# 137 - June 1991 

When my friend, Sharon, invited me to a swim party at her house, there was one thing I didn't know.

It started out like an ordinary swim party, you know, with kids arriving and greeting each other. She showed me her family room and introduced me to the kids I didn't know. Outside, some kids were already in their pool, and they looked so cool on that hot day that I immediately went to Sharon's bedroom and put on my bathing suit.

The water gave me that first cold shock as I eased into it; the hot air made it feel colder than it was. A girl from my history class named Cheryl swam up to greet me and chat a bit. I don't remember what we talked about because as soon as she stood up it was apparent that she didn't have a top on (I realized later she didn't have a bottom on either).

I was so flabbergasted I didn't know what to say, so I followed Mum's policy of "If you don't know what to say, don't say anything."

Before I could think of anything not to say, out of the patio doors came two boys and three girls - all wearing their birthday suits! They tossed their towels on a chair and dove into the pool and began to horse around like everybody does at a pool party.

To my great relief, a minute later Rhonda, a girl from my maths class came out to the pool - and she was wearing her bathing suit. Later, several boys and a couple more girls came out and they wore suits, but by the time all the kids were there, most were as naked as the day they were born!

A boy named Richard swam over to Cheryl and me and asked us to join in a water polo game. When he stood up in the waist deep water it was discreetly obvious that he was also naked. It didn't seem to bother them that I wore my bathing suit, but I sure felt funny seeing THEM all naked. (Well, what DO you say to a naked boy?)

I awkwardly excused myself from the pool and climbed out to find Rhonda. At least she had a suit on - not her birthday suit, but a real bathing suit.

"Rhonda what kind of party is this?" I asked when I found her sunning on a chaise lounge. I sat down by her.

"Hi, Paula," she greeted, then asked, "You didn't know this is a clothes-optional party?"

"Sharon said it was clothes-optional - I guess I didn't understand that meant naked or not. Is - is it going to be some kind of orgy or something?" I asked. (If it was, I was ready to leave right then, even dripping wet.)

"Oh no, not at all. Sharon's family are members of a nudist club. She has some friends from the club who live near here so she invites them to her parties as well as the kids from school."

I looked round the group of fifteen or twenty kids in the yard, and you know, I had the strongest urge to look where proper girls aren't supposed to look (especially on the boys)! I was embarrassed to be caught staring so I concentrated on keeping my eyes at eye level - or above. (Well I have to admit I did peek a few times.)

"Are you going to take off your suit and go skinny dipping?" Rhonda asked me.

"Who, ME?" (I felt my whole head blush.) "Uh, are you?"

"I don't know. I want to, but I would feel so - so naked."

"Of course you'd feel naked." We looked up to see that Sharon had walked up just then. (How could she stand there without a stitch on, boys - naked boys - all over the place, and SHE was the one at ease while I was embarrassed?) "Is there anything wrong with feeling naked?"

"Don't you feel embarrassed?" Rhonda and I said together.

"No, but I do feel warm sunshine all over my body; I love how the breeze flows over my skin. Even the water in the pool feels different; more like you're a part of it. And when I get out of the pool I don't feel a cold, clammy bathing suit clinging to me."

Rhonda and I didn't know what to say.

"Now, I hate it when I have to wear a bathing suit because you miss so much of being a part of nature. You'll still be good friends to me even if you don't skinny dip, however. Have a good time," Sharon said and then went to help her Mum and Dad get the food ready for our dinner.

"What do YOU think, Rhonda?" I asked.

"Well, I knew they skinny dipped because I've been to two of Sharon's parties. I came because I really want to TRY it. I wouldn't think of it if her parents weren't home; they won't let her have a nude party unless they are here to keep things, well, should I say 'moral'. But Sharon's not that way anyhow."

Rhonda stopped talking and undid the strap round her neck. "I want to take it off, but I don't know if I have the courage."

Again I looked at the pool. "It looks like an ordinary pool party to me - except that most of the kids are naked. I can't believe it. I thought if everybody was naked they'd all be thinking about sex."

