MARCH APRIL 1991

Hello Sun Friends,

Ngatuhoa 1991 was the largest and most successful, despite the rain, to date. Sunning, swimming and canoeing may have been almost washed out but the tramps, jogs and card games in the hall went on in their place. We even had an Aerobics class! The Saturday Undress Ball was as popular as ever and the costumes had to be seen to be believed. Everyone was so very friendly. The rain might have made a bog of the village green but could not dampen the spirits. A special thanks to all.

This year's record attendance was 86 including 11 young children. Members came from as far as Wellington and Palmerston North, with one all the way from Canada. My hasn't the Lodge's fame spread! We also had a number of guests from the Auckland Outdoor Health Club, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Hibiscus Coast and Rotota Sun Clubs - thanks for your support.

The committee wishes to thank those who helped with Saturday's social, checking the water heater, starting the water pumps and a special thanks to those who supplied the lamb on a spit.

Next year's lodge will be Wednesday 22nd to Monday 27th January 1992. Six more nights of bliss to start 1992. The committee would like to know if anybody had trouble finding the Thorn Road meeting place. A suggestion has been made that next year it would be easier to meet by the waterfalls on McLaren Falls Road. Comments please.

A donation of $40 was made to the Kaimai Youth Society to show our gratitude.

 

URETITI BEACH CHRISTMAS CAMP: Many FBG members turned up to camp for just for a day visit. The weather did us proud with sunshine, a calm sea and very little rain. In fact a total ground fire ban was in operation. The fishing was excellent, including a 2 metre hammerhead shark. Many fish were shared around and much fun was had by all. This is one of the better places to camp and sunbathe and we look forward to our Easter camp there.

 

NGATUHOA LOST PROPERTY: A number of items left behind at the lodge include: one bag of cassettes, shorts, socks, T-shirts and one cooking pot. If you recognise any of these or if you think you left anything else behind please contact the committee.

 

PAPAMOA BEACH: The legal nude beach signs have been removed at the request of the Maori land owners. As this appears to be private property please leave if asked to do so. It won't help to argue. Your committee is urgently examining a number of options. It would also assist us greatly if someone from the Bay of Plenty could come forward and offer themselves as a contact for the area.

 

RESIGNATION: Former secretary of the FBG, Adrianne Caldwell, is leaving Auckland and has therefore resigned from the FBG committee. She will continue doing the beach list updates and would appreciate any and all beach information that members are able to pass on. The committee would like to thank Adrianne for her many years of work in producing our newsletter and much other secretarial work and general "running around" on the club's behalf. We wish her well in the future and hope to see her whenever she comes to Auckland.

 

AOHC SPORTS DAY: The FBG was invited by the AOHC to an Inter Club Sports day on Anniversary Day. Unfortunately this arrived too late for our last newsletter. One of our committee members did attend and thoroughly enjoyed the day out. This would be a good alternative for these who do not go to Ngatuhoa and we hope they invite us to next year's event.

 

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SWIMERMA: Unfortunately the redesign of Swimmerama has made it totally unsuitable for our use. The search is now on for a new home for this event. Any ideas??

 

BEACH LISTS: We are always interested to hear from locals about the beaches in their areas. It will help us to improve the beach lists - especially in regards as to the best beaches, routes and how long it takes to get anywhere. If you can check the beach list and let us know of an inaccuracies of this sort we would be grateful.

 

HOT POOL NIGHTS - RICCARDS: This long running and popular event is on again. Last Friday of each month, February through November. Come and join the fun 6pm to 10pm. Chinese and European takeaways on site. Riccards pool complex as the last on the left as you drive through Parakai.

Dates: February 22nd, March 29th, April 26th.
Cost: Adults $4.50 Children $2.80
Hosts: Hibiscus Coast Sun Club

 

SAUNA: Sunday night is still sauna night so join us at:

PLACE: Alladins Bathhouse, 433 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn.

TIME: Every Sunday from 5pm, onward.

COST: $6.50, includes free coffee, tea and fruit drinks.

SOCIAL NIGHTS: Second Sunday every month: 10th March, l4th April.

BYO and a plate.

RESTAURANT DINNERS: Don't forget we occasionally go off after the

sauna to wine and dine in a city restaurant.

