrainingcourse inNimbin,withmorningtea andlunch alsoprovided.Thecourse willbe heldfrom 9.30am to 3.30pm onThursday,23rd March2006 atthe Nimbin School of Arts,47 Cullen Street, Nimbin,NSW. To find out moreabout the course, or if youare wanting to registerplease call Lyndall on 6622-3244..By LizetteTwisletonThe NimbinAuntiesProgram isprogressing slowly.I have met with thefounder of ByronAunties and theCoordinator of the Lismore/Ballina branch.I would like to host an afternoon tea forall interested aunties next month. Anyoneinterested in becoming an auntie or finding outmore about this great mentoring opportunityplease ring me.I also want to hear from girls or parentsof girls who think that an auntie in theirlife would be a positive experience. I can becontacted by email safenimbin@hotmail.comor phone 6689 1692.On a much more sobering note it is veryalarming to hear of sexual assaults happeningin Nimbin. It is very important that we arevigilant regarding our own safety and thatof others. Watch out for each other, and Iencourage locals and visitors to not walkaround the village at night alone.Sexual assault and rape impact the victim/survivor for life.SupportIf you have been sexually assaulted and arein need of support the following services areavailable.Rape Crisis Line1800 424 017 (24 hr service)Lismore Sexual Assault Service6620 2970Nimbin Police 6689 1244Nimbin Hospital 6689 1400Nimbin Neighbourhood Centre6689 1692 (open 10am-4pm weekdays)What is sexual assault?Sexual Assault is any behaviour of a sexualnature that makes someone feel uncomfortable,frightened, intimidated or threatened. It issexual behaviour that someone has not agreedto, where another person uses physical oremotional force against them. It can includeanything from sexual harassment through tolife threatening rape.Some of these acts are serious indictablecrimes. Sexual assault is an abuse ofpower. Sexual Assault is never the fault orresponsibility of the victim /survivor.Sexual Assualts – MythsMyths perpetuate messages that:• blame victims for the offences committedagainst them• protect offenders from the consequences oftheir actions• reinforce the vulnerability of women andchildren.Common Myths About Sexual AssaultMyth: Sexual assault, especially rape, is anunusual occurrence – it can’t happen to meReality: One in three women will be sexuallyassaulted at some time in their lives(Fergusson & Mullen, 1999).Myth: Men only sexually assault young, sexually‘attractive’ women.Reality: Sexual assault is not about sex. It is acrime about power and domination.Myth: Women ‘cry rape’.Reality: Police statistics reveal that ‘false’reporting of sexual assault is minimal,representing 2% to 7% of all reportedassaults. These statistics also includestatements withdrawn by victim/survivorsdue to fear of revenge and the impact of thelegal system.Myth: Women enjoy being raped.Reality: This myth reduces rape toan experience, which is trivial andinconsequential. Sexual assault is anexperience of violation, and terror, that hasboth short and long term consequences forvictim/survivors.Myth: Women who are raped want, and ask tobe raped.Reality: No woman asks to be raped. Thismyth wrongly locates responsibility with thevictim/survivor and away from the rapist.Myth: Women can avoid being raped by dressingsensibly and not going out alone at night.Reality: Over 50% of rapes occur either inthe offender’s home or in the victim’s home.There is no causal link between women’sclothing and social behaviour and crimes ofviolence.Myth: Most rapists are strangers.Reality: 80% of rapists are known to thevictim.Myth: Rape is a sexual act.Reality: Rape is an act of power, hostility andaggression resulting in severe humiliationand control of the victim.Myth: Sexual assault, especially rape, isperpetrated by psychologically disturbed, sexcrazed‘madmen’.Reality: Rapists are men from all socioeconomicclasses, professions andnationalitiesMyth: Men rape because they cannot controltheir sexual urges.Reality: There is no medical evidence tosubstantiate that men biologically haveuncontrollable sexual urgesEach of these myths enforces the silencewhich surrounds sexual assault and, in sodoing impacts on victim/survivors.More information can be found on theCASA Centre Against Sexual Assaultwebsite, www.rwh.org.au/casa/CASA Housechallenges these myths through information,counselling and advocating for legislative andpolicy reform to uphold women’s rights andentitlements.Massage in your own homeMIRIAM ELLAPage 4 The Nimbin GoodTimesMarch 2006www.nimbingoodtimes.com

Women’s Call for Peace: An Urgent AppealWe, the women of the UnitedStates, Iraq and womenworldwide, have hadenough of the senseless war in Iraqand the cruel attacks on civiliansaround the world. We’ve buried toomany of our loved ones. We’ve seentoo many lives crippled forever byphysical and mental wounds. We’vewatched in horror as our preciousresources are poured into war whileour families’ basic needs of food,shelter, education and healthcare gounmet. We’ve had enough of living inconstant fear of violence and seeingthe growing cancer of hatred andintolerance seep into our homes andcommunities.This is not the world we want forourselves or our children. Withfire in our bellies and love in ourhearts, we women are rising up - acrossborders to unite and demand an endto the bloodshed and the destruction.We have seen how the foreignoccupation of Iraq has fueled an armedmovement against it, perpetuatingan endless cycle of violence. We areconvinced that it is time to shift from amilitary model to a conflict-resolutionmodel that includes the followingelements:• The withdrawal of all foreign troopsand foreign fighters from Iraq;• Negotiations to reincorporatedisenfranchised Iraqis into all aspectsof Iraqi society;• The full representation of womenin the peacemaking process and acommitment to women’s full equalityin the post-war Iraq;• A commitment to discard plans forany foreign bases in Iraq;• Iraqi control of its oil and otherresources;• The nullification of privatizationand deregulation laws imposedunder occupation, allowing Iraqis toshape the trajectory of the post-wareconomy;• A massive reconstruction effort thatprioritizes Iraqi contractors, anddraws upon financial resources of thecountries responsible for the invasionand occupation of Iraq;• Consideration of a temporaryinternational peacekeeping forcethat is truly multilateral and isnot composed of any troops fromcountries that participated in theoccupation.To move this peace processforward, we are creating amassive movement of women –crossing generations, races, ethnicities,religions, borders and politicalpersuasions. Together, we will pressureour governments, the United Nations,the Arab League, Nobel Peace Prizewinners, religious leaders and othersin the international community to stepforward to help negotiate a politicalsettlement.And in this era of divisivefundamentalisms, we call upon worldleaders to join us in spreading thefundamental values of love for thehuman family and for our preciousplanet.For information on how to sign the women’scall for peace, contact Rainforest InformationCentre on 6689 7519 or www.rainforestinfo.org.auMany millions of women have few choices in theirlives; women bear the brunt of world poverty; andmore than half a million women globally still diein childbirth or of pregnancy-related causes every year.International Women’s Day (8th March) is an occasionmarked by women’s groups around the world at the localand national levels. The 8th March is also commemoratedat the United Nations, and is designated in many countriesas a national holiday. When women on all continents, oftendivided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic,cultural, economic and political differences, come togetherto celebrate their Day, they can look back to a traditionthat represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality,justice, peace and development.International Women’s Day provides a fantastic opportunityto promote the furthering of women’s rights, roles andparticipation in our community, and to celebrate the lives,values and achievements of women across the globe.Come Together andCelebrate Being a WomanNimbin from 10am - Community CentreBegins at 10am with dancing in the streetfollowed by a Women’s Circle at about 11am.Women Speakers and Open Forum. Womenentertainers all day until about 6pm. Children’sspace and participation.Picnic under the tree in front of the marketstage, bring instruments, stuff to swap and craftsto share.Women Say NoTo War ActionLismore from 4pm - Spinks ParkThis year on International Women’s Day, women aremobilizing around the globe to call for an end to theoccupation and the violence in Iraq. With the launch of theWomen Say No To War Campaign, women around the worldare signing on to the Women’s Call for Peace (above).The aim is to obtain100,000 signatures by InternationalWomen’s Day when US and Iraqi women will deliver thesesignatures to leaders in Washington DC, and women aroundthe world will deliver them to US embassies.Here in Lismore, we will walk for peace, and deliver aWomen’s Call for Peace to Ian Causley (Page MP) askingfor an end to Australianinvolvement in the Iraqwar.The action begins atSpinks Park (next toLeft Bank restaurant),Molesworth Street,Lismore on 8th Marchat 3:45 for a 4pm fora candle lighting andpeace prayer followed by4:20pm by a festive walkaround the CBD.Come as you are ordress festive – wear pinkif you wish. We are allsorts of women, artists,mothers, businesspeople, students...Bringbanners and percussioninstruments, flutes, fun!Bring yourself.The theme for the march is one of diversity...we are Womenfrom all sectors coming together...we are all types of Womenwho oppose Australia’s involvement in militaristic action...today we walk for peace...we remember our sisters andbrothers living in war torn regions.Afterwards, Join Us for Dinner at Caddies...“Frocking good fifties theatre!”Poster design; Stiff Elbow ClappingNorthern StarDancePuppetryComedyThe FrocksPhoto: Christabelle BaranayDeluxePresent “What the Frock do we know NOW?”Star Court Theatre Lismore: 8, 9 & 10 March 2006SPECIAL OPENING NIGHT — 8pm Weds 8 Marchin conjunction with the Lismore Women’s Health Centrefor INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Bookings 6621 9800Tix $20and Thurs 9 & Fri 10 March, 8pm Bookings 6621 5600Tix $18/15 conc {+ booking fee}or at the door.What the Frock do we know NOW?The Frocks perform Star Court Theatre March 8th.International Women’s Day – Wednesday 8th MarchLis Miller LandscapingABN 81 212 183 846garden design & maintenance• plant selection/design• pruning/mulching• paving/mosaic tiles• horticultural advicePhone 6689 1162Mob 0411 496 807email: lislandscaping@bigpond.comPO Box 438, Nimbin NSW 2480 www.nimbingoodtimes.com March 2006 The Nimbin GoodTimes Page 5

