24.3 C
Byron Shire
March 27, 2024

Nude Not Lewd rally a cold clothes option

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Jenni and Dazee wanted to send a strong message. Photo Tree Faerie.

A cool blustery day did little to dampen the determination of protestors at Tyagarah as almost 100 supporters visited the Nude Not Lewd beach rally throughout Sunday morning.

Though naturalists at heart, clothes were the day’s option for many as a chill wind blew along the beach, but their message was fiery hot.

Nude is not lewd.

Council is currently debating the future of clothes optional beaches in the Shire and naturists from the Byron area and beyond say they are fighting for their right to have clothes optional beaches. The protestors are adamant about everyone being able to enjoy the beach in a safe community environment.

Several speakers had their say during the morning and all agreed that there is sometimes an unpleasant element who are attracted to the nude beach, but working together, the community could address those issues.

A spokesperson for the Byron Naturists said that the main focus of the day’s rally is to keep the beach open.

‘There’s a small number of local residents who have been very vocal about trying to close the beach.

‘They have claimed that police statistics are up. That is true, but that is since the size of the [nude] beach has been reduced – a lot of those statistics have been about people who have been naked outside of the signposted area. A lot of those statistics are also what they call “bona fides” – they are doing daily patrols and they are asking people for ID.

‘So they are minor issues. What the police have said is that there haven’t been any major issues in the signposted area.

Photos Tree Faerie

 

‘The other thing that this group is conscious of is that with the dedication of the 800 metres reducing the length of the beach, people from the Sunrise area feel very isolated at their end – they have to walk 1500 metres before they are able to get naked and run into the water. So women particularly at that end feel very threatened and isolated.

‘If the beach was extended down towards Sunrise, two to three hundred metres north of the Bayshore Drive entrance, that would increase the parking and reduce the number of people using Gray’s Lane and it would also provide a safer environment,’ the spokesperson said.

The cool weather meant for many, the option at the rally was clothes.

 

Rudi’s beanie kept him warm during the cool morning. Photo Tree Faerie.

Natuist Rudi was emphatic in his resolve that there should be more freedom on the beach.

‘We shouldn’t have this event today, it shouldn’t even need to happen. We come here in peace it’s not a war zone.

‘We need to weed out the masturbators and then the rest of us can enjoy a day on the beach.’

Clothes optional beaches are few and far between and many are prepared to travel to get some sun on skin. Protesters came from near and far to flesh out the numbers on the day as they feel it is important to have at least some havens for nudity and they wanted to have their say.

Disabled naturist Fabio Guarnizo says his enjoyment of the beach stops if he can’t get beach access. Photo Tree Faerie

Naturist Fabio Guarnizo says he often travels from the Gold Coast to enjoy the Byron coast but says his disability makes it difficult to access clothes optional areas where they are now.

‘The clothes optional beach was moved south. For me to park my car then get all the way down here two hundred metres to the south is very complicated.
‘Before it was much easier. I just got out of my car and the nude beach was just there.’

 

 

 


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18 COMMENTS

  1. The naturists think the community could work together to keep the beach free from unpleasant elements or masturbators as Rudy Wasser calls them. Could the Echo and naturists please outline what that means? Will it be a plan formalised and guaranteed by council ?

    • My surname is Surina, not Wasser ???.
      Just like in a pub, drunk and disorderly guys get thrown out by security, nice people enjoy music, drinks and a good company.
      Police and Rangers weed out bad guys on the beach, nice people stay and enjoy beach, sun, ocean…
      Very simple !

  2. Naturists above state:’unpleasant elements’and ‘masturbators’ still frequent the beach.

    The article and comments reflect the endemic problem amongst naturists described by Website, Get Naked Australia (GNA)’s recent article, Cleaning up Australian Naturism, which reveals
    …..’the naturism, naked in nature, nudist culture or whatever the hell you wanna call it has been stolen. It’s been stolen by the lonely horny men, the truly creepy perverts and the swingers’ (GNA)

    It is accepted and normalised behaviour among many naturists. …..’leaders defend actions of the clearly creepy people. “Oh don’t mind old mate John, he occasionally messages females inappropriately and will occasionally whack off behind them when they’re sunbaking at the beach, but once you get to know him he’s a really nice guy.’ (GNA). Sexual pests and predators are an endemic problem for the nudist culture in Australia.

