Pick the odd one out:
Pakistan
Turkmenistan
Kazakstan
Baldrockistan
Afghanistan
That’s right. All ’stans’ are legitimate children, except the curious bastard, Baldrockistan.
More concept than enclave, Baldrockistan is a state of mind conjured by Herman de Vries, a member of the shadowy cartel known as State of Sabotage.
Before you get alarmed, or alert, consider this: Bald Rock is the largest monolith in [...]
Did you know that war was declared on the State of Victoria in 1979? Was it North Korea to pick the blue? No. The Soviet bloc? Nyet. The hostile party answered to the name of Tom Barnes, Governor of Rainbow Creek.
Based between Toongabbie and Cowarr in south Gippsland, roughly 200 kays southeast of Melbourne, Rainbow [...]
Touring the globe, looking under rocks for unrecognised republics, three authors (King John Ryan, Czar George Dunford and Jedi Simon Sellars) have compiled a brilliant atlas of the odd.
Micronations – the Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations – is a work of high quirk. Across five continents, and 150 pic-laden pages, you can read all [...]
Only diehard fans of Cold Chisel can pinpoint Bow River, the band’s belting anthem to the outfield worker.
The song (http://www.coldchisel.com.au/l1_bow.html), penned by guitarist Ian Moss, resembles a treasure hunt, passing off clues in each verse. Take these hints for example:
“Only 6 days separate me and the great Top End…”
Or
“Going for the heat and the tropical [...]
Not just a lobster, but a Big Lobster, the fiberglass landmark that dominates the foreshores of Kingston, South Australia.
For a lazy half mil, you could own this land’s largest crustacean, a six-legged complex complete with gift shop, restaurant, claws and antennae.
To glimpse your prospective pet, visit Big Things in our links section, or make inquiries [...]
Tom Hartsuyker had a dream. The expat Dutchman longed to remake a little piece of Holland in Australia. His solution was a clog studio.
A stone’s throw from the Iconic Banana in Coffs Harbour, The Clog Barn is ankle-deep in shavings, and wall-to-wall in wooden slippers. Outside, in the yard, is a downsized Amsterdam, with canals, [...]
Still with Column 8 trivia – see Fluffy Follow-Up below – a writer to the Herald’s feature posed an interesting question.
Graham Hand, of Cremorne set readers the challenge of naming the longest walk possible in Sydney, while remaining under cover at all times. He wrote:
“You can walk from the Colonial Centre on Phillip Street, at [...]
This despatch from Column 8 this week, regarding the Mystery of Tree-Borne Teddies along Old Bungendore Road:
“A third and final theory from John McGregor, of Dolls Point [seriously!], whose brother manages a motel in Queanbeyan. After some investigation, possibly in local pubs, his brother says the Bungendore teddy bears indicate the position of a nudist [...]
If you go down to the woods today, near Bungendore anyway, just east of the ACT, you’re sure for a big surprise.
For every bear that ever that was, will gather there for certain because, Bungendore is the spot where hundreds of teddy bears, giraffes, gorillas and other fluffy toys have been nailed to trees along [...]
OZWORDS, the language monthly put out by Australian National Dictionary Centre, ran a competition for readers to suggest the meanings of various towns.
Below is the pick, with due credit (or blame) given to each reader responsible. Why not dust off your road-map and add to the index?
Barakula – fisherman’s ice box (D. Mockford)
Bullabulling [...]