D James, Myocum
The Safe Beaches Group will soon be sending a report to Byron Shire Council that might help determine the fate of the Shire’s only legal clothing-optional beach. ’Safe Beaches’ was originally set up as a response to perceived concern about inappropriate behaviour at the beach. It may have started with the best of intentions but now its efforts are directed at anything but keeping the beaches safe. The problem is that this ‘report’ being submitted in the name of Safe Beaches is being prepared by someone associated with a commercial business entity that has invested millions of dollars in prime beachfront property along Belongil beach. Maybe this is a conflict of interest?
No doubt when the council reads this upcoming report it will at first appear to be a balanced, well-scripted and unbiased report. Another problem with this report is that it also has substantial input from a handful of Grays Lane residents who, for the most part, have made up their mind about Tyagarah Beach a long time ago. The outnumbered naturist representation in Safe Beaches is thanks in part to their public relations officer who is associated with this commercial business and has made Safe Beaches’ a closed group so as to ensure limited participation of naturists in the group’s proceedings. Very, clever huh!
Even the lovely Paul Spooner was quoted on 7Prime News on Wednesday September 12 as saying: ‘I think the naturists have had a good run at this with over twenty years of a dedicated beach for nude bathing, but times have moved on’. YES, Mr Spooner you are very correct – times have changed! We now have corporate business, mining magnates and the like involved in decision making in local council! NICE WORK – what next? Will we be reading about council handouts and under-the-counter deals! Let’s hope not; there was enough of that behaviour up the coast.
One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist here. It’s not really about stories of the guy apparently wanking over the old lady and the men apparently out of control with their erections either, is it? It does seems funny, to me at least, that the ones making all these accusations about all this lewd behaviour at Tyagarah beach are the same ones who don’t even visit the clothing-optional beach because of this so-called lewd behaviour.
If nudity offends, or the sight of a stray Queensland erection offends, simple: don’t venture towards that 800-metre patch of sand, which is the only legally nude section of beach in the Byron Shire! Most of Tyagarah beach IS NOT clothing optional and the police are down at the beach often enough to make sure there isn’t a bare bottom from north Tyagarah all the way to Brunswick Heads. So to the handful of ‘concerned’ residents who want to remove Tyagarah’s 800-metre clothing-optional status, just remember you have options and a lot of them. You are free to visit any other beach (including North Tyagarah) in the Shire with your boardies or budgie smugglers and leave those who are doing the right thing and who aren’t sex pests or deviants. Please just let us enjoy what’s left of our beautiful beach in peace!
My message to all big businesses who want to shape and change Byron’s free spirit, its tolerant behaviour amongst the free-spirited individuals who call this place home, just like the hippies did in the 70s, is the same as my message to any sexpest left remaining on Tyagarah beach – you too can %(@$ off!
Recently I dined at the Bribie Island RSL with my family. I noticed a few signs indicating the Smoking was not allowed in most areas. I also noticed a sign that a particular area WAS reserved for smokers and it included the following words.
“If passive smoking offends, don’t pass this sign”.
Surely it is a matter of choice. Like most Clubs there is an area set aside for those who want to smoke. Why can’t naturists be given the ‘freedom of choice’ on SOME of our lovely beaches?