Glimmer of hope forpre-school fundingNimbin Community Preschoolhas grand plans, butno money.The community run and operatedpre-school catering for 3-5 yearoldshas operated out of theShowgrounds building for 25 years.Co-ordinator Dianne Gregory saidthe DA for their new building onland at Nimbin Central Schoolwas submitted to Council beforeChristmas, and they have receiveda reply which contained “ a lot ofnew things to be done,” which theyare pressing ahead with.While the cost of the buildingwork will be covered by a specialgrant, when it finally getsunderway, Dianne said covering thecost of the day-to-day operationswhile keeping fees affordable isbecoming increasingly difficult.Funding of preschools has beenfrozen since 1986, with only CPIincreases since then.Ms Gregory said the pre-schooloperates 5 days aweek and chargesfees ranging from $8 to $16,depending on parent income. “Wepresently have lots of vacancies,Mondays to Wednesdays,” shesaid.During February the Directorof Kurri Preschool in the HunterValley met with DoCS MinisterReba Meagher in Maitland, whilethe NSW Cabinet was in town.Reba acknowledged that viabilityof community-based preschools isthe major issue in the immediateshort term - she suggested 30would fail in the next six monthsif nothing were done. She alsoacknowledged the inequity betweenthe DET and DoCSsystems and the need toincrease the number ofplaces, and was obviouslystill wedded to the ideaof getting preschools toextend their hours, andaccess Federal funding, aspart of the answer to theproblem.The Minister said sheis working with DET,Treasury and Cabinetwith a view to makingan announcement aboutpreschool funding by the end ofMarch, and suggested we wouldbe ‘much happier by the end ofMarch.’ However, because it’s stillunder discussion, she couldn’t giveany details as to what her visionwas, or how and when it was goingChild’s play. The class of 2006 at Nimbin Community Pre-school, still in Cecil Street.to be achieved.Statewide action to increasefunding for preschools is plannedfor 8th April, and will include a“Play Day” rally in Heritage Park,Lismore, with everyone wearingred. Gabe Connell of Children’sChoice, a coalition of communitybasedpre-schools in NSW said,“If it is well-attended, it will lookfantastic on the news, and will leteveryone know how serious we areabout fighting for all children andparents in NSW.”New teachers for Tuntable Falls PrimaryThe winds of change areblowing through TuntableFalls Primary School, withtwo new teachers starting atthe beginning of the currentschool term.One of a handful ofindependent schools inthe Northern rivers area,Tuntable Falls PrimarySchool is run by a parentbody whose role includesselection of teachers for theschool.“We take the selection ofteachers very seriously,” saidDavid Hyett, spokespersonfor the school. “As anindependent school theparents make manydecisions that directlyimpact on the effectivenessof our teaching programs,and selecting the right staffis at the top of the list,“ hesaid.Tuntable Falls PrimarySchool has 23 students splitinto two classrooms. Thesmall number of childrenin each class allows for verypersonalised teaching andfull development of thechildren’s creative interests.NimbinVillage Pharmacy• familymedicines• prescriptions• photo supplies• baby needs• natioMEDICARE EASICLAIMCullen St Nimbin 6689 1448Paul Solk, the new teacherfor grades 3 to 6 believes inindependent learning wherethe students are constantlychallenged and learn to takeresponsibility for their ownlearning.Paul believes he can teachthe students the tools toeffective learning and saysit is ultimately up to thechildren to implement them.Early indications arethat the students are fullyembracing their new malementor and role model, withmany parents delightedat the heightened level ofinterest their children areshowing in learning,Thomas Rose, the newgrade 1 to 3 teacher, has along history of involvementin alternative education,including Steiner. Hebelieves in steering theyounger children’s learningthrough play focusing onthe basic skills of readingwriting and arithmetic.Future activities plannedby this very progressiveIndependent school includea Karaoke evening at theTuntable Communityhall on the 1st of Aprilat 6.30 pm. Two schoolcamps, 5 days to Minniewaters in April and a weekon Stradbroke Island inNovember. The campsinvolve the whole schoolcommunity, parents,children, teachers and theirfamilies.Then it’s the Nimbinfashion shows, where thestudents work together tocreate a range of clothingmade by children forchildren.So if you see schoolchildren running jumpingskipping and singing in yourstreet, they are most likelyTuntable Falls primary kids.Eat in or take awayopen 7 daysRainbow Ridge Steiner SchoolThe official opening of this beautifulnew building will be held Friday 10thMarch from 11am. All welcome.Butcher BoysNimbin Meats has had achange of ownership, thoughyou can scarcely tell thedifference.Young partners JamesGeary, who served hisapprenticeship at the shop,and Kirra Oliver, who iscurrently an apprentice, haveteamed up to invest in theirfuture in butchery.“It’s a good shop, and agood trade,” said James.“Rod has been talking to meabout taking over for a while,showing me what’s involved.”Rod’s influence stillpermeates the shop,especially in the kind andhelpful approach to customerservice.We’re not changinganything,” said JamesGinny is still doingJames Geary at NimbinVillage Meats.the pate and pork pies,the salamis and smokedmeats are still made on thepremises, and everything isstill free-range and organic,including the turkeys andvenison.But they do have plansafoot - to refrigerate theirother display window, and tosupply packaged meat.Any reaction fromcustomers? “It’s been allgood,” said James. “We’vebeen flat out, which is good.”Page 6 The Nimbin GoodTimesMarch 2006www.nimbingoodtimes.com

Nimbin Central School Newsby Athena ZelandoniiAs I write this, it’s Week 5 of Term 1in this year of the dog, and everybody iswell and truly settled back into the schoolroutine for what promises to be an excitingand productive year. Everything is as itshould be down here at Nimbin CentralSchool, and it’s getting even better…“Too hot, can’t learn…”Air conditioning is being installed intomultiple ‘hot spot’ rooms on the secondfloor, much to the relief of both studentsand teachers. The library too is getting therefrigerator treatment; all the better tostudy or read in.On that subject also, a huge welcomemention to our new and truly awesomelibrarian Mel Taylor we do hope you findyour newly air-conditioned abode to yourliking.“Run, it’s a hierarchy!”This year heralds the introduction ofa senior group of students elected torepresent the school and to help organiseactivities and uphold values within it. Agroup of 7 year 11 and 12 students wereelected at the end of last year as schoolprefects and captains, and I wish them allthe best.“But what are all thesemetre high white polessticking out of the groundfor?”To benefit blind student Chris Dockrillin his new and improved wheelchair,removable bollards have been put up nearall the stairs. Those are bollards, not whitepoles. Go to school and learn something…“You scream, I scream…”It’s in the works, and you certainly didn’thear it from me, but the SRC (studentrepresentative council) may be having afundraising ice-cream day. Cross yourfingers and hope for a sunny day…Just do it! A moment of truth for art teacherCath Marshall after the school’s secondaryswimming carnival at Murwillumbah pool, withtechnics teacher Stan Kovac being helpful asalways. Picture: Marc LeBars“I have a dream!”Also this year, permanent members fill allExecutive positions. What this means forNimbin Central is that a long term vision forthe school can be seen and acted upon by allmembers, as they are there for the long haul.And as new Primary Assistant PrincipalMarc Everingham hasn’t gone runningscreaming into the hills by now, the yearseems set to be an excellent and successfulone.Casual Work AvailableEmployment guaranteed at the schoolcanteen. 9.30am to 2pm, weekly,fortnightly, monthly.Experience: Not necessary, everything youneed to know can be learnt within a shorttime.Salary: A la carte lunch (healthy sandwich),plenty of tea, coffee and best of all friendship.Applications close: Never.Community Bus needs driversNorthern Rivers CommunityTransport is looking for any busdrivers with a NSW LR licenseor better, to help out drivingfolks around the Nimbin area inNimbin’s Community Bus.The Mercedes Sprinter bus is ableto seat 11 people plus the driver,and has space for two wheelchairswith lift access.The bus is used for many differenttrips, helping bring people togetherfor social events, dances, birthdays,a day at the beach, special events,political and environmental eventsand rallies, and more. The Mumsand Bubs group and Youth groupsuse the Community Bus regularly.To hire the bus, the cost is set at70c per kilometre, which includesthe cost of petrol. There are noother charges, and the set fee isnegotiable for some communitygroups.The bus can only be hired out ifthe driver has an LR license, and atthe moment there is a pressing needfor more volunteer drivers to helpwith this community service.To encourage new drivers forthis community project, the busis being made available for anyoneinterested in training for their LRlicense. This training is offeredfor free, in exchange for volunteerdriving.Teatro di Bush, AmigoThings aremoving atthe BushTheatre, with aMexican cantinaalready in operationas part of a majorrevival of this muchlovedcommunityasset.A partnership ofsix has taken overthe management ofthe cinema complex,and is in the processof buying out thecompany that holdsthe lease, whichhas 18 months torun, with a 5-yearoption.At the packedoutcafé re-openingparty one of thepartners, AdrianRyan said, “We hada lot of communityhelp to get thistogether, includinga month’s free rent,and volunteerspainting.”ManagerMatthew alsoworks as head chefat the restaurant.He was previouslyexecutive sous chefat Hogan’s in Melbourne,though he was born inGrafton and has lived atIluka, Nimbin and Kyogle.He said that the openingparty had been “hectic, amajor test for the systems,”and that “streamlining beganimmediately,” to sustainthe operation “seven days,eight till late, café by day,restaurant by night.”Ole! Wendy and Adrian Ryan at the café opening(above), Matthew the chef and manager (below).“The menu workedbeautifully,” Matt said,pointing out that theMexican style encompassesa wide choice of vegetarianand vegan dishes, enabled bythe new kitchen layout wherethere are two sinks and twofryers, for meat and nonmeatdishes.“I want to give Nimbina bit more of a culinarySo if you are over 30 andinterested in learning to drive a bus,please contact Julia at the NimbinNeighbourhood and InformationCentre, 71 Cullen Street, Nimbin,phone 6689-1965. Julia is availableon Mondays, Tuesdays andWednesdays from 10am to 2pm,and can also be contacted on hermobile 0417-319-905. Talk to Juliaif you are interested in hiring thebus, too.experience,” saidMatthew. “While mostMexican food availableis “gringo food,’ aTex-Mex Americanversion of the cuisine,we are offering moretraditional styles, withauthentic Spanish andChilean influences.”More dishes are toadded to the menu,which contains plentyof familiar favourites,and a blackboardmenu will list seasonaldishes, with a takeawayservice starting inMarch.Matthew iscommitted to keepingprices realistic forfamilies. “If RichardBranson can do it, I cando it too,” he said.Plans for the theatreinclude “comedy,theatre, music, movies,anything you can thinkof.” Adrian explainedthat with tablesinside, the theatre canaccommodate cabaretand theatre restaurantnights, and can also beused as a daytime venuefor children’s activitiesor cultural tourism,with full café facilities.Full theatrical and concertproduction facilities willbecome available with theinstallation of three-phasepower.Adrian said, “We’reavailable for bookingsfor functions, receptions,parties, anything, witha lower rate for the localcommunity.”Nimbin Auto Centre20 Sibley Street, NimbinFuel, spares, repairsComplete tyre serviceVW-friendly mechanics“ We’ l l keep yo u r ve h i c l e o nt h e st r a i g ht & n a r ro w.”Open Monday to Saturday7am - 6pm, Sunday 8am - 5pmPhone 6689 1028Easiest parking in town Clarrie & Sally Rose, trading asNimbin Mill FarmHardware & Gasat the Old Sawmill on Gungas Road.The name says it all!We sell bulk landscaping materialsand Searles gardening products.Come out, see our range and compare prices.Free delivery to Nimbin townshipPhone 6689 1206www.nimbingoodtimes.com March 2006 The Nimbin GoodTimes Page 7