"I used to think that way, too. But actually, a lot more 'making out' goes on at the so-called normal parties I've been to. Here, everybody plays games and gets to know everybody else better, instead of finding dark corners of the house."

"Rhonda, doesn't it embarrass you to see boys naked?" I asked, after a blond guy walked from the pool to the patio door - and I couldn't help taking another peek. (Why am I so curious about it?)

"Yeah, it did the first time I came. I thought it's - it's rather ugly. But I can't think of any different way Nature could have made it to do the task it's made for. Now I think it's marvelous how Nature designed both boys and girls."

"I guess you're right," I said as my mind raced about, "but it does seem strange to be so casual about it."

"I will if you will," Rhonda said suddenly.

"Will what?" I blushed (as if I didn't know!).

"Go skinny dipping for the first time," Rhonda grinned.

"Who, ME?" (I was still trying to buy time.)

"Yes, silly. I really want to try it, but I don't want to do it all by myself. Would you?"

"Take off my bathing suit right here?"

"No," she said, "we'll go into the bedroom and take them off and then come back out."

"Won't everybody stare at me - uh, at us?"

"Nobody's staring at anybody else that I can see. Why would they stare at us? We're normal girls like the rest of the naked girls. Nobody will stare at us - I HOPE!"

(How could I admit that I had been staring - well, at least peeking out of the corner of my eyes?

I could already feel something weird happening inside me as I imagined myself naked, outdoors with all those kids.)

"My brain tells me that it would be okay," I said, "that nobody is going to see me as different than the other girls. But - but it makes me feel all queasy thinking about actually taking my clothes off. Why does my brain say it's okay and would be fun, but I FEEL so different." (I did start to feel quivery with excitement.)

"That's how I feel. My brain says, 'Try it, you'll really like it,' but I feel squeamish, like I won't be in control of what happens to me."

"Maybe we use clothes as a sort of emotional protection from others - like, if they can't see our body then they can't see the real us."

"But our bodies look like any other girl's body," Rhonda paused for a moment, then added thoughtfully, "I don't see why anybody would view us as any different."

"Come and join the water polo game," Richard said as he walked up to us with another girl we didn't know.

"What are you going to do, sit here the whole time talking about the problems of the whole world?"

(How could they stand there like that? I had to concentrate HARD, on looking straight into his eyes; it wasn't easy with them as naked as jaybirds only three feet away!)

"We were just going to take off our suits and join you, weren't we Paula?"

I gulped, and nodded as I felt the blood rush through my ears. Trying to hide the wobbly, excited feeling I had, I stood up and said coolly, "Yeah, Rhonda. Let's hurry." Then I walked as fast as I could into the house. The girl with Richard smiled knowingly and followed us.

"First time to skinny dip with boys?" she asked.

"First time ever," we replied, unable to stop our self-conscious giggles.

"I did it the first time this spring. At first I felt very self-conscious and vulnerable. Even now when I FIRST take off my clothes I feel funny. But I soon forget that I'm naked and I don't even see the others as really naked. I like the feeling of freedom and honesty, like I'm a true part of nature. I know you'll like it. You'll feel strange, but strange in a good way."

I slipped out of my wet bathing suit and put it in my beach bag. I looked out the window at all the kids, and realized that she was right, I did feel strange in a good sort of way. Rhonda was ready, so we went to face the "music."

When we stepped out the patio door I felt like everybody was looking at me. Rhonda must have felt the same because she paused a little on the step. My brain kept telling me nobody was staring, and my eyes confirmed it when I glanced self-consciously around, but I still FELT like they were!

Richard called from the pool that they had places for us on each team so we jumped in the water. (Usually I ease myself into the cold water, but this time the water seemed to offer some protection from my feeling of being totally exposed!)

The game resumed its play before I could stop my shivering, and before I had a chance to think about my nakedness the ball came to me and I had to pass it to somebody else.

Moving in the water, I was acutely conscious of the water flowing over my body and I realized that Sharon was right. IT DID FEEL GOOD! We played quite a while and then they called us to eat the hot hamburgers.