    Pretty much describes what the naturist leaders quoted in the article are doing.

  3. Indecent assault in Byron Bay pub, man charged.

    Also in the news today, will council want to ban pubs next along with skinny dipping. Yes < 1% of blokes are idiots at the beach, 99% are not is our responsibility to move them on. Confronted they run to their cars, the standard we walk past is what we accept.

    Namaste

  4. Disclaimer: not a local, but have been naked to this beach and love it. I have no doubt that some of the locals who are trying to have the legal nude status revoked have the best intentions at heart. However, despite not being to offer proof direct, I suspect that, as is normal when a legal nude beach status is under attack anywhere in the country, some of the opponents have other agendas which they will not reveal. The locals have no more rights to the public beach space than others living on the other side of Australia who wish to use it. “Public space”. Strong possibility that some locals are just opposed to nudity, or have connections with developments planned for the area. But of course, this will be denied. There are so few legal clothing optional beaches, leave others to be themselves and live their lives without some of you acting like control freaks. Well done, those protesters that braved the elements to attend the rally. Your numbers would have been much higher if it wasn’t for the bad weather.

  5. Really who could be bothered with this debate. It’s the biggest load of Codswallop I have ever seen. If you haven’t got anything better to do with your time than try and “go naked legally” then you haven’t lived. It’s a very first world kind of nonsense!

  6. Oh Byron Bay – what is happening to us? We used to embrace and champion alternative lifestyles, combat rampant commercialism and defend those who dare to be different. Where is the spirit that embraced everything from the Hare Krishnas to healing crystals to full moon dancing?

    Those who wish to enjoy the freedom of the beach and nature outdoors without clothes surely deserve our support, not derision or having our backs turn to them. How is it that real estate speculation and tourist development in West Byron being allowed to warp our views? Or is there a neo-puritanism rearing its head? Ask yourself – would the Byron Bay community of old done the same to another peace-loving lifestyle minority? And are we not sophisticated enough to tolerate or even encourage body freedom and body acceptance? Can we not support their rights and at the same time discourage the bad elements?

    It used to be that you could stroll sans clothing from North Belongil to Grays without raising eybrows or blood pressures and the unofficial and official use of this area as a clothes optional beach predates the arrival of most of the current residents of the Tyagarah area.

    Here’s a few facts:

    1. Tyagarah Beach is and always will be an isolated beach- it is about a 1.6 km walk from North Belongil/Sunrise or at the end of a drive on a potholed dirt road and in front of a nature reserve. This will not change whether it is clothes optional or not. Any wrongdoing that occurs there will always have fewer onlookers to come to assistance and it always will take longer for the law to arrive. By limiting the clothes optional beach to this site naturists have been forced to use the part of the beach where they – or any other beachgoers – are arguably most vulnerable. That the naturist community has rallied to protect each other – and fellow non-naturist beachgoers – effectively here has to be commended.

    2. Clothes optional areas do not have be in isolated areas. Some of the most successful, safe and accepted clothes optional beaches around the world are either located adjacent to populated areas of town (e.g. Mar Bella and Sant Sebastia in Barcelona or Baker Beach in San Francisco), adjacent to busy and popular non-clothes optional beaches (e.g. Blacks Beach, San Diego), or both (e.g. Brighton Nude Beach in England or Haulover Beach in Florida). There are clothes optional areas in the centre of Munich, Berlin and Vienna. The scrutiny of others prevents untoward behaviour and if needed help is closer at hand.

    3. Sunbaking and skinny dipping are not the only things that are acceptable to do on a clothes optional beach. Go to any of the beaches mentioned above and you also will see folks walking the foreshore, exercising, playing volleyball and frisbee – it is not “exhibitionism” to enjoy these normal activities.

    4. People have a choice when it comes to clothing optional areas. Avoid them if (sadly, and perhaps disturbingly) normal human nudity offends you. Keep your clothes on if you do not wish to disrobe. If the clothes optional area was extended from Grays Lane to just north of the beach entrance next to Elements, then beachgoers at Sunrise would turn right if they did not wish to encounter nudity and those at Grays would turn left. There’s PLENTY of beach in either direction.

