Pubdate: Wed, 10 Feb 2010
Source: Lismore Northern Star (Australia)
Copyright: APN News & Media Ltd 2010
Contact:  http://www.northernstar.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4156
Author: Dominic Feain

NIMBIN'S BARRACKING FOR OBAMA

NIMBIN should be put on the top of the US President's  proposed
Australian itinerary, according to several  prominent people.

Legendary Australian adventurer Dick Smith joined  Lismore mayor Jenny
Dowell and Nimbin Hemp Embassy  president Michael Balderstone speaking
out in defence  of Nimbin's cultural significance following Tweed
Tourism general manager Phil Villiers' tongue-in-cheek  comments last
week about leaving the infamous town off  his preferred presidential
itinerary.

However, Dick Smith, who was spotted window shopping in  Nimbin on
Monday, strongly recommended Mr Obama put the  hippy town on his to-do
list.

"If he just goes to Sydney he'll be stuck with boring  blokes in suits
with no charisma, whereas in Nimbin  he'll meet some true Aussie
eccentrics," he told The  Northern Star yesterday.

"The US has a huge debt at themoment and they could  save a fortune
staying at Nimbin's backpacker hostel  for just $60 a night.

"They could fly the President's 747 into Ballina and I  could chopper
them up from there."

Jenny Dowell chipped in saying she would love to show  the President
around Nimbin.

"I could take him on a tour of the candle factory, and  for a swim in
the council pool," she said. "We could  put him up at the council's
caravan park and he could  have a choice of great coffees at the local
cafes, but  we'd recommend he skip the cookies."

The Nimbin Hemp Embassy has been using the US President  as its
'cannabis poster boy' since his candid response  to the now mandatory
'inhaling' question put to most  modern leaders.

He had famously said: "I inhaled frequently. That was  the
point."

Mr Balderstone said Nimbin residents were unaware of  the Tweed
itinerary controversy, despite national media  attention, although
many had hoped the President could  have planned his trip to coincide
with Mardi Grass.

"As one president to another, we certainly wouldn't  expect him to
inhale this time, but we'd love him to  speak at Mardi Grass," Mr
Balderstone said.

The Hemp Embassy is planning a protest trip to Canberra  with their
'big joint' to encourage President Obama to  speak to Kevin Rudd about
the benefits of medical  cannabis to the nation's health bill and its
crime  figures.

Responding to the comments, Mr Villiers has since  reconsidered
Tweed's position.

"We always work closely with neighbouring councils to  promote tourism
and if Dick's willing to pick them up  from the airport then we're all
for it," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Smith said he often visited Nimbin and  felt quite at
home with the apparent number of 'fellow  helicopter
enthusiasts'.

"They put notices in shop windows telling everyone when  the choppers
are flying over. It's just great to see  blokes with long beards who
are as interested in  helicopters as I am." 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D