The Big Three IssuesI write in regards to Health,Education and Welfare in New SouthWales.The psychiatric hospitals wereclosed down nearly two decades agoas the patients were miraculouslystabilized with medication, puton a proper diet and released intothe community to live. Now theNSW government wants to blamehydroponic marijuana as the eviltrigger of a whole group of psychiatricillnesses in the community. Whatabout hydroponic tomatoes,cucumber and lettuce? I don’t believethese are doing it either!The school and public librariesclose about an hour after the childrenleave to go home. How are thechildren supposed to do researchand develop the skills of researching?The internet is one way, albeit a veryslow way if the only service is dialup.I’m still waiting for ISDN, muchless broadband, so my son can doresearch on the net on as rapid a paceas his town counterparts! I guess Icould buy all the books necessary tohave a reasonable home library, butthe books cost twice as much as theydo in Europe, even with the rate ofexchange. I might considerthis economic censorship,what about you?Last but certainly notleast, is Welfare. Thepremier has said in thelast few days that therewill be new laws that willmake contracts necessary ifparents cannot control theirchildren. Now I can onlysuppose that DoCs will bein charge of administeringthese contracts and they arestressed, overworked andunderpaid as you read this.DoCs can’t help anyone overthe age of 12 months theyare so snowed under. Wait until somany contracts come through andthen check out the stress levels.Every time I read the news, I readabout the “acting” police positionwhatever, I’m lead to believe the seniorpolice are very stressed and take stressleave on a regular basis. How are thepolice going to police more laws whenthey have to selectively police the lawsthat exist. It seems that a far-sightedlook at laws that exist should bepursued rather than heaping on moreas a knee-jerk reaction to currentevents.Michael WrightMt. NardiLettersMilitaristic posterI nearly wrote a letter after theJanuary Edition of the Good Timesand Gerald Taylor’s masquerading asthe Goddess on the front page, butwhen I walked down town today andsaw the current Nimbin Mardi-Grassposter, I felt sick. I’m not the only one.Do we want Nimbin to be a warzone? Nimbin was originally aboutpeace and love and a new future. Itwasn’t even about marijuana. Thatwas incidental.It was innovation, experimentation,creating a good future for ourchildren, anti-violence and antiauthoritarian.Marijuana hasn’t even been all goodfor Nimbin. It has attracted a lot ofsingle issue people who are otherwiseconservative in every way so I think itis terrible that we now have posters upall over town evoking a war platformfor the issue of drugs. It gives anexcuse for violence. That has alreadybeen the case for too long. We don’tneed to exaggerate the problemswe have in this town with physical,verbal, emotional or intellectualviolence.It is not a time to be provocative in aheavy-handedmanner.WhenI readGerald’sDecemberarticle about shooting politicians withdope smoke, I thought the manner ofspeech is too aggressive and invasiveof other people’s space. Marijuana isnot a magic substance that is goingto convert the world’s evil or its evilpeople. That’s one hippy fantasythat has truly hit the dust. There isa wealth of emotionally challenged,violent marijuana smokers walkingamongst us on the streets of Nimbinas well as vibrant, beautiful and lovingmarijuana smokers.Violence, aggression and theattendant accumulated effects onpeople are the really big problems theworld is facing. We have to be carefulwe don’t become part of the problemNimbin PostOpen 7am- 5pm Mon - FriFull counter postal services.New stocknow in!email goodtimes@nimbinaustralia.comeditor:Council jottingsJenny DowellMarch marks the start of a busy few monthsat Council with the budget process infull swing. To date, the 7 Policy AdvisoryGroups have lodged the only submissions forconsideration but in the next 2 months, Council isexpected to receive hundreds of submissions valued atmany millions of dollars, if last year is any indication.Indeed this year, we will receive applications forfunding major bridge works, the next step in thedevelopment of the CBD cultural centre and Stage 1of the Goonellabah Recreation and Leisure Centre.In addition to these big ticket items, the ongoingneeds of rural roads make the task of distributing thefunds in an equitable manner all the more difficult.Public submissions from community groupsthroughout the local government area will beadvertised in the March 2 edition of the NR Echo andwill close on 31st March. In May all the submissionsfrom PAGs, Councillors, staff and the public,together with staff comments and recommendationson each, will be considered by Councillors. Fromthis, a draft management plan with the proposednew fees and charges will then be placed on publicexhibition. On 20th June, the final submissions fromthis public exhibition will be considered and the Planwill be finalised.by allowing ourselves to become partof someone else’s violent reaction toreality.If we work on that we work oneverything including the illegalityof drugs. If we work on the issue ofdrugs with violent intent or emotionswe get nowhere. Those in authorityalways have endless resources forwar. War is the partner of theauthoritarian.I do object to Gerald writing articlesin the name of the goddess. They areoften quite cynical, derogatory andaggressive. It is just not fair to all thewomen in the area to have such awriter sheltering under their skirts.What on earth is some out-of-towneror tourist to think of Nimbin womenor for that matter our town.Let’s keep the Mardi-Grass as acelebration of the Goddess and allthings gentle and know that is thecure for everything.Lynne OldfieldNimbinPoster is pro-peaceAs the illustrator of the Mardi Grassposter which has offended LynneOldfield, I would like to explainmyself and answer a few of herquestions.Firstly, the poster has nothing to dowith what Nimbin is or was supposedJungle Patrol Community SafetyPosition VacantStreet Cleaner Nimbin4 mornings per fortnight 3am to 7.30amMust have reliable 3rd party insured vehiclewith tow barFull training providedFor further details contact David Hyettphone 02 6689-0095or mobile 0418-824-598Postal address P.O Box 576 Nimbinto be all about. It’s not a Nimbinposter. It’s a poster for a cannabislaw reform rally that takes place inNimbin.As I’m sure you know, the NimbinHemp Embassy is fighting to make afew changes to current laws, hence theuse of the word ‘war’.I agree with you, we don’t wantNimbin to be an actual war zone. Inthis case ‘war’ is just a term, as in war/fight/debate for rights.The soldier in the poster representsanti-violence. He has no weapons...just a shovel to plant with. He wearsa harmless expression on his face, apeace symbol around his neck. Herepresents the growers and smokersof marijuana and their rights, or lackthereof. He is a soldier of peace andfreedom. I’m certainly not advocatingviolence or aggression.Also, you said, ‘ Let’s keep MardiGrass a celebration of the goddess’...it isn’t...it’s a law reform rally. Checkout the official Mardi Grass website.You’ll notice the large words on theopening page.... ‘Nimbin MardiGrass-cannabis law reform rally.’The poster could seem offensive iftaken literally. As a cartoonist andstand-up comedian that wasn’t myintent. Sorry that my drawing madeyou feel sick,Brendan LovechildMullumbimbyBob Dooleylayout/design: Andy Goughphotography: Sue StockUnfortunately, Council can never fund all theworthwhile projects that are proposed. If last yearis any guide, only about half of them will receive thenecessary funds so groups lodging submissions needto be prepared for this reality.Council PoolsThe week before the regular monthly meeting,Council will hold a workshop at the OliverAvenue Council Chambers. On Tuesday 7th March at6 pm, there will be a staff presentation and discussionon the Memorial Baths and the current condition andfuture of Lismore Lake Pool.North Lismore resident Vicky Findlay has done awonderful job in harnessing community passion tokeep the Lake Pool open, and those Councillors whosee the ‘round pool’ as a family-friendly affordable(free) option will be resisting any plans to close it,either now or in the future. As with most Councilworkshops, the public is invited to attend.While on Nimbin and pools, it is expected thatNimbin pool will gain some much needed seating inthe near future following a request from residentsthrough me to staff. Once provided, parents andgrandparents won’t need to BYO chair whilesupervising young swimmers. If I can assist anyresidents with other issues, please contact me.Jenny Dowell (Phone 6625 2206 or Jenny.Dowell@lismore.nsw.gov.au)Of karma and dogmaHaving watched the rebirth andgrowth of Nimbin these many years,it struck me that the whole process isa lot like establishing a bush garden.You generally start in a hostileenvironment, develop soil fertility,plant your seeds, watch out forpredators and work hard. Just whenthe garden becomes productive, allmanner of slimy creatures crawl outfrom under rocks to suck the life fromthe fruits of your patient labour.Geoff Shearman, the new co-ownerof Nimbin Lifestyle Real Estate saidin your last edition that his interestswere family and community, andthat Nimbin (surprisingly) was nowsomewhere to be proud of.Many of us, not the least myself,have been proud of Nimbin for a verylong time. After all, we succeededagainst mighty opposition. As forfamily and community, I wonder howproud Mr Shearman is these days ofhis alleged role in the violent evictionof families from their community,Tymokari, some year ago?Perhaps the whole thing has slippedhis mind, what with his busy life ofcow homeopathy and plant nurseries.Not to worry, many of us still recallevery nasty detail. Still, whatever elseyou might say about Mr Shearman,he certainly got he job done andachieved vacant possession of thePage 8 The Nimbin GoodTimesMarch 2006www.nimbingoodtimes.com

former government-ownedland, evicting the squatters.Maybe he is just the man forthe job if push comes to shoveat Mulgum House.Sometimes, people’s karmaruns right over their dogma.Harry NevilleNimbinGoldstandardThe currentstandard formeasuringworth of workis against goldand the USdollar.I see thesecurrencystandards the base lineproblem affecting lifestyle andlife on Earth. It rewards greedand power that sacrifices thewell being of our environment.There is a need for a standardthat encourages people wholive lightly on the Earth,A measures that penalizeshuman impact against thenurturing well being of lifeon Earth. Rewards are forthose who contribute to thewell being of life. Penalties formining and weapon producingindustries which does notreward polluters.As long as our measure isdriven for profit, life on Earthand our species are doomed.Mining Uranium because it’sprofitable is a problem becauseof this current standard. Thehistory of the gold standard isone based on the destruction ofenvironments and earth basedcultures throughout the world.Please let us discuss thisissue.Benny ZableShark nets kill whalesGee, we are getting eaten bysharks when we are in theirhabitat, so what’s new?Do you realise it’s not theshark’s fault, we are in theirhabitat and they are naturallyhunters and anything in theirhabitat is food (but you knowwhat, they don’t like the tasteof humans).On the Gold Coast (lovethat name) the Departmentof Primary Industry (DPI)protect swimmers with theplacement of shark nets atcertain beaches. During thewinter months the Humpbackwhales migrate north fromAntarctica along the east andwest coasts of Australia.Mother whales give birthalong the coast and rest atHervey Bay until the calvesare strong enough tomigrate south to Antarctica.On their migration path,the Humpbacks have to passby the Gold Coast (love’n itmore) where these shark netsare situated.For a long time, these netshave been responsible forthe deaths of adult and babywhales amongst other marinelife, but the DPI will not stopthe practice of shark netting,why not?The DPI have been sittingon information presented tothem of an electronic deviceby an inventor on the Coastfor the last two years, why?Why can’t at least the DPIremove the nets during thewhales’ migration, May toAugust, so the whales cantravel in peace without harm?How many more whalesand marine life have to besacrificed not only in theSouthern Ocean but along ourcoastline?We are not the onlyspecies on this planet withintelligence, or think we are.FOR THE WHALESPaul BrechtMullumbimbyCheese-makingWorkshopDharmananda communityat Terania Creek have beenmaking cheddar cheese, fettacheese, yoghurt, ricotta andbutter for more than twentyfive years for the consumptionof the community members.We learned how to makecheese from the Ivan familywho lived across the valley,in the late 1970’s. Sincethen many changes andimprovements have beenmade to the recipe. Visitsfrom other cheese makersfrom Australia and overseashave also helped us refine ourmethod.As a fundraiser for TheChannonCommunityInc., we areoffering acheese makingworkshop atThe ChannonCafe onSaturday, April8th, 9.00 am -12.00 pm whenwe will make acheddar cheeseand ricotta (whey cheese).The cost is $30 and $25concession. Bookings areessential, please call Carol on6688-6269Sloppy workI’ve always admired thelayouts and news coverage inyour bright little monthly,but as an old journo andsub, I must point out thatin the Charlie-Jane weddingcoverage (p.3, NGT Feb ’06),the pictures were a bit astray:there were no flower girls.In the main picture plus thebride and groom were Jane’sdaughter, Sarah Mari whowas one of the bridesmaidsand her son Michael Mari,who had escorted Jane to theceremony.And “backyard”? In less thanten years, Jane has created avirtual Garden of Eden out ofa bare 3.3 acre block!Sorry, cannot help old habits!Gwen CunninghamMother of the bride(Sorry that our coverage of Janeand Charlie’s nuptials was rathermangled – unlike the wonderfulcelebrations. We don’t get manyweddings. Ed.)Greens outrage nutterBob Brown, who sufferedmercilessly at the tongue ofLaurie Oakes when he wascaught out not even knowingThe Greens drug policy, hashis hands written all over thenew Green policy on drugs.It is nothing more or lessthan the complete gutting ofwhat The Greens are meantto be about. In this casethey have dropped theirplank of social equality andjustice.They willingly admithaving sold their soul forillusory votes. They havethis delusion somedaythey will be a major player.Nutters.Paul RecherNoticesNimbin Chamber ofCommerceThe Chamber meets on the3rd Tuesday of the month,6-8pm at the Bowling Club.Next meeting on 21stMarch will consider firesafety of village and relatedissues. All members andprospective memberswelcome.Pre-Loved ClothingSaleLife-Line Northern RiversNimbin HallFriday 17th March, 9amto 1pmHuge range – Great prices(Uki Hall Thursday 16thMarch)That ‘other’ 10th anniversaryThe recent pomp and fanfareover Howards 10th yearas prime minister made usall totally depressed butThursday 2nd March wasreason to celebrate – the 10thanniversary of Greens LeaderBob Brown’s election to theAustralian parliament.Senator Brown hasoutlasted 10 other partyleaders – Meg Lees, CherylKernot, Natasha Stott-Despoja, Andrew Grieg,Andrew Bartlett, PaulineHanson, Len Harris (OneNation), Kim Beazley (firsttime round), Simon Creanand Mark Latham have allbeen and gone during thattime.It’s just John Howard andBob Brown left standing.