    5. Naturism and body freedom promotes body acceptance in the face of the pernicious effect of the selected and airbrushed images on the glossy covers of men’s and women’s magazines. To those who object to naturist beaches because “there are some people who should cover up” should realise that the naturists are not there for your entertainment or approval – and reflect that it is the observer that has the distorted view. The human body is a thing of beauty in all its forms and not immoral of itself.

    Keep calm and bliss out.

  7. Oh Byron Bay – what is happening to us? We used to embrace and champion alternative lifestyles, combat rampant commercialism and defend those who dare to be different. Where is the spirit that embraced everything from the Hare Krishnas to healing crystals to trance dancing?

    Those who wish to enjoy the freedom of the beach and nature outdoors without clothes surely deserve our support, not derision or having our backs turn to them. How is it that real estate speculation and tourist development in West Byron being allowed to warp our views? Or is there a neo-puritanism rearing its head? Ask yourself – would the Byron Bay community of old done the same to another peace-loving lifestyle minority? And are we not sophisticated enough to tolerate or even encourage body freedom and body acceptance? Can we not support their rights and at the same time discourage the bad elements?

    It used to be that you could stroll sans clothing from North Belongil to Grays without raising eybrows or blood pressures and the unofficial and official use of this area as a clothes optional beach predates the arrival of most of the current residents of the Tyagarah area.

    Here’s a few facts:

    1. Tyagarah Beach is and always will be an isolated beach- it is about a 1.6 km walk from North Belongil/Sunrise or at the end of a drive on a potholed dirt road and in front of a nature reserve. This will not change whether it is clothes optional or not. Any wrongdoing that occurs there will always have fewer onlookers to come to assistance and it always will take longer for the law to arrive. By limiting the clothes optional beach to this site naturists have been forced to use the part of the beach where they – or any other beachgoers – are arguably most vulnerable. That the naturist community has rallied to protect each other – and fellow non-naturist beachgoers – effectively here has to be commended.

    2. Clothes optional areas do not have be in isolated areas. Some of the most successful, safe and accepted clothes optional beaches around the world are either located adjacent to populated areas of town (e.g. Mar Bella and Sant Sebastia in Barcelona or Baker Beach in San Francisco), adjacent to busy and popular non-clothes optional beaches (e.g. Blacks Beach, San Diego), or both (e.g. Brighton Nude Beach in England or Haulover Beach in Florida). There are clothes optional areas in the centre of Munich, Berlin and Vienna. The scrutiny of others prevents untoward behaviour and if needed help is closer at hand.

    3. Sunbaking and skinny dipping are not the only things that are acceptable to do on a clothes optional beach. Go to any of the beaches mentioned above and you also will see folks walking the foreshore, exercising, playing volleyball and frisbee – it is not “exhibitionism” to enjoy these normal activities.

    4. People have a choice when it comes to clothing optional areas. Avoid them if (sadly, and perhaps disturbingly) normal human nudity offends you. Keep your clothes on if you do not wish to disrobe. If the clothes optional area was extended from Grays Lane to just north of the beach entrance next to Elements, then beachgoers at Sunrise would turn right if they did not wish to encounter nudity and those at Grays would turn left. There’s PLENTY of beach in either direction.

    5. Naturism and body freedom promotes body acceptance in the face of the pernicious effect of the selected and airbrushed images on the glossy covers of men’s and women’s magazines. To those who object to naturist beaches because “there are some people who should cover up” should realise that the naturists are not there for your entertainment or approval – and reflect that it is the observer that has the distorted view. The human body is a thing of beauty in all its forms and not immoral of itself.

    Keep calm, bliss out.

  8. Bobbi j you totally miss the point us locals (most of us here 20+ years) are not prudes or objecting to naked bodies.
    We are just tired of the sexual harrassment that has come with it. As far as our free and easy Byron image I dont think that includes the inappropriate wanking and storking that is endemic at Tyagarah.