Contact: John or Fran 565-219.

DEADLINE FOP NEXT ISSUE: April 9th - Local organisers P1ease note!

Your May - June newsletter is due out end of April.

COMMITTEE

 

Chairman  - Tony Wilson    627-9726
Treasurer/Membership Sec - Jim Peddieson 559-730* (ask for Jim)
Secretary - John Riggir    565-219

Committee - Adrienne Jury  567-519

Roly Brett     562-494

Fran Riggir    565-219

Dave Hobart    537-5443

Colin Walsh    266-5667*

Tom Lewis      418-1890

Local Contacts:- Chris Arnold        CH  03-355-8337

Doug and Peggy Ball NU  067-33-393

Bi11 Baine          WN  04-628-514

Bernard Holibar     PUK 085-87-973

Geoff Horn          WAE 058-35-192

Gerald Robertson    CH  03-348-3195

Hugh Bowles         DV  0653-46-238

Please use numbers marked * with discretion.

 

 

 

AUCKLAND DIARY MARCH 1991

 

BEACH DAY AT TAWHITOKINO: Sunday l0th March. High tide 2.23pm
Directions: From Clevedon follow signs to Kawakawa Bay, drive on through the Kawakawa Bay Coast Road, past the boat club ramp, and go to the end of the road. Walk east over the rocks then go up the ARC track beside the stream. No access two hours each side of high tide.

 

BEACH DAY AT ORPHEUS BAY: Weekend 16th & 17th March.

High tides 7.2lam and 8.02am.

Directions: From Titirangi, follow signs towards Huia, turn left at sign to Huia Point Lookout. Track entrance 200m along, in far corner of grassed parking area.

 

ST. LEONARDS BEACH DAY: Weekend 23rd & 24th March.

High tide 12.42pm and 1.4lpm.

Directions: From Takapuna, drive south 2km along Lake Road, turn left into St. Leonards Road and park at the end. Go down steps to the beach and walk south.

 

CAMPING WEEKEND AT URETITI: Easter Weekend 29th March - 1 St April.

High tides 6.22am to 8.4lam.

Directions: From State Highway 1, 6km north of Waipu, turn into the Uretiti Beach Recreation Reserve camping ground. Water taps, flush toilets, cold showers. No Dogs. Supplies at Waipu or Ruakaka, 3km north.

 

"Well there goes my appetite."

 

 

 

 

14 Burns Street
TAURANGA 

 

5 February 1991 

 

Dear FBG,

You and your members are invited to this years Tauranga Hot Pool weekend. The Fernland hot pool in Cambridge Road is booked 12:00pm - 4:00pm, Saturday 18 May (last weekend of school holidays). We have exclusive use of the main pool again, so club uniform and rules apply.

 

Cost is still $4.00 - adult, $1.00 - child; club ID or I.N.F passport will be required for entry. Lunch and refreshments may be taken into the pool area.

 

A pot-luck dinner and social evening at my home, will follow the swim. Please bring a plate (with food!) and BYOG. Also cutlery, glasses, plate (disposable?).

 

Friday evening 17 May, we will book lanes at Ten-Pin Tauranga (13th Avenue) for about 8:00pm. Please book with me before 11 May for this.

 

Beds and camping space are available with a number of people in Tauranga, or motel bookings can be made if needed. Enquiries to me at phone: (075) 786 693 or the above address.

 

Will you please advertise this in your club's newsletter. This is the seventh year for this function: I look forward to welcoming old and new friends.

 

Thank you for your support.

 

Yours in nudism

G G Macgregor

for ROTORUA SUN CLUB (Inc)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	P.O. BOX 41-171 ST. LUKES AUCKLAND 3

March/April 1991

 

 

Because of other commitments, Wilf Tyrrell has been forced to give up the newsletter/reporter role. I will try and keep up the good work. Thanks Wilf for all your time and effort and your offer to still help out with organisation.

