Nude sir?
I have recently been told a story of how Noosa Beach got its name which will be of interest to Naturists. Apparently in the 1880-1890's in the Noosa area, it was well known that some of the white male farmers of the region used the beach at Noosa to swim nude. At the time the local indigenous people called all white males Sir. So to the local tribe the beach became known as Nude Sir Beach spelt at that time the same way it was pronounced by the natives " NU SA". It was only later that the spelling was changed to Noosa Beach.

Anita Grigg, QLD

[Ed - If only Noosa Shire saw it this way... Still, it's a nice thought.]

Nude at the Opera House
I am a long time nudist and I was thrilled to attend the Spencer Tunick photo shoot this morning. 5,200 nude people turned up. The people of Sydney have spoken loud and clear. We want to be nude in public. This is an opportunity the ANF and nudists should seize upon. If the law can allow 5,200 naked people on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, a public place, then the law can allow the ANF to hold a nudist rights protest gathering on the streets of Sydney.

Spencer Tunick has set a legal precedent here. We cannot have a "sometimes law". Sometimes you can be nude in public and sometimes you can't. Even an hour or so after the photo shoot had been completed, three nudists were still walking naked around the forecourt of the opera house for a nude on-camera interview on channel nine's today show.

If we are serious about getting the laws changed to allow us to be nude in public, then we have to get off our collective butts and hold nude marches and gatherings, or social nude events, in public places. We only wear clothes because society says so. Well, society spoke loud and clear today. We don't always want to wear clothes. If Spencer Tunick can do it, so can we!

Australia is lagging way behind the rest of the world, where public nudity is a common and acceptable practice and a way of life.

We have to do this now and we have to keep on doing this. I suggest that the ANF contact the 5,200 nudists that participated at the Sydney Opera House and invite them, along with other nudists to hold nude protest marches, rallies and nude social events across the length and breadth of Sydney. The ANF has too long been a toothless tiger on nude rights. The only way that we are going to get nude rights is for us nudists to get out there and to be seen naked, en mass, on the streets of Sydney. The people of Sydney spoke loud and clear today. We accept public nudity and we want public nudity. I am looking forward to your feedback on this matter.

Michael Hudson

A great beach
Just thought i would drop you a line on a nice isolated nudist friendly beach. There are no amenities but it is a quiet area for nude sunbathing except for the occasional boogy board rider and groups of bush walkers. If you go to some of the quieter spots south of the main beach there are some nice rock pools to have a dip in. I must point out the area is not too child friendly; sorry about that. Please see attached photos I have take off the beach. Ocean beach is just past little Jibbon beach. One picture is me at the beach, another is one of the areas south of the main beach ideal for sun bathing and close to a rock pool.

Wes (NSW) [Ed - Thanks Wes, we always like hearing about new locations, keep them coming!]

Open, assertive, less secretive
I read with interest your editorial in Issue 14 and agree with your attitude to your daughter's liking for going naked. If I had children I would adopt the same approach. Children are the future of society, the future leaders and decision makers. Parents who believe in the nude lifestyle should therefore encourage their children to develop favourable attitudes towards it.

A recent article in The Sydney Morning Herald (27/28 February) relates to your editorial. It reports on an apparently growing rejection of, and opposition to nudity in Australia. It also reports on a recent police raid on Little Congwong beach, and very worryingly, quotes a senior police officer involved in the raid as saying if he had seen naked school-age children there he would have considered a referral to the Department of Community Services - presumably for it to consider action against the parents! But the article is, overall, balanced and nudist friendly. Supporters of nudism are quoted at length. The photo accompanying the article presents a very good image: a diverse crowd of people, nearly all nude, enjoying a sunny day at Reef beach. Interestingly a report (with photo) on the response to Spencer Tunick's call for volunteers (SMH 2nd March) and letters to the editor in the same issue would seem to indicate more support for nudism than earlier articles suggested.

Nudists need to become more open and assertive, less secretive. Promote nudism; learn from the gay community and the level of acceptance it has achieved. Instead of hiding away in nudist locations, go nude anywhere it would be reasonably safe and not obviously inappropriate. Give the conventional boundaries a bit of a push sometimes; I do. Do not be excessively sensitive; ignore people who look or walk up and down the beach. Finally, the nudist movement should cultivate journalists who might be sympathetic and should seek to place articles in the mainstream media, such as the Sydney Morning Herald. Articles on Armands and Samurai Beaches could be good. The Herald might be open to suggestions it survey readers' attitudes to nudism.

John Gooch

Get involved!
My wife thinks Dario Western must get hit in the head a lot. She cites his views as proof of the damage done, but I'm a little more tolerant. As the editor pointed out last issue, at least Dario has an opinion and it's something that more nudists need. While I'm not sure that "a few choice words ending with off" and where that leads is the right approach, the fact is that if we don't fight for our rights, we will lose what others have so tirelessly won us.

Beach by beach they will disappear. I can't believe how much general apathy nudists show to anything except their local beach. You NEED to get behind the ANF, get behind the FBA and stop whinging that they're not effective, when you're not even involved! These organisations need your support, if you don't like the way they operate then get involved and change it.

Jon Mason (WA)

Perfect match
Hi Dario, I'm the sort of girl who doesn't want the company of a man who's needlessly aggressive, angry or confrontational. I think that's how we all are? I can't imagine Peter or his wife would have had a much better time at Little Diggers beach by starting a fight with a freak. If you start acting like a vigilante, then you are the problem.