“And there’s no speculationabout me standing at nextyear’s election. I can’t wait,”Senator Brown said today.A calling from ourgardeners“Gardening for and with thecommunity is that much closerto the heart than gardeningalone. The more gardeners thereare, the more there will be, inseason all year round.”Tanya HallI am also pleased to invitepeople to Nimbin Communitygarden on Fridays, the mainwork day. We have profitedfrom our experiences in thegarden both physically andspiritually.Thank you to all whohave worked on the garden.Blessings and see you there.Gregory Marshall (pictured)“Our election aim will be torescue the Senate from theHoward government, anddoubling our team is notbeyond reality.”The Greens started withone senator after the 1996election, doubled to twosenators in 2001, and again tofour senators in 2004.The four Greens senatorsStill Bob-in’.Bob Brown celebrated10 years as a senatorin federal parliamentlast week.and their staff celebrated witha chocolate cake –and 10green candles – on Thursday.Bob is also still celebratingthe recent win in TassiesRechereche Bay being sparedfrom the loggers axe thanksto Dick Smith loaning themoney to buy it. Apparently‘Team Billen’ also hadsomething to do with it...www.nimbingoodtimes.com March 2006 The Nimbin GoodTimes Page 9

Truth the first casualty in drug warBackflip by Greens on marijuanaMercury, The(Australia) Pubdate:Tue, 8 Feb 2005The Tasmanian Greens partyhas axed its long-held policycalling for the legalisation ofmarijuana in a major policybackflip designed to winmainstream votes.Instead, Greens justicespokesman Nick McKim hascalled for tough new criminalsanctions to be introducedfor the trafficking of illegaldrugs.Mr McKim acknowledgedthat the policy somersaultmeant there was now littledifference between theGreens’ drugs policy and thatof the Labor Government.He also made no apologyfor the drugs policy change,admitting it was a votecatchingexercise to win seatsat the state election.Mr McKim also said anew policy that was hardon drug traffickers whileaimed at minimising harmfor drug users eliminatedthe chance opposing politicalparties would use the Greens’traditionally soft drugs stanceto smear the party and itscandidates.At the last federal election,false political propagandawas spread about the Greensparty’s lax attitude tomarijuana, which is believedto have severely hampered itselection efforts.“We’re here to get as manyvotes as we can, so we can putin place our public policieson a number of issues,” MrMcKim said.“We want a mature debateabout the issue of drug use.The major planks of thenew drugs policy are:* Criminal sanctionsincluding imprisonment fordrug traffickers.* The personal use of drugsbe treated as a health issue.* Recognition that there areserious health risks in alldrug use, including alcoholand tobacco.* A compassionate approachbe taken to people withhealth problems as a resultof personal drug use.Nimbinz KebabsDoner & Felafel Regular $7.50, The Lot $8.50Chicken Regular $8, The Lot $9With your choice of sauces & extrasby SaltyApolitician who needsto attack minorities toimprove his popularityis bereft of vision and integrity.Witch-hunts lead to adrenaline,anger, guilt and shame. Avoid therush!It appears that cannabis usein Australia will continue tobe equated with the narcoticdrugs: heroin, cocaine, andamphetamines. It is to be thefirst stop after the social divide betweenacceptable and unacceptable. Just overthere is available alcohol and freelyprescribed anti-depressants on theacceptable side of the drug war wall, andjust over here is cannabis, condemned bypolitical frauds without truthful evidenceor fair trial.The HEMP Embassy is an alternativevoice to proposed hard line governmentpolicies. There are other, far more effectivepolicy options to those being pushedthrough.Many cannabis users will lose theirdrivers’ licenses and jobs in the future,under testing regimes now beingintroduced. That is a serious sanction forsociety to exert, particularly for a drugwith no narcotic effect. This fact is heldup as a justification for refusing medicalmarijuana, but ignored with respect tolegality. I think the authorities are having14th Annual NimbinMardiGrass & CannabisLaw Reform Rally, 6th &7th May 2006Sensational meetingsto organize MG06 arehappening on Mondaysfrom 5pm, enter down thepath beside the Embassy.If you can’t make it, thereis a message book heldbehind the Hemp Embassycounter.These exciting mindexpandingmeetings are toogood to miss, and if you’venever been part of the MOB(MardiGrass OrganizingBody) now’s your big chanceto get involved. There arestill plenty of vacancies!Events this year includetattoo pot art, hemp jellywrestling, a hydro vs bushdebate, medical, legal,political and industrialtheir cake and eating it too.Cannabis Law Reform would seem tohave become a sacrificial goat of somekind in state Labor factional deals, andthe federal government has little timefor minority groups, or anyone with lessthan a mortgage or share portfolio to theirname.Let the unemployed work for $6.50an hour. They may work for that, butcertainly can’t live on it. Howard has not“defied the elites”, he has created a newelite; a cruel dry monetarist one chanting“outsource” and “privatise” to all who willlisten, and at the same time provided thefaithful with an entertainment of a fearfulcompliant hoop jumping unemployedclass, desperate to find jobs to escape thenew semi-privatised lunacy.Governments face greater expense inenforcing intolerance than they do inexercising tolerance and compassion.Tolerance and compassion are lambastedJoin the MOB behind MardiGrassRear deck action. A typical meeting of the MOB.forums and the usualhilarious Hemp Olympix,comedy, Pickers Ball, GanjaFaeries, rally and paradeand anything else you cancome up with.We do need someoneto organise prizes forPot Poetry, Pot Art, BestHemp Stall, the SalivaSwab Resistance Unit, etc.Jungle Patrol also needsresurrecting.This is the final yearas weak options. They arenot. They are the strongoptions. Jails are very expensivesolutions, and should bereserved for truly deservingcases.If you want dog eat dog forthe jobs available, and buggerthe rest; you can vote for it,but I far prefer a governmentthat can offer a unifying visionof what we can achieve, ratherthan division of the peopleunder the parliament of thelatest elite.When we jump through Saddam’shoops to sell wheat to Iraq, it lookslike the government will ignore its ownpolicies for a conveniently profitable deal.Are we so desperate?This country, this world, needs somekind of unifying vision, lest it fallback into the mire of fear and mutualdestruction. War benefits neither side of aconflict; only armament suppliers prosper.The cost is enormous, in money and lives.Wars are certainly not for the benefitof ordinary people. Wars on scapegoatsare unproductive folly, a squandering ofresources when we can probably leastafford it, and truth is always the firstcasualty of any war, closely followed byreason.Calm heads are better than fearful ones.Fear is a destroyer. May the calm head bewith you.of our 5-year DA forMardiGrass with LismoreCouncil, and the waypoliticians are blamingcannabis for all sorts ofwoes, next year might bequite different…!Nimbinz Kebabs & Take-AwayYour One-Stop Munchie ShopHot chicken – Whole $9.50, Half $6, Quarter $3.50Cold chicken – Whole $8.50, Half $5, Quarter $3Chicken, Cheese & Mushroom Bake or Potato &Sweet Potato Bake – Sm $2.50, Med $4, Lge $6Quarter Chicken & Potato Wedges $5; Fish & PotatoWedges $5; Chicko & Spring Rolls $2.50; Corn Jacks$2.50; Dim Sims $1.50; Chicken Wing Dings $2;Potato Wedges – Cup $3, Box $4.50Hand-madeglassnecklacesear-ringsbeadspipesAll TribesGifts, cardssouvenirsincensecandlesessential oilssoaps62b Cullen Street, Nimbin- next to the Museum -Page 10 The Nimbin GoodTimesMarch 2006www.nimbingoodtimes.com

Animal Shelter needs help to get startedThe Animal Rights and RescueGroup is a local, non-profitvolunteer organisation, run withoutgovernment funding. They rescuehomeless or unwanted animals,provide them with care and shelterand find them suitable homes.It is the only such group coveringthe whole of the Far North Coast.As there is no RSPCA shelter orbranch between Coffs Harbourand Tweed Heads, ARRG coversthe entire area, as well as west toTenterfield (The Far North CoastRegion).The group have been operatingsince 1995 as a No-Kill group—this means no ARRG animal hasbeen euthanased, unless due toillness or injury where the animalcould not be saved. ARRG doesnot euthanase any animal unless itis too ill to respond to veterinariantreatment.ARRG have saved many dogs andcats and have treated the ill, injuredand severely abused, some whoneed long term care. The groupalso takes unclaimed dogs thatwould otherwise be killed, fromlocal pounds, and provide themwith care and vet treatment untilsuitable homes can be found forthem.They give a deserved secondchance to these animals, believingthat no animal should have toendure neglect or abuse.The Animal Rights and RescueGroup urgently need to builda shelter, and are currently innegotiations with Lismore Council.Cost of reports for preparationof Lismore Council land for theCentre/Sanctuary have so fartotalled $2,500.A shelter would give the animalsa greater chance of finding apermanent family in a shortertimeframe, and also take some ofthe burden off the ‘foster carers’.These ‘foster carers’ and volunteersare all unpaid, and monies donatedin on-going fund-raising drives areused directly to help the animals.Contact the Animal Rights &Rescue Group Inc. PO Box 16Wollongbar NSW 2477Phone/Fax: 6622 1881. Emailnonkill@animalrights.org.au or onthe web www.animalrights.org.au.ARRG Desexing ProgramThe Animal Rights and RescueGroup are still operating ourassisted desex programs for bothcats and dogs and are pleased toreport that the program is well usedby the public.Also still running is our specialfor 100 female cats, desex andchipping only $55.00, and to dateover 30 female cats done. We stillhave places for 70 female cats sourge female cat owners who needhelp to call us.We can only imagine the numberof unwanted litters of puppies andkittens if our desexing program wasnot available. We are shocked atthe number of calls for unwantedkittens and the number of tinykittens dumped, and we have manybeautiful kittens in foster careneeding homes.It’s sad but true, the uneducatedand irresponsible public see catsBubble and Squeak at 10 weeks, in their foster home.and kittens as free and disposalitems and toys of no value. Thisheartless attitude plus the anticat/hatersare the result of so muchnegative media reporting againstthe cat.Inaccurate and extremesensationalism leaves the catcondemned, exposed and withoutrights or value. Speak up for the cat!For enquiries contact theAnimal Rights & Rescue GroupInc. on 02-6622-1881 or email:nonkill@animalrights.org.auAARG is a non-profit volunteerorganisation.Our Cat Ladyby KristaIt’s really important to raiseawareness in the communityabout our responsibility to ourpet’s quality of life, and respectfor the environment.I have been involved withthe rescue of animals locallyfor over 15 years. Beinginvolved with Rescue groupshas been important. Theywork very hard, and there hasbeen next to no help from theGovernment. It is all run byvolunteers, and local vets whoare willing to desex the catsand dogs at an affordable price.Desexing our pets is theresponsible owner’s duty, andhelps stop the misery that somany of our homeless petsare put through, as in femalesconstantly pregnant then theproblem of what to do withthe litters of