By then I found that I'd enjoyed the game so much that I had actually forgotten several times that I was naked! (I don't know how I could, but I really did!)

As soon as I got out of the pool, however, I remembered instantly that I was naked because I felt a breeze across my breasts and abdomen - where I had never felt a breeze before. It DID feel good, and it dried me off (mostly) in a few minutes like Sharon said. (Already the thought of a wet, sticky bathing suit on me seemed awful!)

While we ate our hamburgers and chips the conversation turned to skinny dipping. A lot of the kids went to certain beaches and hot springs where they didn't have to wear any bathing suits. I learned that it is "naturists" that like to be free to wear bathing suits or take them off if they want.

Some of the kids still had their bathing suits on and one of those girls said she thought we (I guess I was thinking of myself as a naturist already) were all oddballs to want to be naked.

Photo: Leif Heilberg

Richard was the president of the Nudist Youth club and knew a lot about naturists. He asked her how old she was and she replied, "Fifteen."

"Do you know that in England about 45% of the kids YOUR age think it's okay to go without clothes in a warm climate? And," Richard added, sounding knowledgeable, "in Australia it's 50%. In Sweden some 60% of the fifteen year olds think it's okay to be naked when it's warm!" "Yes," Sharon broke in, "but in America only 19% of the kids think it's okay." "Well it isn't okay," the girl in the bathing suit said sourly, "all it does is make you think about sex and that stuff."

Richard waved his arm round the group and asked, "How many of you have been spending your party time thinking about having sex?" A few kids giggled, suspecting what was about to happen, but nobody said anything. "Well, I guess you're the only one thinking about sex and YOU have a bathing suit on!" All the naturists laughed, but the girl got so mad she couldn't say anything.

"Actually," Sharon added, trying to calm her down, "in those countries we mentioned the teen pregnancy and abortion are significantly lower than in America. Also, another scientific study shows that naturists have LESS casual premarital sex, extramarital sex, group sex, incest and rape."

One of the boys with bathing suits said, "I don't believe it. Being naked is part of sex."

"Is that why you're staying here," asked Richard, "because you think you can get in on some of the 'action' later on?"

"No. I - I don't know why."

Rhonda whispered to me, "I know why he stayed - he likes to look at naked girls. I noticed him and his friend gawking and snickering."

"Yeah," I whispered back, "and he'll spend the rest of his life looking at pictures and dirty movies because he thinks girls are just their body." (I don't know if I should feel sorry for him or just disgusted.)

Richard continued with that tone of leadership, "Well, there won't be any 'action' here because to us naturists nudity is NOT the same as sexy.

In fact, being sexy has nothing to do with male or female bodies. Sexiness is friendliness, kindness, self confidence, intelligence, and those kinds of things; and the exact same things for BOTH boys and girls."

"To me, sexiness is that certain twinkle or sparkle in your eyes that says 'I like you'," Sharon added. "It's a willingness to help a guy fix his car, or the ability to let him help you with your chemistry homework. Sexiness is what's INSIDE you."

One of the boys turned to the girl next to him and held up his arms like a monster about to strike and said, "Ye-e-ah, I'm going to cut you open and see what's sexy inside you!" She knew it was a joke, but scampered out of his reach and soon the chase was on until they both jumped back in the pool. Everybody laughed and some kids started planning another party while the others went back in the pool.

Since it was getting cooler, Rhonda and I didn't want to get back into the pool, so we helped Sharon's mum clean up the food until a couple of guys asked us to play badminton with them.

We had a great time until it was to dark to see. And I have to admit that most of the time I forgot we were all naked. (I didn't try to forget, it just happened!)

When I went home that night I had a lot to think about. I realized that my association of nudity with sex was learned - nobody got turned on by anyone's body. It seemed that the kids were more sincere and honest between the boys and girls, like nobody put on sexy clothes to make themselves seem sexy when they weren't. They had to rely on their personalities, not their appearance, to express how they really are on the inside.