 

Several local members are reluctant to travel far from Christchurch for beach days. It is costly to travel 1ong distances only to find that there are no other FBG members there, even though it has been publicised in the newsletter. Wilf and I therefore feel that, for the short term, we should restrict ourselves to the most local beaches - Spencerville, Woodend and Waikuku. At Spencerville, enter the beach near the Surf Club rooms and go south (right) for about 5-10 minutes. At Woodend Beach, enter the beach at the end of the sealed road and go north (left) for about 5 minutes. Both these possies give good protection in the dunes if the nor-easterly blows. At Waikuku Beach go south (right) from the Surf Club rooms for a few minutes.

 

Wilf had the privilege of attending the rally at Rolleston on New Year's Eve. He had a relaxed and enjoyable day. A sincere thanks must go out to the organisers and the Sun Club for allowing Wilf and other FBG members to participate.

 

Be sun wise and use a suntan lotion, hats and a tee shirt if the sun is very hot. A skin specialist has advised that the best suntan lotion and creams on the market are "Sunsense", available at most chemists.

 

 

Canterbury Diary

March  2 & 3  9 & l0 16 & 17 23 - 25 30 & 31		Woodend Beach Waikuku Beach Spencerville Beach Woodend Beach Waikuku Beach
April  6 & 7 13 & 14 20 & 21 27 & 28		Spencerville Beach Woodend Beach Waikuku Beach Spencerville Beach

 

 

 

 

 

We need your comments and ideas so please contact Wilf (596-143) or me (355-8337 after 27/1/91).

 

Chris Arnold      

 

 

 

 

This is the last month of the summer for which we have a planned programme. We have had a mixed bag of weather in the weekends but have made the most of them. Considering we have only just started our group in New Plymouth, we haven't done too badly, and we should grow in membership as the years go by. As your organiser I have tried to strike a balance between over and under-organising you. Free Beachers are naturally fairly independent people, who do not appreciate being coerced into doing things and going places. But on the other hand, if we don't have any planned activities our group will wither away. So we do have a programme but you are free to follow it or not as you please. Of course I hope you will all participate as often as the weather permits, but I will not be phoning round and twisting your arms every week. However I do not mind in the least if you phone me, whether for more information, directions, or for a ride if you need one.

 

Although winter is approaching, I hope we will not lose contact with each other. Perhaps you have some ideas for social evenings or weekend events. If you do, please let me know and I will put them in our Newsletter.

 

Well, that's it for this summer. All you have to do is attend the March events and rejoin FBG next summer. And bring along all your friends. If you enjoy it, so will they.

 

STONY RIVER, SUNDAY 3 MARCH

In November the weather was unkind to us when we tried to have a picnic up the Stony River, so let's try again! Peggy and I have explored this venue and found a really nice place beside the stream which you will all enjoy. Bring your lunches and something to lie on, and of course your sun-screen and sun-hat. There is hardly any distance to walk (unless you would like to explore a little) so type of footwear is not important. All meet at 16 Selwyn St at 9.30 am. If the weather is doubtful, listen to Radio Taranaki at 9 am. If the mountain weather is bad but the beach weather is good, we will go to Tapuae instead.

 

WEST BEACH, SUNDAY 10 MARCH

High tide is at 6 am today, so why not have a picnic lunch? Same place as last month, about 11 am.

 

TAPUAE, SUNDAY 17 MARCH

No instructions needed! High tide at 11 am if you're interested.

 

LOWER PITONE ROAD, SUNDAY 24 MARCH
Drive down SH 45 for about 5 minutes past Oakura. Shortly after the Okato Dairy Factory, turn right down Lower Timaru Road. About 2 km down this road take the left fork into Greenwood Road which leads down to the sea and crosses a little white bridge. There is plenty of room to park just past this bridge. Walk back past the bridge and north up the beach until you find a nice spot. High tide is at 6 pm today.

 

TAPUAE, SUNDAY 31 MARCH

Your favourite beach again. High tide 11 am.

 

KOMENE ROAD, SUNDAY 7 APRIL

A new venue for us to start the new month. Komene Road runs down to the sea about 4 km past Okato. From the end of the road, follow tracks through the lupins to the beach, then turn right and walk towards the mouth of the Stony River. We will have a barbecue lunch to wind up our summer activities. Come about 11 am. High tide is at 4.30 pm.

 

Doug Ball.

New Plymouth Organiser, Phone 33-393.