puppies andkittens, Yeah, some do go toa happy home, but more thannot as soon as the noveltywears off and the commitmentis not honoured that’s whenthe hell begins. They aredumped, drowned or shot.Some go feral and this iswhere it becomes devastatingto the environment.This is disgusting and iswhere we come in, to rescue,rehabilitate, desex & re-homethese little treasures, Thisfor me is the reward I getfrom doing this sometimesheartbreaking job. To see thembegin to trust and enjoy life asthey deserve is truly wonderful.Growing up on a propertywith many animals nearByron, I came to Nimbinsome 10 yrs ago with 14 ofmy Rescue Cats. Since thenthe number in my care hasgrown somewhat to 44, Allthese cats have come fromaround Nimbin. The cats areall protected, as are the bushcritters, and live in a hugecattery with all their needscatered for.I no longer take cats in as Ihave more than enough to carefor. Many dogs as well havebeen re-homed, with five withus now.The reason I tell my story,as I said is to raise awareness.It is a privilege to care foranimals, and unless you arewilling to commit to at least15 yrs, please think twice,the relationship between youand your furry friend is to betreasured & respected!Local Animal Shelters maybe able to help with DiscountDesexing Vouchers. Please dothe right thing.Wild Dogsby Pamela BaxterOver the last two years,two very much loved smalldogs have been killed onmy property by wild dogs.Earlier this month threeof my dogs were seriouslyinjured in the mostterrifyingly ferocious attackI’ve ever seen.I have a motley bunchof rescue dogs - the threeinjured ranged from a 24kgcattle dog to a 7kg poodle.All will live, due to lifesavingsurgery, but it seems thatover half my property is tobe considered a no-go areafor me if I’m with my dogs.My dogs spend mosttheir time indoors or inthe fenced area around myhouse. I like to take them fora couple of long runs a day,which ideally includes goingup the hill into the bush.However, a well-worn longterm wild dog track crossesthrough the bush, half waythrough my place. And wilddogs are very territorial.We are not talking dingoeshere. The dogs I’ve seen aresolid, broad chested animalswith huge paws. No, I’m notpointing the finger at anyspecific breed, as I’ve knownwonderful pit bulls, mastiffs,ridgebacks and shepherds.I am pointing the finger atpeople who dump unwantedanimals. Or who don’tsterilize their dogs and letthem roam to produce litterafter litter of unwantedpups who form the packsthat roam this area. Animalrescue groups and the localpounds are drowning underthe number of abused,neglected and abandoneddogs and cats.Untold numbers ofpotentially loving animalssuffer terribly. Literallythousands are killedevery year as there arenot enough homes for allthe puppies and kittensendlessly produced. Is thisa healthy way for a societyto behave? Please have yourpets sterilised and if you nolonger want them please,please find an alternativeto dumping them in thebush where they’ll starveto death unless they killnative animals. Assistancefor people on low incomesto sterilize their dogs andcats can be found throughthe Animal Rights andRescue Group North Coast(6622-1881) They achievewonders consideringthat they are an entirelyvoluntary organisationtotally dependent ondonations from thepublic. Donations and helpdesperately needed.Perhaps we should alsobe asking what contributionLismore Council shouldbe making towards thereduction in breedinganimals.1080 baiting andshooting is the inevitableimmediate solution to a veryserious problem. Surely itwould be better to preventthe problem in the firstplace.• Hydrobathing • Blowdrying• Flea and Tick Rinse • Nails Clipped • Ears Cleaned• Natural Biodegradable Products UsedNimbin Vet ClinicTuesday Mornings 9am – 1266 Cullen Street Nimbin (behindestate agents)Mobile service phone 6688 8162Servicing the Nimbin and Jiggi Valleys www.nimbingoodtimes.com March 2006 The Nimbin GoodTimes Page 13

ASTROLOGICAL TRENDSFOR MARCH 2006by Bev Murray -Insight AstrologyWhat March holds...Aries: Not a strong month for you guysbecause the retrograde mercury from the3rd-25th can slow things down and requireinordinate amounts of patience! You couldlearn something about yourself if you stopfretting about the pace of things and sitdown for a moment. You feel rebellious onthe 11th and 12th.Taurus: Romance is looking good, butdon’t overstep the mark! A pretty pleasantmonth on most fronts but plans may needrescheduling especially towards the end ofMarch. The full moon on the 15th is a finetime to do something special with a lovedone. The solar eclipse on the 29th can bringthe past back to you!Gemini: Confusion, restlessness and majorprojects are all highlighted this month! Becareful how you put this together! The 29thand 30th give promise to new activities thatwill be very delightful in the future. Friendsare an inspiration, spend time with themand listen to what they are saying.Cancer: Some obstacles need to beovercome early in the month in order foryou to really move on. There are solutionsbut you will have to wait for them. AroundMarch 16th an old problem from the startof the year could resurface in some form,it is an ongoing issue so let it roll as it will,keep smiling!Leo: The 16th-19th are the most difficultdays this month. Some need to face yourmortality and vulnerability could arise.Remember you are the Lion, strength isyour greatest attribute. The New Moon onthe 29th is full of promise and good thingsto come. You could reap some very niceKarma.Virgo: The Full Moon on the 15th is inyour sign and encourages inner growthand learning. You could be looking a littledeeper than usual for your answers…butyou will find them! Relationships might bea tad rocky at the moment and will needyour patience and care.BIRTHDAY – PiscesThese sensitive, imaginative folk have an unworldly energy aboutthem! Their main danger is a tendency to escape reality and aninability to see things as they really are. Their strongest attribute istheir ability to care and be aware of the suffering of others. They areoften spiritual and can be full of inner wisdom.Give them: Pale green plants or flowers, Moonstone jewelry, yourlove and understanding.Libra: Watch health matters this monthand do not overdo things. The newmoon on the 29th is wonderful for yourrelationships and partners should be veryreceptive to your attentions. Watch fora financial hiccup on the 25th. Best daysare 26th and 27th, use these to maximumbenefit.Scorpio: Keep out of other people’stroubles as much as possible this month.Irritations you have no power over canemerge with renewed strength midmonthso be prepared with a routine ofrelaxation and time out. After the 31stthings get more focus and direction again.Sagittarius: March 21st see a focus onyour love and relationship house, puttingthe spring back into step. Much joy can beyours then. New creative projects are alsofavoured. You will need to clarify yourpriorities this month so get a list goingand see what is of value in your life.Capricorn: Work is a positive focusthis month, but things will not move asquickly as you would like them…don’tpush, Mercury is the problem and no-onecan do anything about it! The 19th caneasily be a day of mistakes so take extracare and double check everything!Aquarius; Money matters will need someattention and creating a new budgetmay be necessary. Be realistic and don’tlet unrealistic dreams cause to becomedisappointed! Your health could do witha re-boost as well, set up an exercise planand stick to it, keep the diet healthy!Pisces: Partnerships can experience abrief testing period this month. Don’tover react and keep smiling! Strange littledelays and a general feeling of muddleheadednesscharacterise March for youguys. Try to avoid any major decisions orprojects if you can. The Full Moon is yourbest day!Email Bev: insightbevmurray@yahoo.comby the AmbulantObserver and Co.Barkers Vale residentKoa is a gentle soulwith a wealth ofknowledge about treadinglightly on the earth. A bushtucker David Attenborough,Koa has released a DVD,and more are to come.The 50-minutedocumentary, “WalkingSoftly with Koa,” containsvital information on howand what to eat to surviveand thrive in the Australianbush. He describes in detailten readily available plants,showing how to harvest andprepare edible portions,and demonstrating that itis possible to have a highquality of life while livingentirely off the bush.Among the plants chosenthere are many natives,such as cordyline, bangalowpalm, bullrush, lemandraand several ferns – allfiddleheads are edible buthave a build-up of toxins.Some confusion may arisewith the use of commonIf you fancy dressing up as apirate to fight climate change,the thought of a beer volcanoawaiting you in the afterlifeor just want to use ‘religiousreasons’ for failing to be ableto work on Fridays then youmight want to check outthe Church of the FlyingSpaghetti Monster at www.venganza.org.Brainchild of US pranksterBobby Henderson’s ildemind, the argument goesthat the Flying SpaghettiMonster is actually creator ofthe universe, and has equalvalidity to Intelligent Designtheory and should be taughtin schools too if ID is.He also cites the inverserelationship between thelevels of global warming andthe number of pirates asevidence of his FSM theory.Bobby’s website hasattracted an internationalfollowing of people allembracing Pastafarianisminto their lives – and dressinglike pirates.Developing Self awareness, self confidence,concentration, memory and motor skillsThursdays 4:30 - 5:30pm @ Birth and BeyondAdults – stretch and relax – Thurs 10amContact Angel 0429 057783Walking Softly on DVDImage by Mark Jagonames, in the case ofblackwattle sap, which somemay call sallywattle, and theground cover dichondrialooks like centella (nativegotucola), but the visionmakes the plants readilyidentifiable, by whatevername.Imported weeds get alook-in too. Both farmersfriend and wanderingjew (commelina) haveedible uses. In the sceneamongst the blue-floweredcommelina, there was alsothe horror green cestrumvisible in the shot, whichwent unremarked.While the cameraworkand editing throughout isunsophisticated but effective,the sound levels on thepreview copy varied wildlyfrom scene to scene, callingfor adroit responses on theremote control. Otherwisethe production by MarkJago was well organised andactualised, and though alittle long-winded, a veryuseful resource with aremote.On the way from plantto plant, we get to knowa bit about Koa and whyhe has been following thepath of a simpler existence.“The industrial age is notsustainable,” he says. It iswell-meaning and heart-felt.He comes across endearingly,as a personable and wisegentleman, committed to thevalue of knowing throughexperience, and sharing hisknowing.Another four programs arein preparation, the first ofwhich will feature weavingand rope-making from localsources. The DVD can beordered from Mark Jago on6633 7339.Pirates vs climate changePage 14 The Nimbin GoodTimesMarch 2006www.nimbingoodtimes.com

