Erik Skye Travel Blog

5 Jan 2012

Here’s the map: Google Maps – Wizard of Oz

Car’s trip odometer: 2725 clicks (km)

“’Tell me something about yourself, and the country you came from,’ said the Scarecrow, when she had finished her dinner. So she told him all about Kansas, and how gray everything was there, and how the cyclone had carried her to this queer land of Oz. The Scarecrow listened carefully, and said,

‘I cannot understand why you should wish to leave this beautiful country and go back to the dry, gray place you call Kansas.’

‘That is because you have no brains,’ answered the girl. ‘No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.’

The Scarecrow sighed.

‘Of course I cannot understand it,’ he said. ‘If your heads were stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains.’”^17

This morning I ran along the plentiful sandy beaches north of Ballina. After reaching the rocks at the end of one beach (they call those projections of rocks “heads”, naming the major ones, i.e. “Noosa Heads”), I’d do some light boulder hopping and pop out on the other side to yet another long beautiful beach. It just went on like that, with each beach holding it’s own set of recreational inhabitants. I carried my iPhone in one hand to take photos as I went. The iPhone does a good job taking photos, but more than that – it’s portability allows me to bring it to some unique places that I visit when running randomly through.

I had intended for today’s centerpiece (story & activity) to be about a small hippie community called Nimbin. Here’s what National Geographic Traveler says about it: “Hippie Haven: The main street of Nimbin… wends through frontier wooden buildings adorned with psychedelia and Hindu iconography, past crystal shops, New Age healers, and hemp cafés. Welcome to Australia’s hippie capital, a 1970’s time warp of dreadlocks, bare feet, and tie-dye.”^18 It goes on to describe how Nimbin began as an alternative community (people stayed on after a festival in 1973) and troubles over the years (i.e. drug busts). National Geographic’s write-up was accurate enough (I saw plenty of dreads and bare feet), but the place felt un-authentic (i.e. it seemed like tourist trap and was full of especially young European visitors). I moved on feeling disappointed somehow and don’t even care to show you a photo.

My side trip to Nimbin did bring me two nice surprises however. On the way, I spotted a game of cricket being played by young boys and stopped to take a picture. I got out of the car and set up the camera. Just as I went to point and shoot, all the cricket players broke from the activity and headed for the side. Dang! “Tea time,” I asked a couple of proud parents next to me. (They actually do have a tea time in cricket). ‘Yes. Er, ah no. Just drinks. They’ll be playing again in a few minutes,’ came a happy reply. So I read another chapter out of The Wizard of Oz. (It was the one about the Wicked Witch – so good!) Sure enough, out came the boys again, to play with their bats, wickets, stumps, and a red ball. I thought the pitcher in this photo had terrific style!

The next great surprise came as I was heading away from Nimbin. I found The Scarecrow! He was beautiful, with supple burlap skin, shiny black hair, well-defined facial features, and a cheery demeanor. We got along great, and it was hard for me to believe this guy could scare away anything, much less a crow. We exchanged email addresses, I warned him to stay away from fire, and off I went to see my good friend Brisie.

Brisie (Brisbane) is “Australia’s New World City” (self-professed; I saw this advertised as I walked her streets). When I pulled into the downtown area, a Ferris wheel caught my eye and became my obsession for the evening. I parked the car a few clicks away and approached with photographic weaponry, ready to pounce at opportune times. During my Ferris wheel stalking though, I became distracted, and then totally preoccupied with another prize – advertisements for the showing of a live production of none other than The Wizard of Oz. And here I thought this was going to be a difficult theme to pull off.

I meandered through Roma Street Parkland ready to wrap it up for the night and came upon four ninjas practicing sword play and posing. I mention “posing” because that’s what they seemed to be doing most of the time. They would initiate these little bursts of combat-like action, followed by a holding of the last position for three times as long as the last action itself. It was as if their art was about form over function (which it likely is, since ‘what function does a ninja have today anyway?’). This photo of two of the ninjas is one of my all-time favorites and captures the essence of what I witnessed. Note how portions of the bodies are faded (showing action) while other parts are solid (showing stillness) – all in the same image.

Songs of the day (click this hyperlink, let the website load briefly, then click the orange “play” next to the titles); I'm feeling rather generous, so I give you two: Alcazar – Crying At The Discoteque & Jim Ward - Broken Songs

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Footnotes:

17. L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz (The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1903) pp. 29, 30.

18. Roff Martin Smith, National Geographic Traveler (National Geographic Society, 2010) p. 120.