 

 

 

 

SOUTH ISLAND SAFARI: Debbie and I set off on our epic journey in November, making our first stop at Pikowai, in the Bay of Plenty. The camping ground there has been upgraded, with a new toilet block and hot shower. Caryl and Bill gave us a warm welcome at Rotota. Poised on the shore of a beautiful pine-fringed lake, Rotota has a vast area of sheltered sun lawns, and the usual sun club amenities, plus bush tracks to a warm stream and waterfall. Of the beaches in Southern Hawkes Bay, I liked Porangahau the best, where there is a camping ground in the dunes. From here we went across to Feilding, where Garvan kindly showed me his favourite spots on the Oroua River. In Wellington, Bill offered us his gracious hospitality, and a few of us went for a walk along Fitzroy Bay to Lake Kohangatera. Then we were off on the Interislander to that distant country called the South Island.

On our first day we discovered a lovely little beach, Whites Bay, just over the hill from Rarangi, a DOC reserve and camping ground, with lots of tramping tracks in the surrounding hills. Ward Beach was pretty isolated, or so I thought. It looked like the dumping ground for worn-out council bulldozers, but early in the morning we were woken up by these noisy monsters hauling the local crayfishing boats out to sea. The place was a hive of activity.

 

If you are travelling along SH6 between Blenheim and Nelson on a hot day, there are some secluded pools up the Wakamarino River at Canvastown. Go about 1 km up an unmarked gravel road between the bridge and the school, and walk across the grass to some willows. Ed and Dru Knowles live over the road.

 

I would also like your opinions of some new beaches I thought we might add to our list. Waima Beach s 10 km south of Ward, with access tracks across the dunes and sheltered places to camp; Hapuku Beach is 9 km north of Kaikoura; Kakanui and All Day Bay are just south of Oamaru. Some beaches I wish to delete: Kaiteriteri, Awaroa Bay, Pukaka Valley, Barrytown Beach, Lake Kaniere, North Beach, Hobson Bay, Rapaki Bay, Camp Bay, Ryans Beach, Sandfly Bay and Tunnel Beach.

 

How nice it is to wander along a strange beach in a strange place and come upon a Fred Bear flag flying in the breeze. Instantly the strangeness is gone and you are among friends. So it was that I met the Christchurch Free Beach Group. Of your northern beaches, I liked Woodend best. The Waimak River gets full marks from me. I spent several hours there soaking up the sun, blissfully nude in the wide open spaces. Ideal for nude camping, but there is no swimming hole except at the intake dam. I thought your Jellie Park pool was spot-on. Auckland has nothing like this! Le Bons Bay would be nice for a weekend FBG camp. My time in Christchurch ended with a few hours at the Ashley River. Geoff, your Otaki Forks must take second place to this one! A most attractive and popular picnic spot, but there is room for all. We wandered upstream to some lovely pools. Further along the same road are the Glentui Falls, a little like Ngatuhoa, where we did our woodland nymph act in a little pool above the falls.

 

I found some other nice river spots on my travels. Near Wanaka, where the Hawea River joins the mighty Clutha, there is a large DOC camping ground where you can hide away with a little well-placed screening around your camp-site. Between Fairlie and Geraldine there is a free camping spot beside the Opuha River. Walk upstream for pools used by local skinny-dippers. In the South Island the rivers are safer for swimming than the beaches, and more popular. There must be lots of river spots in both islands where we could go, and I'd like your suggestions. Has anybody tried the Mohaka River, near Te Pohue in Hawkes Bay, or the Tairua River near Neavesville?

 

By far the most beautiful beach I have ever come across is out from Port Chalmers, at Purakanui, over the headland where the Mapoutahi Pa used to be. Wainui Bay is easily the best in Golden Bay, and the only beach apart from Christchurch where I met any nudists. Mapua was packed full the day we called in, with a happy holiday atmosphere, but the attitude of one of the locals at Rabbit Island disturbed me. "Nudists should go to Mapua. That's the place for them!"

 

Back in Wellington, we were met once again with a warm FBG welcome in Bill's beautiful garden, the perfect ending for a wonderful holiday. Now we are starting a new life out of Auckland, but please keep sending your suggestions for beaches, and thankyou if you already have.