One of Australia’s most iconic roadside shrines can tell us a lot about the joy of journeying, ANU research reveals.
There’s a point on the road to Batemans Bay that every Canberran knows.
Known universally as Pooh Bear’s Corner, the site is wrapped in legend. Found on the side of a heart-thumping curve in the road, this local landmark along the Kings Highway is crowded with countless stuffed bears, tigers, rabbits and other forest friends.
Some say the small cave guarded by watchful teddy bears once held explosives, ready to stop Japanese forces from reaching Canberra during the Second World War.
Others claim it was used to store ammunition. Then there are those who prefer to believe it’s home to Winnie-the-Pooh himself.
But if someone is going to solve the mystery, it won’t be Christopher Robin. Luckily, Dr Toni Eagar, from the Australian National University (ANU), has some illuminating insights.
The marketing researcher just completed a six-year study of Pooh Bear’s Corner and what it means for travellers.
She’s concluded that it is far more than a quirky roadside stop, describing it as a “powerful, traversing shrine”.
“Traversing shrines represent the connections between people across boundaries. They tend not to be destinations in themselves but rather shrines to travel between destinations,” Eagar explains.
“A traversing shrine draws its power from nature, helping travellers orient themselves, keeping them from getting lost.”
“This is a story of the whimsy of travel. This shrine is a site of imagination and impracticalities.”
Tourism research has long been fixated on destinations. Eagar’s work is among the first studies to highlight the value of pausing as an experience in its own right and a vital part of any journey.
Travellers can experience up to three kinds of pauses at Pooh Bear’s Corner, according to her findings.
“First, there’s a historical pause. The shrine represents the history of the emergence of the South East region of New South Wales and the ACT. These were once connected and known as the Australian Federal Territory but are now in separate government jurisdictions,” Eagar says.
“This place is the culmination of the colonisation of the region, from farming and gold rushes to the modern tourist industry and the result of building a planned capital inland.
“Second, there’s a spatial pause. The steep, winding road has long forced stops –whether from car sickness, mechanical failure etc. Pooh Bear’s Corner offers one of the only turnout available areas for miles, and the sign and teddy bears give travellers an additional incentive to engage with it.
“Lastly, there’s a cultural pause. Each traveller can create their own stories and meanings about the place and reasons to stop.
“For some, it’s simply a momentary distraction from the monotony of the road. For others, it’s taken on its own mythology – where leaving a teddy bear has become a ritual to ensure a ‘good holiday’.”
A bear of a quest
Growing up, Eagar – who was born on the South Coast – drove across Clyde Mountain countless times.
“As a young girl, the cave was something I always looked for on trips,” she recalls.
“Going over the mountain kind of sucked and the only music available was whatever dodgy cassette my parents would put on – there was no radio signal in the area.”
But it wasn’t until years later, after returning from a trip to Paris, that she began to see her childhood roadside pastime as a serious research subject.
“Paris at the time was covered in love locks on all the bridges along the Seine. This got me thinking about the crap tourists leave behind because they see it as special or sacred – kind of like Pooh Bear’s Corner,” she says.
Researching a ‘picnic spot’ for teddy bears, however, was not easy.
The site sits dangerously on a cliff-side, with space for only two cars to pull over. Finding people with a history of driving past the stuffed animal colony was challenging.
Through her connections in the area, Eagar was able to recruit some friends and family to start the interview process. Tracking down regular visitors to the shrine was trickier.
But the solution ended up being ‘beary’ simple: a ‘research bear’ dressed in a custom t-shirt and bandana.
The fluffy envoy was stationed near the cave. beside glass jars filled with business cards, each bearing a QR code that led curious passers-by to the research information sheet and contact details.
But even this had its complications. People kept stealing the jars, the cards –sometimes even the bear.
“Despite these jar shenanigans we were eventually contacted by some respondents who had found the bear and jar on the top of the mountain,” Eagar says.
“Through the bears and an appearance in The Canberra Times, we were able to recruit participants who had a long history of stopping at the site. For some, it had become part of family tradition, with their own rituals and meanings attached to the place and the act of leaving a teddy bear behind.”
A legacy worth bearing
Like many innocuous corners of the world, Pooh Bear’s Corner has been affected by the slow creep of vandalism and littering.
Protecting its legacy is a shared responsibility, Eagar says.
“I do believe that the council may need to take a more active role in managing the detritus that accumulates at the site. It is a small accumulation at this stage but like the love locks of Paris, it can quickly become unruly and dangerous,” she warns.
“Pooh Bear’s Corner connects locations that have a long-shared history of journeying. Sites like this allow local government areas to look beyond their borders for what makes travel to their destination special.
“This may require more cooperation between areas to enhance the routes of journeys. It would be a shame to lose the magic by promoting it as some traveller ritual or pilgrimage, but some form of management of roadside waste is necessary.”
Pooh Bear’s Corner is a reminder that journeying is not merely a route from point A to B, but the adventures that happen in between.
“This is a story of the whimsy of travel. This shrine is a site of imagination and impracticalities,” she says.
“People who leave teddy bears go out of their way to do so, pausing at a location that is unsafe and inconvenient in order to connect with an imagined community of fellow travellers who believe ‘sacrificing’ a teddy bear ensures a safe journey.
“I hope my research can help destination marketers think about the routes and journeys people take to get to this place and to consider how pausing can be incorporated along the way.”
Top image: Pooh Bear’s Corner. Photo: Toni Eagar/ANU
Additional images: Toni Eagar/ANU
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