Birth and Beyond is on again!With the arrival in Stony Chute ofexperienced midwifery practitioner andrelationship counsellor Monika Boenigk,Birth and Beyond would like to open itsdoors again to the many childbearingwomen and couples in the Nimbin Valley.You are invited to a get-together to discussyour needs and interests and to find outwhat Monika has planned. Birth andBeyond is situated in the lovely group-roomat the rear of the Apothecary in CullenStreet, Nimbin.We will be there to meet you on Tuesday,March 21, from 10-12 am.This is also going to be the new regularweekly ante/postnatal drop-in morning.Mark it in your diary, as lots of importanttopics and issues are going to be discussed.You can phone Monika on 6689 7490 forfurther info.Chronic pain relief at handBy Tonia TheoharrisTonia Theoharris has beenworking on people for thepast seven years. She hashelped numerous peoplefrom many varied ailments,ranging from chronic toacute, migraines, sportsinjuries, stress and tension.She has qualificationsin Muscle CorrectionTherapy, Bowen Therapy,Acupuncture and herbs canhelp with range of ailmentstreats including arthritis,infertility, insomnia,impotence, sinusitis, sciatica,menopause and anxiety.A Chinese medicinepractitioner may usedifferent formulas to treatdifferent body parts forthe same disease. “This isthe best part of Chinesemedicine,” says practitionerGeorge Pan. “Throughanalysis of the symptoms,we can often find the realcauses of the problems suchas wind, heat in the lungs orgall bladder heat. Becausethe causes are different,different acupoints andherbal formulas are selectedfor the best results.”Mr Pan believes ChineseMedicine may help toKinesiology, Iridology andPranic Healing.Tonia’s treatmentsare more specific to back,neck, shoulder, hip andsciatic pain. Unlike someother techniques, there isno spinal manipulation(backcracking) involved.The first treatment involves:a preliminary analysisof the body followed byintensive and specificsolve skin problems, andhas developed the ChineseMedicine Skin Special(CMSS) program. “Theprogram has summarised theexperience of many famousChinese skin specialists andfamily-owned prescriptions,”he said.“Many people haverecovered or have improvedgreatly on this program, eventhose with difficult problemslike psoriasis.”Mr Pan said research hadfound a Chinese herbalcompound, known as PC-SPES, could help in thetreatment of prostate cancer.The compound containsmany common herbs usedwidely in the field: daqingye,gancao, sanqi, reishi,mushroom, baikai, skullcap,chrysanthemum, rabdosiabodywork, targetingthe areas of concern.Depending on how longthe problem has been withsomeone will indicatehow many sessions will beneeded.Tonia is available onFridays at the NimbinApothecary (Ph: 66891529) or call Tonia directlyon her mobile 0411 811140.Access ancient remediesrubescens and saw palmetto.“How they togetherwork such wonders is stilla mystery for Westernmedicine for many years tocome,” said Mr Pan. “For theChinese however, thousandsof similar formulas have beenwidely used for centuries.”George Pan is a member ofthe Australian Acupunctureand Chinese MedicineAssociation. He will beavailable at 8 Cecil StreetNimbin(besides NimbinHospital) every secondSunday on12th , 26thFebruary ,12th March and26th March 2006.Treatments are coveredby most private healthinsurance funds. Forappointments contact0413-424-148 (Mon-Sat),0416-007-378(Sun).Dangerous climate changeBy Sue Stock“Avoiding DangerousClimate Change” waslaunched last monthby Tony Blair. It is areport which concludesthat there was strongevidence that climatechange due to humanemissions of greenhousegases was alreadyoccurring and thatfuture emissions ofgreenhouse gases werelikely to raise globaltemperatures by between1.4 and 5.80C during thiscentury, with a wide range ofimpacts on the natural worldand human society.Most significantly, thereport states that delayingaction would require greateraction later for the sametemperature target and thateven a delay of 5 years couldbe significant. If action toreduce emissions is delayedby 20 years, rates of emissionreduction may need to be 3to 7 times greater to meetthe same temperature target!Here are some of themain points in the report.Interested readers can findthe full report at www.stabilisation2005.com.Major consequences ofrising temperaturesThermal expansion ofwater is already believedto be raising sea levels byaround 1.8cm per decade;but the extent of that risewould be considerablygreater if the Earth’s majorice sheets, in Greenland andAntarctica, were to melt.As the Arctic is warmingfaster than the planetaryaverage, a local warming of2.7C may equate to a globalwarming of only about 1.5C,which some climate scientistsbelieve is certainly going tohappen whatever policies arenow set in train. It has longbeen suspected that meltingice in the Arctic region couldtrigger collapse of the GulfStream, the ocean currentwhich brings warm waterfrom the Caribbean toEuropean shores.The majority of Antarcticice is in the east of thecontinent and appearssecure; it may even thicken.The west Antarctic sheet,often described in previousassessments as a “slumberinggiant”, is another matter.Much of it rests on rockwhich is below sea level, andrecent research suggeststhat a warming sea may bestarting to melt the ice frombelow..Impact on humans andnatureImpacts will changeaccording to the extentof temperature rise.Researchers said “Above aone degree Celsius increase,risks increase significantly,often rapidly for vulnerableecosystems and species,”A rise of 2C, the reportsuggests, will be enough tocause:* decreasing crop yields inthe developing and developedworld* tripling of poor harvestsin Europe and Russia* large-scale displacementof people in north Africafrom desertification* up to 2.8 billion people atrisk of water shortage* 97% loss of coral reefs* total loss of summerArctic sea ice causingextinction of polar bear andwalrus* spread of malaria inAfrica and north AmericaCan it be done? And howmuch will it cost?Technologies do exist, thefinal section of the reportconcludes, which can changethis picture. Renewables,energy efficiency, ”clean coal”are all options whichcan maintain energysupplies and fueleconomic growthwhile loweringemissions.“The biggestproblem doesnot seem to bethe technologiesor the costs, butovercoming themany political, socialand behaviouralbarriers” concludeBert Metz andDetlef van Vuuren of theNetherlands EnvironmentalAssessment Agency.“There is a multitude ofpotential obstacles, rangingfrom lack of awareness,vested interests, prices notreflecting environmentalimpacts, and cultural andbehavioural barriers. “So in Australia, whatare our State and Federalgovernments respectively,doing about this? When willthey act? They continue tobuild more freeways, closerailways, reduce subsidies forsolar and other renewables..the list goes on.While I don’t have childrenmyself, I feel that we owethe children and futuregenerations the opportunityto enjoy the same richnessand bounty of this Earththat we have inherited.It is the responsibility ofthose of us who live todayto do whatever we can togive future generations thisopportunity.To hear more, TheNimbin Greens andNimbin EnvironmentCentre are hosting adiscussion “Averting aGlobal Catastrophe” withDr John Kaye. It will be heldat Djanbung Gardens onThursday 16th March from6pm to 9pm. He will bediscussing positive solutionsthat can create a sustainablejobs-rich future and thepolitics of transformingAustralia to a world leader inclimate friendly technologies.There’ll be delicious foodprovided by Robyn Francisand music by Sisters in Loreand Paul Joseph and others.Gold coin donation.Nimbin OrganicsHigh quality organic greengrocerBulk foods, seeds,organic pies & cakesjuices, A2 milk rangeQuark cheesecakeMuscle Correction TherapyKinesiology and Bowen Therapy7 Years Experience – Tania TheoharrisNimbin Apothecary Fridays 6689-1529Also Byron Bay 0411-811-140Health Rebates Availablewww.nimbingoodtimes.com March 2006 The Nimbin GoodTimes Page 15

Felicity’s first loveThis young woman’s nameis Felicity Burdett and herband is ‘The Love Bus’. Theywon both ‘Album of theYear’ and ‘New RecordingTalent’ awards at this year’sDolphins with their debutalbum, ‘Going with theFlow,’ and they’re comingto Nimbin in March.Singer-guitarist Felicitylives at Lennox Head andin between gigging andlooking after her twodaughters, Sky (4) andKayla (2), she likes to gosurfing at the point.She said, “I like to writepositive music and peopleseem to like it. HopefullyI can inspire peopleto appreciate life’ssimple gifts andappreciate nature’swonders. I havebeen doing a bit ofmotivational speakingon this subject atwomen’s luncheons.”“Since winningthe awards, peopleare taking morenotice of us and weare gaining momentumas an emerging band.We have nationwidedistribution throughMGM and the albumis selling well. We aregigging constantly aroundthe North Coast and planto tour the East Coast midyear and also hope to play anumber of festivals. We arereceiving airplay on TripleLismore Jazz – it’s on againIt’s the start of a fantasticyear for the Lismore JazzClub after the success ofthe recent Jazz Convention.Live jazz, cool drinks,party-time - gotta love thiscity.Lismore Jazz Club isplanning lots of jazz eventsand variety this year.Visiting bands, jazz cruises,a restaurant night or two.Good time jazz for goodtimes. So see you at theCity Bowlos, (next doorto the memorial Pool) 3rdSunday of the month, 2pm-Photo: Alicia ArmstrongJ, ABC Radio andCommunity Radio Australiawide,” she said.They have just been addedto the East Coast Blues &Roots festival line-up.As well as Felicity theband consists of: on drums,5pm. Members $5, visitors$8, lotsa good raffle prizes.Gotta be there.the humantime machine,Rohan Hems,the best femalelead guitaristin the universe,Julz Parker,brother of Julzand fretlessbass guru,Joe Parker,and on keysthe multitalentedJohnL Fisher.The LoveBus are playing at theNimbin Pub on Sunday19th March, supportedby fellow local blues/rootsartist ‘Marshall’. It’s a greatopportunity to hear the newalbum in its live form.For further informationof events call Michael Bird6622 5912 business hours.DubClubWayne of the One4one reggae band is involved in setting up the Dub Club.The Nimbin Dub Club is starting up, next to the Oasis cafe. It’s not fully worked out yet, butthe idea is for a community-based space for musicians at the commercially-zoned property.Open for members and guests only, the club can provide a jam space for friends, and adrumming circle after the Nimbin market. Committed to being family-friendly, a kidsprogram is also envisioned.Stay tuned for a forthcoming publicity blitz.Who’s on at the Blue Moon?This next BIG Blue Moon Cabaret features Hirsuites..and the dance band ‘Roll Likesingers Willy McElroy, Vasudha and Ariel & That’ featuring singer Carola Christian....Darmin; poets Michael Johnson, Christine Dinner from Motdang Thai, and the showStrelan & David Hallett; dance with Byron is licensed with some fine wines, bubble andTango and Carla & Shanti; stand up comics the soft stuff...Robert Grayson, Ellen Briggs, Kimberley It’s on at the Nimbin School of Arts onDavenport and Jenny Wynter; grand pianist Saturday 25th March and just about sold outHarry Freeman; ukelele maestro Azo Bell; (but it’s always good to spread the news tosome comic-impro-mayhem from The whet peoples’ taste for the next one).Don’t be so shyHannah Pearl continues tolaunch her debut CD witha live gig at the NimbinHotel on Thursday 9thMarch. Don’t miss thisopportunity to experiencea live performanceof her quirky directcompositions. This ladyrocks....without the headachesGyprock walls and ceilingsNew work or renovationsPhone 0427-891626Trades Lic. No. 100169cPage 16 The Nimbin GoodTimesMarch 2006www.nimbingoodtimes.com

Treading the boardsGet your barefoot toes tapping!A Barefoot FundraisingDance will be held at BlueKnob Hall Gallery onSaturday 11th March from8pm-midnight, with musicby Doug Kelly, MandyBreeze and Black Train.The Blue KnobCommunity Hall has, inthe past, been the venue formany vibrant dances fromthe 1930s through to the1980s, and this coming eventprovides a nostalgic occasionfor local residents, art fans,and the general public alike,to dance here once again inthe building’s ‘re-incarnation’as Blue Knob Hall Gallery.A night of fabuloushandcrafted contemporarytraditionalfolk music islined up for Saturday 11thMarch from 8pm. MandyBreeze and Doug Kellywill be playing beautifulballads, lively tunes andhaunting medieval dirges,performed sensitively andpassionately on instrumentschosen from Irish Bouzouki,French pipes, banjo, guitar,mandolin, dulcimer,keyboard and bodhran.Add Mandy’s clear, bell likevocals to the action and theenchantment soars.Irish CoffeeThis famous drink, suitable for St Paddy’sDay, 17th March, was invented in 1953 at thebar at Shannon Airport in Western Ireland.Modern urban legend has it that a barman,coming to work on St Patrick’s day after afew drinks, poured a nip of Irish whisky intohis coffee to help his hangover. Liking thedrop, he tried it out on his customers, withBlack Train will be playing1920s and 1930s hillbillymusic – such as that ofWoody Guthrie, StanleyBrothers and Carter family.Plenty of good-time old-timedance music that will getyour barefoot toes tapping!Admission is $10, undersixteens $5. Supper available.Tickets can be purchasedin advance at the NimbinArtists’ Gallery and at thedoor on the night.Dancing Moonfestival cancelledOn this occasion Jon Squire’splans for a weekend festivalat Sphinx Rock Café on 11thMarch didn’t happen. “Afterthe initial disappointmentI have now accepted it andletting the dust settle until....next time,” he said.However the promotion ofLive Local Acts continuesto thrive on Sundays, witha line up not to be missedin honour of the planners/organisers of the fair, onSunday 12th March.Closed forRenovationsThe Blue Knob Hall Gallerywill be closed during themonth of March for somelong- awaited renovationsand improvements to theexhibition space and stage.We will install extra picturerails, paint the walls, sandand treat the stage floor,amongst other jobs. Thiswill all be completed in timefor the opening of the nextexhibition ‘Through theGlass Darkly’ exploring thechanging meaning of images,which will officially open onFriday 