Serena Dunmir (QLD)

Maslin beach
I can't help thinking Tony Pinson would have been better served if he simply said, "The weather was crap, we were there, but no one turned up." The rest of it reads like a poor excuse, that isn't needed.

Graeme (QLD)

No, you're wrong
In the latest edition of Australian Sun and Health following Tony Pinson's letter, you wrote:- "The event was publicised to us as late as the 6th January, who knew it was a club only event? Funny then to publicise it to national magazines" This comment is not correct in a couple of ways. I try to send out a copy of the coming events monthly via email & you are one of the recipients. I sent you the calendar of events on at least 6 occasions leading up to the Picnic Day. For you to suggest it was publicised to you as late as the 6th January is not correct. You were notified by an email which contained information about the Picnic Day on the following occasions: 20/07/2009 8:01pm, 01/09/2009 8:44pm, 29/09/2009 6:47pm, 02/11/2009 6:49pm, 01/12/2009 7:14pm, 06/01/2010 6:49pm.

You were "publicised to" well before the 6th January. I keep copies of all my email communications. Just to remind you of that you were notified before the 6th January I have forwarded copies of the emails indicated (above).

Some of the copies I sent to you to remind you that I had sent the emails to you may not show your emaill address as I sometimes used the BCC function which hides the recipients list, but some do show your address. Although the BCC function hides the address on some of the emails, I have checked the original emails and yes your email address is in the BCC list on all of them.

It is not a "club only" event as you suggest, it is an event run by the local clubs for its members and anyone is welcome to join in being a public location. As far as I'm aware it has never been advertised as a "club only" event (unless you can prove otherwise) and never will be.

The "Funny then to publicise it to a national magazine" comment I assume you are referring the emails I usually try to send out every month is a reminder to the receivers of coming events & to let the likes of your magazine know what events are happening in South Australia as a service to the clubs here in South Australia, but if you wish not to receive this information for possible inclusion in your magazine then I'm happy to remove your email address from the list of recipients, but I would have thought that an editor of a magazine would be happy to receive this type of information & not think it "funny". It is just a service to try to keep the nudist community informed about what is happening in South Australia, no more and no less. I suggest you get your facts right for your magazine.

As to Don Stewart's comments in his letter, as you would be well aware it is not possible to control the weather.

The day of the picnic the weather was far from perfect preventing even erecting a shade or tent let alone a club sign.

The picnic definitely was not cancelled & was attended by a small number of dedicated members. Considering the weather I for one was not going to get naked - "I'm a nudist, not stupid", it was just too cold & windy to get my gear off. This is the first time I have visited Maslin Beach & not get my gear off. If Don had bothered to talk to some us brave enough to be on the beach in such cold windy conditions he would have realised it was not cancelled.

We were there and we had our picnic lunch - only it was gritty due to the sand being blown down the beach. I often think the editors of magazines such as yours do not realise how much damage you do by publishing such negative letters in your magazine. I understand you are trying to put forward balanced views, but the likes of Southern United Naturists and Pilwarren struggle enough to survive without this type of negative publicity, you do more damage than good by trying to present a balanced of opinions. This type of negative publicity is extremely damaging to small clubs and resorts. You really should have a bit more consideration or is it just a case of you do not care as long as you sell your magazine and make a profit even if it is at the expense of the lifestyle you promote in your magazine. Bet you don't publish this in full in your magazine!!!

Stay Nude and Happy
David Pillar, Pilwarren

[Ed - My comments were made in response to Tony's assertion that the event had not been publicised... (Issue 15, The Bottom Line :"Picnic is not a publicised public event") Your email pretty clearly supports our position that it was. I'm also pretty sure we got the facts right and I stand by the statement "The event was publicised to us as late as the 6th January", although I suspect you've not understood what was meant. Now as far as the bet goes, ... well it wasn't exactly sporting. Your letter was six days past deadline and twice our preferred length, but I've printed it anyway; though I don't think you've done yourself any favours. .. and for future reference readers, a bet around here usually involved a bottle of red!]

Live and let live
Just a quick note to let you know how refreshing I found your editorial in AS&H issue 14. Your approach mirrors my outlook on what is a sensitive subject to the public at large, the most vocal of which seem to have set ways and apparently believe others should share them. Live and let live and, above all, let common sense apply. Kind regards and, on behalf of fellow subscribers, thanks for a most entertaining magazine.

Bob Squire

I'll write!
(Re. Lady Jane beach) I will write to Anthony Boskovitz. Naturist families should plan to go in significant numbers/groups. This will discourage any nonsense.

On my 2005 trip to Australia I was in Sydney for two months. I went to Lady Jane, Cobblers, Little Conwong and Little Jibbon and Werrong, the latter two in the Royal National Park south of the city. Lady Jane, depending on the day, certainly had the vibe of a gay male cruising spot. I did not see any sexual activity at any time. Obelisk Beach across from Cobblers has the same vibe. I only visited Obelisk once and there were 19 males and one female. Lady Jane does get more variety of demographics than Obelisk, and at Lady Jane besides the gays you get international tourists because Lady Jane is mentioned as a nude beach in all the guidebooks. The well known Doyle's Seafood is the closest thing nearby so it is on the tourist circuit. I have been there on days when it is all male and other days when it was 50/50 with single ladies and couples.

Aside from the demographics it is a stunning view across the harbour. One major problem is there is not much sand and at high tide or rough waters when the sand that is there can be damp., it is a very narrow beach.

Richard Spacer, Kaui Naturists