  9. The sad reality is that if you look into it (and im sure many are aware) there are many of these spots across the country that you can find lewd activity and most are not associated with nudist or clothing optional areas.
    I have been coming to Byron to enjoy the beach at Tyagarah and Belongil now for 45 odd years where i can relax and be myself as a naturist and whilst many complain about the sexual activity i have actually never in that 45 years encountered it once believe it or not.
    I think the reality is that there are developers wanting to develop the area now and this behaviour has become the excuse to move the naturists on. When in actual fact the Naturists are doing everything to fight it and assist authorities and these despicable characters are more than likely not even naturists
    The shame is that one of the biggest attractions for people from interstate and overseas to the area and the town of Byron has been the wonderful relaxed nature of the town and its amazing acceptance of alternative lifestyle and culture which it has always accepted nurtured and developed.
    Is it to be that the powers to be will allow this to be crushed and just turn it into another overpopulated nondescript seaside town with no personality. Speaking for many many alternative lifestyle folk im sure i certainly hope not!

  10. I am yet to see any evidence that removing the legal nude bathing status from this beach will stop any of the people coming to the area for anti social behaviour. Across the country there are many urban and remote areas that some men use for anti social behaviour. Most of these areas are not associated with nude beaches. It is unproven that stopping legal nude bathing will stop this activity. The only guarantee is that it will stop normal law abiding citizens ftom enjoying one of the only nude beaches in the area.

  11. Quite correct Michael. I concur. There are many places across this wonderful nation of ours where so called anti-social behaviour by men (as well as women) take place. There are openly publicized on easy-to-find internet sites. Very, very few of these places are actually clothing-optional beaches, and the places would be harder to ‘police” and world almost never be visited by genuine nudists. Removing permission for genuine nudist recreation at Tyagarah will possibly exacerbate anti-social behavior.

  12. Omg nudity! At what age does seeing a human body naked become disgusting to look at and to be shunned & made illegal?

    Let’s hide those weird naked people away at a little slice of beach out of the public eye so we don’t get offended.

    Please remove all mirrors from homes so when naked at home you don’t see your own naked body. It’s a sin I tell you! Repent!

    Byron Bay of all places trying to manipulate others? Never never ever could it be so could it?

    Just make ALL beaches in the shire clothes optional. Hands up folks ( those who like being naked) who’d prefer to just go to the beach and not just a little segregated area for ‘those’ weird naked people?
    Hand up those who prefer not be naked at beaches but agree with the right of others to do so if they choose?

    Nakedness is not weird or unnatural.
    Only those who think it is are the weird twisted ones.

    As for men masturbating in public?…let’s talk equality and let’s also talk about women too.

    Give us a break… just make nudity legal and accepted and stop the body shaming and sexual repression. By doing that I’ve little doubt that ludity will decrease and those with sexual hang ups will lessen.

    Nude is not rude.

    Extend Tyagarah beach clothes optional status shire wide.

    Build a bridge and get over it antinudists.

  13. The up coming October Council Meeting is more than likely going to revoke the clothing optional status of Tyagarah Beach.

    Refer to Agenda item 13.19 for the meeting:

    \https://byron.infocouncil.biz/Open/2018/10/OC_18102018_AGN_780_WEB.htm

    General theme of the copious reports attached to the agenda recommendations it that incidences of unsavoury activity has been “under-reported”.

    Makes one wonder how things that have not been reported and possibly are hearsay can provide a significant justification for recommendations.

    This is the recommendation to Council:

    RECOMMENDATIONS:
    1. That Council revoke its “Clothes Optional Declaration” within the Tyagarah Reserve.

    2. That staff remove all signage that relates to the trialled clothes optional area.

    3. That staff further meet with the NSW Police, NPWS, and other stakeholders to discuss and implement additional measures that target reduction of lewd and offensive crime from this area.

    4. That staff pursue the enabling of short-term licences specifically for clothing optional recreational events.

    5. That Council also acknowledge and thank the efforts and commitment made from the Towards Safe Beaches in Byron stakeholder representatives in efforts to achieve safer beaches.

  14. I was sitting on the beach at Nth Belongil (about 500m north of entrance) sans clothing, eating an açai bowl. I’d been there about 5 minutes when I saw a police car driving up the beach. I thought to myself ‘that’s great they patrol looking out for perverts. They stopped and fined me for ‘Public Indecency’!!! Cops were so rude too. They said someone had complained about me!!! I’d been there 5 minutes!!!

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