Australia press release

Introduction

World Naked Bike Ride

The next World Naked Bike Ride in Australia is on Saturday the 8th of March 2008. Some rides will occur on Sunday the 9th of March, 2008 including Newcastle.

The World Naked Bike Ride is an annual clothing optional protest ride for Naturism, Environmentalism, Peace and the rights of cyclists to use the road safely.

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 plus all the negative effects of oil, cars, war, consumerism and 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, Peru 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 1200 riders in 2007. 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 and 26 riders on the 10th of March 2007 World Naked Bike Rides in Newcastle.

14 riders participated on the 12th of March 2006 and 25 riders on the 10th of March 2007 World Naked Bike Rides in Melbourne.

32 riders participated on the 10th of March 2007 World Naked Bike Ride in Brisbane.

Media Enquiries:

• Media enquiries for Adelaide: please contact Marte the WNBR Australia Coordinator and Media Liaison.
• Media enquiries for Byron Bay: please contact Byron Bike Rider, the WNBR Byron Bay Organiser.
• Media enquiries for Brisbane: please contact Dario Western the WNBR Brisbane Organiser.
• Media enquiries for Melbourne: please contact Heidi the WNBR Melbourne Organiser.
• Media enquiries for Sydney: please contact Marte the WNBR Sydney Organiser.
• Media enquiries for the rest of Australia and Newcastle: please contact Marte Kinder the WNBR Newcastle Organiser, WNBR Australia Coordinator and Media Liaison.
• Please also use the WNBR websites (Wiki and Main Site) for more information.

Photographs of previous WNBRs in Australia for the media:

Brisbane Photos 2007

• Photos at WNBR Australia © Tony Robertson

Melbourne Photos 2007

• Photos at WNBR Australia

Melbourne Photos 2006

• Photos at WNBR Australia

Newcastle Photos 2007

• Photos at WNBR Australia © Second Sight Photography and © Naked Australians

Newcastle Photos 2006

• Photos at WNBR Australia © Second Sight Photography

Newcastle Photos 2005

• Photos at WNBR Australia © Second Sight Photography and © Purple Spider Studios

Credit MUST be given to the Newcastle and Brisbane photographers when using their work.

Upcoming WNBR Events

The Southern Hemisphere ride date is Saturday the 8th of March 2008. Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney will each have rides on that day. Newcastle and Melbourne will ride on Sunday the 9th of March. Check out the web site for more details http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=Main_Page or follow the hyperlinks.

Adelaide :

• Time: 2pm
• Location: North Adelaide at the junction of Barton Terrace and Jeffcott Street.
• View Poster on web site

Brisbane :

• Time: 3:15pm for a 4pm start
• Location: Crown Street where the Wynnum North Esplanade starts
• View Poster on the web site

Byron Bay

• Time: 2pm
• Location: outside the Travel Centre at the old Railway Station
• View Poster on the web site

Melbourne :

• Note: Melbourne ride is on Sunday the 9th of March, 2008.
• Time: 4pm
• Location: Edinburgh Gardens, Fitzroy North
• View Poster on the web site

Newcastle :

• Note: Newcastle ride is on Sunday the 9th of March, 2008.
• Time: 2pm
• Location: Next to Warabrook Station in Rosegum Road Reserve, Warabrook
• View Poster on the web site

Sydney :

• Time: 12 noon
• Location: Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park
• View Poster on the web site

The primary ride dates for the Northern Hemisphere ride in 2008 are Friday 6 June and Saturday 7 June 2008. In previous years there have been some northern hemisphere rides held later in their summer due to climate or re-run due to inclement weather during their initial attempt.

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. It will happen if you help make it happen!

In Australia for 2008, only the cities mentioned above are planning to have WNBRs. Everyone is welcome to help with organising in those cities. Unless there is some initiative to help with the organisation in the other Australian cities, they will not enjoy a WNBR event on the 8th of March 2008.

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.

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Supplementary material for editors to use at their discretion if re-drafting the above article:

Famous Quotes on Nakedness, Beliefs and Protest Famous Quotes from: http://www.bodyfreedom.org/guide/quotes_slogans.html

Includes: Historical Figures: Jesus Christ, John Lennon, Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, Michelangelo, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Virginia Wolf, Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Contemporary Figures: Elle MacPherson, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, P.J. Harvey, Madonna.

"Nudity is undignified and an error of taste." - Adolf Hitler

“The main hangup in the world today is hypocrisy and insecurity. If people can’t face up to the fact of other people being naked or smoking pot, or whatever they want to do, then we’re never going to get anywhere. People have got to become aware that it’s none of their business and that being nude is not obscene. Being ourselves is what’s important. If everyone practiced being themselves instead of pretending to be what they aren’t, there would be peace.” - John Lennon

"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that numbers of people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience. . . Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running and robbing the country. That's our problem." -Howard Zinn, "Failure To Quit"

"His disciples asked, 'When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?' Jesus answered, 'When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread on them, then will you see the son of the Living One, and you will not be afraid.'" - From the Gospel of Thomas