World Naked Bike Ride, Australia 2007 : Melbourne Indymedia

The next World Naked Bike Ride in Australia is on Saturday the 10th of March 2007.

The ride is not a race and goes at an easy recreational pace. An element of competition between cyclists is present only in respect of how bizarrely they can decorate their bodies with paint, slogans and bits of costume. Many riders paint their bodies with peace signs, hearts and flowers.

The dress code for the ride is “Go as bare as you dare”! Nudity is not compulsory. It is not a ride promoting overtly sexual behaviour in public.

It is a very hippie and green event.

Many problems beset the world:
There is a need for people to hold a body positive image. A lot of people have hang ups about the human body and can not distinguish between non-sexual nudity and pornography. People are living creatures and part of nature, not superior or detached from it. Shame or disgust of human bodies, it all their colours, shapes and sizes is a form of prejudice.

Burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and mineral oil) causes environmental damage including climate change, air pollution, acid rain and water pollution. The destruction of our natural environment threatens all living things with extinction. We face the carbon-induced nemesis of nature.

Without using nuclear fuels (uranium, plutonium) nuclear accidents, nuclear weapons, depleted uranium tipped weapons and nuclear contamination would not exist. Exposure to nuclear radiation causes cancer, genetic mutations and death. Nuclear material remains radioactive virtually forever.

Health Problems including asthma and respiratory illnesses occur partly because of the pollution caused by burning fossil fuels. Obesity, diabetes and lack of exercise come from our sedentary car-addicted lifestyles.

We see violence everyday because of the wars fought over oil, road rage and deaths and injuries to pedestrians and cyclists from motorised vehicles. We need a peaceful and gentler world which includes our roads.

For a future to exist for tomorrow's generations, we must stop exploiting mineral energy, stop polluting the Earth, stop fighting and killing in the name of consumerist wealth accumulation and learn to love and respect all life, and to continue to spread this message.

The World Naked Bike Ride Mission Statement
We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable energy.

World Naked Bike Ride History
Prior to the 2004, there were two independent groups organising very similar events with virtually identical messages of protesting oil dependency, they were Artists for Peace in Canada and Manifestación Ciclonudista in Spain. Despite having virtually identical messages neither of these groups even knew of the existence of the other.

The World Naked Bike Ride group was created by Conrad Schmidt (of Vancouver, Canada) to help coordinate a large international naked bike ride between many different activist groups across the World. The World's first international naked bike ride in 2004 was a collaboration between the WNBR group which rode on 12 June and Manifestación Ciclonudista in Spain which rode on 19 June.

Since then, the WNBR has spread to over 50 cites in about 20 countries with the participation of thousands of riders. Because of differing climates, the WNBR is conducted in two legs. The Southern hemisphere WNBR occurs on the second Saturday of March and includes Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil and cities in Florida (USA) where the weather is comfortable at that time of year. The Northern hemisphere WNBR is much larger, both in terms of number of rides and participants with some rides like London alone getting around a thousand riders in 2006. WNBR is most popular in Europe and North America.

WNBR Australian History
Australia participated in the first WNBR on 12 June 2004. Six naked bike riders (4 men and two women), led by Luke and Kathy, rode from Tweed Heads to Bilambil. There are no known photographs of the ride and Luke and Kathy have lost contact with the rest of the WNBR. If anyone has information or pictures of this ride, WNBR Australia would like to hear from them to help document the history of the event.

5 riders participated on the 13th of February 2005 & 11 riders on the 12th of March 2006 World Naked Bike Ride in Newcastle.

14 riders participated in the 12th of March 2006 World Naked Bike Ride in Melbourne.

Media Enquiries:
http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=Australia#Media
Please also use the WNBR websites (Wiki http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=Australia and Main Site http://worldnakedbikeride.org/australia/) for more information.

Photographs of previous WNBRs in Australia for the media:
12th of March 2006 http://worldnakedbikeride.org/australia/melbourne2006/index.html World Naked Bike Ride in Melbourne.
13th of February 2005 http://worldnakedbikeride.org/australia/newcastle2005/index.html & 12th of March 2006 http://worldnakedbikeride.org/australia/newcastle2006/index.html World Naked Bike Rides in Newcastle.
Credit MUST be given to the Newcastle photographers when using their work.

Upcoming WNBR Events
The Southern Hemisphere ride date is Saturday 10 March 2007.
Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle will each have rides on that day. Check out the web site for more details http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=Main_Page or follow the hyperlinks.

Brisbane : Time: 4:00 pm
Location: ABC Studios, 600 Coronation Drive, Toowong.
http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=Brisbane View Poster on web site: http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=Image:2007_Brisbane_Flyer_Medium_jpeg_13.12.06.JPG

Melbourne : Time and Location to be advised. http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=Melbourne

Newcastle : Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Next to Warabrook Station in Rosegum Road Reserve, Warabrook.
http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=Newcastle
View Poster on web site: http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=Image:2007_Walrus_Flyer_Medium_JPG_27.12.06.JPG

In order to help encourage as many cities as possible to attend this event there will be two primary ride dates for the Northern Hemisphere ride in 2007: Saturday 9 June and Saturday 30 June 2007.

Northern parts of Australia could ride in both the March and June events if they wished.

Why not join in? Everyone is very welcome to participate or help organise!
I have not seen any photos of past events where riders are not grinning and laughing their heads off. WNBR is terrific fun! Why not have a go?

To find out more, go to
http://worldnakedbikeride.org/australia/
If you do not have a computer or internet connection you could use an internet café or public libraries’ computers.

If people in Australia are interested in attending a WNBR event in Australia, please have a look at the website first. Also, if you live anywhere where there is no WNBR planned, you are welcome to organise one yourself and you will get supportive and friendly help from Australian and international co-ordinators. It is pretty easy to do and a very rewarding experience. The WNBR Worldwide site http://www.worldnakedbikeride.org/ has reference pages with tips for people to use when organising.

In Australia for 2007, only Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle are certain to have a WNBR. Unless there is some initiative to help with the organisation in the other Australian cities, they will not enjoy a WNBR event on the 10th of March 2007. It will happen if you help make it happen!

What does it cost?
Nothing. There are no fees involved at all. There are no forms to fill in. There is no registration and we do not want to collect people’s personal details.

WNBR is loads of fun and a consciousness expanding, giggle festival.
You could help save the world or at least die laughing while trying.