It's hard to pretend you are something you are not when you are naked - you just have to be yourself. I feel more secure with naturists kids because I like that honesty, sincerity, and openness! And, I like the feel of the sun, breeze, and water.

By the way, I've been to a lot more skinny dipping parties since then, and now I can't stand a wet, clammy bathing suit on me either - I'D RATHER BE CLOTHED WITH THE SUN!

Reprint: Bare in Mind.

I.N.F. CARD ...

Passport to Quality?

Bart Wijnberg - INF President

Did you know that you belong to a world federation? Of course you knew. But you might not always be aware of it. When you visit a holiday centre or a club in another country you suddenly see people from other states and other countries.

Did you ever realise how come they are there? How did they get in touch, and what attracted them? Is it the quality of the surroundings or the kind of people? Or was it the exhilarating idea of nudity or closeness to nature?

I would like to say something about these two topics: the fact that we ARE a world organisation, and the quality of what we offer our members and visitors.

The International Naturist Federation in the near future will have more than 30 member countries. It was most exciting during our last Congress in Switzerland to see the young and emerging middle and east European federation in our midst. They had a lot to tell: about the extremely poor conditions in many of their lands, and about the rapid developments in their society that also bear on the state of naturism.

In some countries conditions are so poor that new clubs are hardly feasible.

In other countries the previously existing unorganised naturists could now organise. And in other countries again, it became clear that "red censorship" as they called it was being replaced by black (i.e. clerical) censorship.

But all in all, prospects are good. How can the international community help these new countries? Can INF help? I guess the immense travel opportunities will create new bonds of friendship and more favourable economic possibilities as well. We will try to help the new clubs and federations get organised and help them maintain the true naturist spirit and quality.

That brings me to my second topic; quality. Are we clear enough when we talk about quality? Sheer nudity does not guarantee it, and neither does the prevailing semi-clothed state in some of our larger establishments.

So shouldn't we develop quality criteria? Aren't our members (in other words: you) entitled to know what to expect when a visit to a centre or club is paid for? The main-stream camp grounds have their system of classification, to tell their customers what to expect, so shouldn't we also develop something along these lines?

In developing these criteria we might become aware of some of the answers to the questions that I posed to you: what attracts people to our clubs, grounds and swimming pools? What attracted you? Quality and diversity should be in the foreground.

Only then can we set goals and find the ways and means.

Our INF "club card" should be the passport to international opportunities for quality and diversity in active and rewarding leisure time, in harmony with nature and respectful of the environment.

The earth is ours, and all that is in it, but it is a heritage to be preserved, not a dominion to be despoiled.

As nudists, we should be close to nature, so it is important for us to be leaders in finding ways to care for the earth and not to exploit it. This is the philosophy of James and Jan Bishop, the owners of Pacific Sun Friends.

Pacific Sun Friends is a clothing- optional resort of about 150 acres located not far from Caboolture, Queensland. There are about 50km green grasslands, verdant forests, and the winding Elimbah Creek to swim in. With a clubhouse and plenty of amenities, it is a pleasant place to visit, or to live.

James and Jan live there, and they are building a new home which exemplifies many ways to live well without harming the environment. To begin with, they're building their new home with earth bricks. These bricks, measuring 300 x 150 x 100mm, are made with earth dug right on the site. A lot of work goes into making them, but the cost is minimal, and the double brick walls will provide excellent natural insulation.

With the Greenhouse Effect, energy is becoming a serious concern, but the energy for this house is as natural as the earth brick walls. To start, there are numerous solar collectors, which are resting beside the house now and will eventually be fixed on the roof. These generate electricity which is fed into 48 large, two-cell batteries, providing enough storage to run the house for a week if need be, in times of minimal sunshine.

There are also separate solar units called solar tiles which provide hot water for the house. These are specially designed to fit so they don't protrude above the roof.

A separate energy source stands next to the house. It is an 80 foot high Dunlight wind generator with a capacity of 1100 watts. The 80 foot support consists of two poles with a hinge in the middle, so the generator can be lowered to the ground for servicing if need be.