21st April.These openings are fastbecoming a must-cometoevent, so that bookingsare essential for cateringpurposes. They feature localmusicians as well as a talkby a ‘local treasure,’ haveproved to be a great way toentertain and inform thepublic about the talentedand diverse range of artsculture in the region, aswell as to raise funds for theongoing projects, which arecontinuing to be developedfor the Gallery and grounds.Blue Knob Hall Gallery isat 719 Blue Knob Road, nearthe corner of Lillian RockRoad, Phone 6689-7449 forfurther enquiries.Picture: barefoot_dancesuccess, and the success kept on succeeding.To make a good Irish coffee, pour a goodnip of Irish whisky into a cup of qualitypercolated or drip-filtered coffee. Adda teaspoon of brown sugar to taste, andtop with a frothy head of cream that hasbeen whipped to a firm but not butteryconsistency. Enjoy while you drown theshamrock!Nimbin Players are openingtheir dramatic account for2006 with an ambitiousrendering of HannieRayson’s insightful portraitof the contemporaryAustralian family, “HotelSorrento.”Three very different sistersreflect on the choices theyhave made in life, theircontrasting values at timesineptly exaggerated by theirmenfolk, and juxtaposedwith those of the old timersof the sleepy hollow of theirBlue KnobBy Alan LloydFirst performed Nimbin May 2004, revisedFebruary 2006.They opened up an Art Space at Blue Knob,A café with pictures on the wall,And pots and sculptures on the ground,For folk to gather round, in the Blue Knobcommunity hall.They tidied up the place and straightenedout the road,So’s travellers wouldn’t miss it as they pass.They planted shrubs and bushes and withlawns neatly mowed,The Blue Knob Art Space was ready at last.birth, and of their progeny,the next generation.This multi-stageproduction is well intorehearsals for its premiereon 31st March, with directorDeborah Wild well incontrol of the demands ofthe script: “It needs the fouracting areas as it has over 70scenes, some of them only aminute long.”Ms Wild has a number ofdirectorial credits for theNimbin Players, her mostrecent being the one-actThey could have had a gallery with setteesset in rows,But the doyens of the art world wantedmore.They needed space to sculpt and paint, havetheir culture shows.A space where highborn art could really soar.Art Space…yeah, it’s got a certain style.Like Loovre and Musee Longerie in France.With names like that, you’d go the extramile.But you wouldn’t chuck Blue Knob Gal’ry asecond glance.“Morning Coffee” performedat the Bowling Club. Forthis wordy full-lengthplay, Deborah is elicitingconvincing, naturalisticperformances from the castof seven, with tight, film-cutscene transitions. “It’s such agood play,” she said.“Hotel Sorrento” is alsoscheduled for a Norpadirectedseason later in theyear, so for acolytes anddevotees of Hannie Raysonalike, there’s a feast afoot.You’d surely pass it by… well, it is miles outof town,On the scenic road to Murwoolumbaa,In the awesome shadow of the Blue Knobmound,The tallest hill around these parts by far.The Art Space opening was an auspiciousday.There were important people from allaround the world.From Nimbin and Uki and even Byron Bay.All mingling knowingly and sippingshardennay.Famous artists from far and wide struttedout their stuff,Commenting sagely on the wondrousdisplay.There were portraits of women… stretchedout in the buff,And feathers and twigs, arranged in an artyway.There were carvings in wood and countryscenes,With trees eighty feet tall.And pictures of derelict buildings.And views of nothing at all.Now patrons sip their lattes and makeknowing sounds,As they discuss the pictures on the wall,Images displayed in superior surrounds,In the Art Space at the Blue KnobCommunity Hall March Sunday gigs5th Luke Vasella, 12thLight Activation19th Virginia Flame, 26th Katrina & AnahataApril - Two Colour Mountain, Katrina Leck,Toshimi, Lisa Yeates, Andrea Soler...3220 Kyogle Road, Mt Burrell Phone 6679 7118www.nimbingoodtimes.com March 2006 The Nimbin GoodTimes Page 17

And you think plasticshopping bags are bad?by David McMinnPlanned obsolescence isone of those euphemismsused in economics tomask nefarious practices.Wikipedia describes it asthe ‘conscious design toproduce a consumer productthat will become obsoleteand/or non functional in adefined time frame’. Inferiorproducts are manufacturedthat could have been madeto last a lot longer for a littleextra cost. Companies designtheir products to fail quickly,which generates more salesand boosts their profits.Consumers continuously payout for products that theydo not need, while scarceresources are depleted andthe environment is afflictedwith rising mountains ofwaste. Big business regardsplanned obsolescence as goodmarketing, but big business isnot renowned for its ethicalpractices or environmentalconcern. I dread the one-yearwarranty, with the forebodingthat my shiny, new consumeritem will break down in oneyear and one day.The door would not closeproperly on our 22-yearold fridge, so we got in arepair man who fixed itwith some cheap washers.He commented on the poordesign of modern fridges -the door on one well-known,expensive brand would failafter only a few years and needto be replaced. He advised tous to keep our old fridge for aslong as possible and to avoid‘the new crap’.My friend’s gas stove brokedown and had to be replacedafter only 12 years usage,which is considered to be thestandard lifespan of a modernstove. Our older and bettermadeelectric stove is stillgoing well after 30 years.My computer is almostantique but it does everythingI want it to – email, internetand word processing. Myonly complaint is that itis a little slow, but I canlive with that. Every nowand then I think of gettingsomething new, but thelonger I wait the cheaper andfaster the new machines willbe. E-waste generates hugequantities of heavy metalsand PCBs (polychlorinatedbiphenyls) and is becominga major environmental issueworldwide.Have you noticed that farmand garden tools are oftenpainted green or are a dullbrown or black? They aremuch more likely to be lostin the garden or around thefarm, forcing you to buy newequipment more regularly.We took to painting our toolsa bright pink so they can beeasily seen. My Braun electrictoothbrush is designed sothat you cannot replace thebattery - trying to do so willdestroy the appliance. Oncethe battery will no longerrecharge, you have to get anew toothbrush.We used to buy bucketsmade from flexible plasticthat would last for a goodyear. Around 1988, themanufacturers changed tousing brittle plastic. Now thebuckets shatter very quicklyand need to be replaced everyfew months. We looked atgetting stainless steel bucketsbut they were prohibitivelyexpensive. However, in thelong run they may prove to becheaper, rather than payingout all the time for new plasticbuckets.Planned obsolescence hasbeen around since the 1920’sand became widespreadby the 1950’s. Even so,governments worldwidehave done little to solve thecrisis. To my knowledge,no government has bannedthis practice or legislated toreduce the rapid turnover inconsumer products. Plannedobsolescence is one of themost consistent features ofmodern capitalism. However,unless there are profoundchanges in our economicstructures, the environmentalfuture of our planet is veryRural, Commercialand DomesticInstallationsbleak.The NSW Government isclamping down on the use ofplastic shopping bags, yet themassive waste arising fromplanned obsolescence is justignored. It is like somethingout of the BBC sitcom YesMinister. Get the peoplefeeling as though they areactually doing something forthe environment by cuttingdown on using shopping bags.Meanwhile much bigger issuesare avoided, because they aremore difficult and may offendbusiness leaders.At the very least,governments should legallyrequire that items be markedwith its design life andwarranties be extended forseveral years instead of thecurrent one or two. Ideallyevery product should be madeto last as long as practicable.Many people do not mindusing old products providedthey continue to functionwell. One friend’s parentsused the same toaster for 50years - it was given to themas a wedding present. Somegay friends had a 1930’scylindrical fridge, which theyproudly featured in theirkitchen. A farmer next door tous at Blue Knob is still using a1950’s Ferguson tractor.The current concern overplastic shopping bags ismisplaced. Yes they arewaste generators, but ourwhole economic systemneeds to be reformed toreduce waste dramatically.Planned obsolescence is anenvironmental obscenityand a consumer rip-off. Evenso, it is the basis of businessprofitability - to maintaincontinuous expansion insales of things that people donot really need. The issue isnever discussed in the massmedia, probably because thecompanies selling the dudproducts also pay for theadvertising. Absurdly, we theAustralian consumers arepaying out huge subsidiesto the profitability ofmanufacturers in China.Technological ImperialismTECHNOFREAK – SPEAK!by Rob HarleAfew years ago I washaving a discussionwith a “learned” friendabout what I regarded asthe insidious imperialism ofcertain aspects of computertechnology, especiallythe Internet. Hedismissed my ideas asnonsense.I recently came acrossan article that not onlysupported my argumentbut showed that theproblem is far worsethan I ever imagined.Imperialism can beunderstood as onenation extending theirbelief systems, politicsor technology overanother nation either byforce or coercion. Virtuallyevery nation has committedthis “crime” at one time oranother throughout history- The British in Australia, theSpanish in South America, theChinese in Tibet. The moreovert styles of imperialism,like aggressive occupationor missionaries are obvious.Technology and languageinvasions are not nearly soclear.Computer technology wasinvented and developed inEnglish speaking Westerncountries, particularly theUSA. This means the Internetand all its behind-the-scenestechnology has English asits “mother tongue”. Surethere are web sites in all sortsof languages but the basisof the net is English. Thisforces non-English speakingcountries to be at least bilingual,with English as theirsecond language. Many ofthese country’s web siteshave automatic translationinto English. How many sitesfrom the USA have automatictranslation into otherlanguages? Very few!The outcome of this isthat the Western (English)“mindset”, is subtly andinsidiously injected into theseother nations. Scientistsand academics are literallyforced to publish their workin English, as well as theirown language, if they want itto be read by the majority ofother scientists within theirdiscipline. This was true ina limited extent prior to thebirth of the InformationAge but the Internet is nowmaking English the globallanguage and with thatlanguage comes a plethoraof baggage which may notnecessarily be desirable.This was the gist of myoriginal argument, whatI didn’t realise at the timewas just how much Englishis embedded in computertechnology at a fundamentallevel. To illustrate the point,when a Chinese speaking/writing person enters datavia a keyboard, this mustfirst be decoded into Englishalphabetical characters(because these are embeddedin the hardware) thenencoded to present a Chinesecharacter. As an examplethe Chinese character formiddle looks like the belowdiagram (a rectangle with astroke through the middle)but the computer sees thisas “&#x4e2D”. There is nospace here to go furtherinto the technical details. However, the two mostimportant aspects of thisEnglish “imperialism” arefirstly; many millions ofChinese are forgetting howto write their own (highlycomplex) language because ofthe ubiquity of the computerand secondly, much of thesoftware used in China isWestern designed software.Tools and technology arenot culturally neutral objects,they embed the culturaluniqueness of their designers.This Chinese dilemma washighlighted by Zimmermannin his wonderful article inLeonardo Music Journal (no.15). He specifically discussesthe audio editing software suite“Max/MSP” and shows howthis English-designed programaffects the workof Chinesemusicians.Modifying andat times seriouslycompromisingwhat they wouldproduce hadtheir computersand softwarebeen designedfrom thebottom-up inChinese.Actually thisis the only way this problemcan be rectified – completelyredesign computer systemsfrom the “chip-up” in Chinese.This is not going to happen ofcourse, so English languageand technology is slowly andinsidiously reducing culturaldiversity, just like reducing thebiological gene pool reducesbiological diversity.Whilst human beingsare all similar regardless ofrace, gender, language andphilosophy of life, it is thecultural uniqueness and waysof looking at life which make(made?) the world such aninteresting and exciting place.Language is one of themost important factorsunderpinning this diversity.If English continues its subtlespread, we will probably allend up an incestuous bunchof cretins, controlled by ourEnglish-Western designedrobots, who will insist we eatonly hamburgers. Page 18 The Nimbin GoodTimesMarch 2006www.nimbingoodtimes.com

