Free Beaches Australia Inc

NUDISM, according to the Macquarie Dictionary, is the "practice of going nude as a means of healthful living".
    So why are southern Gold Coast citizens up in arms over the plans of the Free Beach Association, a nudist lobby group, to request the Gold Coast City Council make south Palm Beach a "clothing optional" beach?
    And why would a police officer state in a Brisbane court last week that 75-year-old Kenneth Wenzel's nudity, and his coloured toenails, were "disgusting" to him when he arrested Wenzel on an unofficial nudist beach on the Sunshine Coast in July last year? The first nudist beach was legalised in South Australia in 1975 and since then all states with the exception of Queensland have legalised a certain number of beaches as clothing optional
    Anita Grigg, vice-president of the FBA says: "From a nudist point of view, we are born naked and many of us are lucky enough to have the freedom to innocently play nude as a young child.
    "As we grow older, we are taught that parts of our bodies are rude and we must cover those parts or we are naughty and must be punished. Nudity is seen as synonymous with sex and sin and anyone exposing their ‘rude bits’ should be punished by police.
    "However, nudists feel more comfortable when we are nude.
    "We do not have to worry about tight-fitting clothes, about coarse material chafing and rubbing, nor about sand getting in our togs at the beach."
    But Cr Daphne McDonald from the Gold Coast says that her constituents are opposed to a nudist beach.
    "I think the problem is that Palm Beach, and other beaches on the Gold Coast, are inundated with families," she says.
    "The whole thing is people feel it is slightly deviant. And there's the whole paedophile issue that people are so much more aware of these days. It's these issues and also simple embarrassment. Some people don't want to be faced with a person running around starkers.
    "I do believe that it would be accepted if the nudists chose a more secluded area, but that wouldn't include a Gold Coast beach."
    Grigg says: "When nudists look at each other, it is not out of lust. We see the whole person. We look beyond the flesh and see the person's character clothed within a body. So when we talk to each other we politely look the other person directly in the eye."
    The FBA has a code of ethics that all members must sign. They also have unwritten rules of respect that must be followed.
    Nudists are expected to cover up when clothed people enter an unofficial nudist beach, such as Third Bay Beach, where Wenzel, a professional artist who lives in the Maleny area, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, was arrested.
    Wenzel, incidentally, disputes the police officers' version of events:
    "I was enjoying the sun on the beach that day. I've been going to that beach for 30 years. I saw the officers, who were plain-clothed about 100m away and I covered up. I didn't want to offend anyone."
    So who are Australia's nudists?
    "FBA members are ordinary, everyday people who come from all different professions," Grigg says. "We are all ages and both male and female, single, couples and families. We come from varied ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, religions and could be your neighbours or even members of your family. We are active and respected members of the community.
    "And can I say that nudists are vigilant and aware of the threat of paedophiles. We teach our children to be aware of the dangers and are a small community that watches out for each other. There have not been any cases of paedophile attacks on nudist beaches for the 30 years that they have been legal in Australia."
    Grigg herself became a nudist to overcome a poor body image and body "shame" after chancing upon a group of nudists on a beach when she was a teenager. There were singles, couples and families, all nude.
    She lay on a towel near the group feeling self conscious and too overdressed. Gradually, she decided to take her own clothes off and found that nobody stared or cared about her nudity.
    "Eventually I stood and ran self-consciously into the sea for a swim. Then I felt the same freedom that I had enjoyed as an innocent child. The sun, sand and sea on my body felt invigorating. I met lots of nice people that day, so I returned."
    The FBA supports and organises many activities such as beach carnivals that attract hundreds of people each year.

At the beach

Gawking is impolite. If you want to go to a nudist beach for a thrill, do everybody a r favour and buy a magazine instead.
Ask for people's consent before taking their photograph nude.
If you're sunbathing nude in a secluded area, leave a bathing suit on a rock to let others know they are approaching an unclothed person. If you're uncomfortable having your swimmers out of reach, bring a spare.
On a wide open beach, position yourself in the open so you can see people coming and put something on before they get there if you need to.
Get dressed before you leave the nudist beach.
Be friendly, but respect others' rights to privacy.
Avoid sexual activity. It’s illegal and offensive. Innocent expressions of affection among family members and friends are commonplace, but overt sexuality is not condoned.
Unseemly behaviour of any kind is out of place and not tolerated.
Advances of an unwelcome or unwanted nature are not acceptable anywhere, and especially on a nudist beach.
Safeguard valuables. Accessories such as wrist bands for storing keys and cash are an option.
Be prepared. Sometimes beaches don’t have any amenities. Bring water, food, towel, sunscreen and anything else you need.
Keep the beach clean. If you carried it in, carry it back out.