Russell CrowThe young rooster at the Oasis café has astory. Of course.He just appeared - he chose to come andlive there – about three months ago. Hemostly hangs around out the back, but likesbeing around men, and they talk to him.Some say he embodies the spirit of one ofour departed.Russell has been having something of anidentity crisis since he lost his tail-feathersin a dog attack a month ago. It left him witha badly lacerated leg and soft tissue damageto his bum, as well as some psychologicaldamage.Winning competition entry: “Looks likeLet’s go fishingby PixieAfter three cancellationsfrom big seas and strongwinds, six members and fourguests of the Nimbin HeadsFishing Team finally had atrip out to sea on the lastSunday of February.In the morning, it appearedthe sea gods were in ourfavour with a 0.5 metre swelland a 5 knot breeze, so Mick,Mark, Pix, Che, Laurie andShauny with guests Johnand Wayne from Lismoreand Mick and Bevan fromCasino were off to sea for 10hours.Once out to sea, we foundthat there was a strongundercurrent flowing south,and at most good fishingspots, even with a 1lb sinker,we could not reach thebottom with our baits.We fished a shallow reefin close, where the currentwasn’t as strong, picking upsome pearl perch and somesnapper.By now, Che had startedburleying, which he kept upfor the next four hours, andwe were starting to get a lotof undersize fish. So, as wedid all day, we moved fromreef to reef, to find a placewhere the current wasn’ttoo strong. We found a reefprotected by an island andpulled in some nice goldenfusiliers and silver trevally.By the middle of the daythe swell had picked up toabout 1.5 metres and Chewas still burleying. Thecaptain decided to come backin close on another inner reefto chase some more pearlperch and snapper, and toput some live baits on somefloating balloons to see if wecould pick up some Spanishmackerel.On this reef, Waynehooked on to a big fish thatpeeled off line, headingnorth. After about 45minutes, with the fish stillwinning and about 300metres of line gone from thespool, and Wayne knowingabout arm and shoulderpain, it was decided that thefish wasn’t coming back tothe boat at all. Our day wasnearly over, it was time tocut the line and talk aboutI’d fit in here” suggested by Dave Fawkner,who wins dinner for one at the Bowling Club(he didn’t get round to writing it down).Big Red. Only 10 weeks to go to the Nimbin Heads FishingTeam annual trek to Fraser Island Fishing Expo for some realquality fishing – so who’s counting? Pictured is the remains of aquality snapper caught off Fraser Island during last year’s FishingExpo, also called Shark Bait.what it might have been.At the same time on theother side of the boat, Lauriewas on to a big fish andpulled up a big fat 1 metrelong wobbegong shark,which we also cut off and letswim back to the deep.Heading back to land, aswe got near the bar entry,the swell had picked up toabout 3 metres. On low tide,with not much water underthe boat, it was anything butnice. We all put on our lifevestsand left the bar entry toour capable captain.In the end, we had caught39 fish for the table andeveryone apart from Che hadhad a good day at sea.Nimbin Bushwalkers ClubMarch ProgramSaturday 11th MarchGoanna Headland EvansHeadLeader Michael Smith 668992912.5 hours Grade 4: noshade, coastal walk withsea-caves & legends.Meet at: 10 am Nimbincar park for car-pooling;10.20 Goolmangar store forleader; 11.00 CoastguardBase, Ocean Drive, EvansHead.Bring swimmers, food forbeach picnic &water.Tuesday 14th MarchPholi’s Gap Mt NardiLeaders Len and KayMartin, 6689 02541.5 hours Grade 2: shadedwalk down well-definedtrack through rain- and wetsclerophyll- forest, returningup old forestry road.Meet at: 10 am Nimbin carpark; or 10.15 Mt Nardi .Bring food and waterSunday 26th MarchBrindle Creek Walk,Border Ranges NationalPark.Leader Michael Smith 668992912 hours Grade 3: superbdownhill rainforest walkon good track; 2 waterfallswith swimming. Parkentrance fee per vehicle, soworth vehicle pooling.Meet at: 10 am Nimbin carpark; 11 am Antarctic BeechTerra Australia: Whither Goest Thou?Ding, dong, dell,Australia’s in the well.Who put her in?Johnny-Come-Lately. With a grin.There was a crooked man,And he walked a crooked mile.He headed a crooked party,Which ruled with a crooked style.He wore a crooked hat- made nim look like a crooked dill –While he crookedly bent his countryTo his crooked iron will.Johnny-Come-Lately could eat no fat,His party could eat no lean,And so between them both, you see,They licked the platter clean.Sing a song of deviance,To the tune of “Do-As-We-Say”With words of meek subservienceTo the good ol’ U. S. of A.Hey diddle diddleThe treasurer can fiddle.He fattens the greedyAnd to hell with the needy.car park, Border RangesNational Park. NB. Becausewe are walking one-way, wewill need to organise a carshuffle when we arrive.Bring food and water – andswimmers?Immigration minister, quite contrary,How does your garden grow?With warning bells and explosive shellsAnd armed guards all in a row.The banker’s in the counting-houseCounting out our wealth.He uses it to fund new warsWith rigour and with stealth.Here’s Johnny-Come-LatelySowing non-union cornSo the rich and the cocksureCan crow in the mornTo wke up their workersAll shaven and shornWith their wives and their childrenAll tattered and torn.Leon G. Thoms 13-2-2006PiXiE the BUiLDERGrant Holding Lic No. 30119 Phone 6689 1728Come and enjoy!Asian StarRestaurantopen 6 dayswww.nimbingoodtimes.com March 2006 The Nimbin GoodTimes Page 19

Let’s Get PhysicalSuper 8s CricketGala Day & HeadersFundraiserEveryone (aged from 7 tolate 60s) enjoyed a greatday’s entertainment onSunday 26th February.A few “superstars in themaking” revealed themselvesto an appreciative crowd.And a few superstars of thepast revelled in the chance torelive their hey-day despitebad backs, stiff knees &failing eyesight.“Sledging” made a bigcomeback, particularly fromthe crowd sitting under coverwith drink in hand. TobyFletcher, the Cricket NSWumpire from Casino, kept usall in check, and his friendlyadvice was welcome. LynLarson (former AustralianWomen’s Cricket Captain)commented on the happy“vibe”. Everyone wantedtheir photo taken with LynLarson.And everyone wasimpressed with Elspeth’spainted mascots for the fourteams. They were a winner.Thanks Elspeth. The LuckyDraw winner was KevinAtkinson from TuntableFalls Co-op.So now they want to doit all again! A re-match isbeing planned for sometimein April. Toby Fletcher wasa big hit, and is keen to comeback and perhaps bring ateam from Casino, and wordof mouth is positive.Keep your eyes on theGoodTimes and the PhysicalActivities Noticeboard forfurther news.Thanks to BrettRankin (Cricket NSW),Lyn Larson, umpireToby Fletcher, NimbinEmporium, Oasis Café,Nimbin Hairdressers,Nimbin Motors, Vegedibles,Motdang Thai, NimbinCandles, NimbinNewsagency, Nimbin Pizza& Trattoria, Elspeth Jones,Andy Kindermann andthe Headers for the workthey put into preparing thegrounds.GymnasticsPrimary School Gymnasticswith Genevieve Daviesstarts at Nimbin CentralSchool on Friday 17thMarch at 2pm. Cost is$2.50 per child. This is agreat way to introduce yourchild to the sport. For moreinformation contact theschool.First AidCongratulations to all thosepeople who completed theirSenior First Aid Certificatesuccessfully on 25thFebruary.BasketballFriday Night Basketballcontinues at Nimbin CentralSchool MPU on 3rd, 17thand 31st March, 6-8pm.Cost $2 per session. Allwelcome. If there is enoughinterest why don’t we form abasketball club? It is a greatspace & should be usedby the community more.Come down & give me somefeedback on the idea.ElasticsThanks once again to ourvolunteers for the NimbinCentral School programme,Lindy Bentley, SusanneMarcot, Andrea Mutschalland Terry Williamson. Itwas a great feat to rememberthe sequence but we did it!Congratulations all.Dance Week May 8- 14This is a call for all thosepeople preparing to performat the Nimbin Concertof Dances on 19th and20th May. Would you liketo be part of an outdoorperformance in Nimbinto promote Dance Week?There is also a possibility oftaking these performancesto Casino & Lismore duringDance Week. If you wouldlike to be involved pleasemeet at the Dance Studio,NCC, 10am Saturday 18thMarch.Nimbin Garden ClubWhat a wonderful way toexercise and be creative at thesame time! For all those keengardeners, the Nimbin GardenClub meets every 3rd Saturdayof the month at 2pm. ContactPresident Lindy Bentley on66891217, Secretary GilSchilling on 66890581 orlook at the Physical ActivitiesNoticeboard on the side of theNimbin Butcher Shop wall formore details.Sports EducationCalendarIntroduction to SportsMassage 6-9pm 16th & 23rdMarch at SCU. Cost $69.Speed & Agility (Field Sports)7-9pm March 21. Cost $25.Fatigue & Recovery 7-9pm27th March . Cost $25.Level 1 Elasto Strap & WrapSmart 6-9pm 29th March atSCU. Cost $62.Level 2 Elasto Strap & WrapSmart 6-9pm 5th April atSCU. Cost $62.Advanced Sports Massage 6-9pm 30th March & 6th Aprilat SCU. Cost $69.For more information callDepartment of Sport & Recon 66877168.Local practitionersCreative Dance for Fun &Flexibility (Belly Dance &Tribal)Thursdays 9-10.30am throughthe Nimbin Open LearningCentre.Children’s Fridays 3.30-4.30pm in the Dance Studio,Nimbin Community Centre$5. Contact Deb Turner:66891097 or 0427184241.Kung FuStarts 12th March withJish Dowsett. For moreinformation ring 66891204.Physical Activities Officer SueBoardman can be contactedon 6688-1454 (Tues only),6689-1731 at other times orsueb@nrahs.nsw.gov.auA carnival of bowlersIn fine form. Di Mancell shows how it’s done (left), a tense momentfor Wazza Nugent and one of the Kevins (right).The February Carnival is anannual event that has been anestablished Nimbin traditionfor over 40 years. Time haswrought some changes, though.It started as a three-day carnival,and was held in June, untilit interfered with pennantscompetitions.There was a good roll-upfor the weekend roll-up, withseven rinks full of men’s tripleson Saturday and again withmixed triples on the Sunday.There were excellent displays ofbowling everywhere across thegreen.The men’s triples was atight competition, with theNRDBA team – the threeKevins – coming out winners.Congratulations messrsSoward, Lock and Bulmer.In the mixed triples, firstplace was taken out by theCasino team, Val Neve,Noeline Hawkes and PeterNeve, while second place wentto Alstonville, Robyn Garret,Hodgy and Crusty Garret.Basically the Nimbin teamswere all thrashed.Quite apart from the on-greenaction, it was what directorKevin Soward described as “agreat social day,” and anothertriumph for the Bowlo.Leaving Lismore through to MurwillumbahNormal Depart TimesSchool Holiday Times8:00 2:35 3:20 Lismore Transit 8:00 2:358:10 2:45 4:00 Goolmangar 8:10 2:458:20 3:00 4:15 Coffee Camp 8:20 2:558:45 3:20 4:30 Nimbin Ave 8:35 3:109:30 3:30 Nimbin depart 9:00 3:309:40 3:40 Blue Knob 9:10 3:409:50 3:55 Twin Bridges 9:15 3:459:53 4:00 Mt Burrell 9:20 3:5010:10 4:20 Uki 9:40 4:1010:15 4:25 Mt Warning turn 9:45 4:1510:30 4:40 Murwillumbah 10:00 4:25Leaving Murwillumbah through to LismoreNormal Depart TimesSchool Holiday Times7:10 1:50 Murwillumbah 7:30 2:157:20 2:03 Mt Warning turn 7:42 2:287:30 2:08 Uki 7:55 2:337:55 2:30 Mt Burrell 8:10 2:558:00 2:35 Twin Bridges 8:20 3:008:32 2:40 Blue Knob 8:30 3:058:45 2:50 Nimbin arrive 8:40 3:157:50 9:00 3:30 Nimbin depart 9:00 3:308:05 9:10 3:45 Coffee Camp 9:10 3:408:15 9:20 3:55 Goolmangar 9:20 3:508:50 9:35 4:10 Lismore Transit 9:35 4:008:55 9:40 4:15 Lismore DepotThis service runs Monday - Friday excluding public holidaysEnquiries phone 6687-8550 Mobile 0428-255-284Nimbin Hoteland Backpackers53 Cullen Street, NimbinPhone 6689 1246Thursday 9thFriday 10thSaturday 11thThursday 16thFriday 17thSaturday 18thSunday 19thThursday 23rdFriday 24thTuesday 28thThursday 30thFriday 31stHannah PearlStipskyThe HoochersNeil AndersonJames T & The PinatasInvisible FriendThe Love Bus + PWHThe Aronsten BrosMinus Life + othersWine tasting, Women’s nightDave CalandraThe Hard WorldAccomodation • TAB facilitiesOpen daily 11.30am - 2.30pm, 5.30pm - 8.30pmPage 20 The Nimbin GoodTimesMarch 2006www.nimbingoodtimes.com