The electricity from the generator can be used to charge the same batteries that store the electricity from the solar cells.

Thus the Bishops have two separate complimentary electricity sources in their new home. In sunny weather, when the air is often relatively still, the solar cells will provide power. In cloudy, stormy weather, when the solar cells are less useful, the wind generator comes into its own.

Either way, the electricity from the batteries can be fed through an inverter which will change the 24 volt DC to 240 volt AC. The power supply will thus run any ordinary appliance - and, in contrast to most homes, the electricity will be free and totally non-harmful to the environment.

Elimbah Creek, which winds through the spacious grounds of Pacific Sun Friends, is a tidal creek, and it will eventually provide a third source of electricity, by means of a paddle wheel generator turned by the ebb and flow of the tides. Concrete guides will be built on the rocky bottom of the creek to direct the flow of water across the paddle wheel for maximum efficiency, and this is a source of power which unlike sunshine or wind (or Middle East oil) cannot be interrupted. The tidal generator is still far in the future however - James and Jan want first to finish their home.

The water supply for the house, and indeed for all of Pacific Sun Friends, is also completely natural. A 70 foot bore provides 500 gallons per hour of pure water with an excellent balance of minerals for good health. The water is drawn up by a windmill into a main storage tank near the house. The overflow from this main tank feeds four other tanks for taps and outdoor showers throughout the grounds.

In this way there is a large reserve of good water for times of heavy crowd use such as holiday weekends. An especially interesting feature of the house will be the indoor waterfall in the centre of the building. It will be fed by overflow water from the water system, and the falling water will provide a supply of negative ions for good health and harmony. The Bishops have collected a number of colourful rocks to build the waterfall, including pieces of agate, boulder opal, petrified wood, and gold-bearing rock with flecks of pyrites from the historic Nanango gold field.

The waterfall will be part of a fascinating circulation system. The water will be piped to a created rainforest outside the house, featuring food-bearing plants like lilli pilli trees. The water will run over a Koolgardie safe - a large box covered with hessian soaked to create cool air inside. The cool air in turn will flow through a 10-inch pipe back to the house, drawn by a thermosyphon run by hot-air vents on top of the house.

The result will be natural air- conditioning. The rainforest growth will counter the Greenhouse Effect instead of (as with most air-conditioning) making it worse.

James and Jan have even thought of natural sleeping. The house is lined up with magnetic north, in the belief that sleeping along the lines of the earth's magnetic field is more restful. The solar units, of course, receive the maximum sun if the roof faces north.

So the new house will be in tune with all the natural elements earth, air, fire and water. The house is made of earth and colour rocks from the earth. Water is drawn from the earth for drinking and for cooling the house. Air, in the form of wind, and fire, in the form of sunshine, power the house.

Best of all, the new home fits in with Pacific's philosophy of self-sufficiency. The house is independent of mains power or town water or sewage. This is not only cheaper, it also means that James and Jan have been able to do the work themselves, without much help or meddling from council inspectors. At Pacific Sun Friends, everyone is encouraged to be self-sufficient. There are no real rules, except to behave reasonably and sensibly. Everyone is expected to bring what they need and to carry away their own rubbish. The only things supplied are what nature supplies, like water and weather.

James and Jan Bishop believe deeply in a society of self-reliance. Good health and good living start with the individual. Everything should be done in a way that doesn't create a job for anyone else.

This way life becomes an educational experience - just as James and Jan are learning from the creation of their home. The result is an increase of understanding and happiness. Living in tune with nature not only is important for survival, it is the high road to personal satisfaction.

During 1990 New Zealand celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Many cultural exchanges were held and other events of an International flavour such as the Commonwealth Games enhanced our national reputation.

It was on the 6th of January 1840 that Maori chiefs from throughout the colony gathered at the residence of the British resident James Busby at Waitangi to sign the Treaty which ceded sovereignty over the country to the Queen in return for a guarantee of possession of their land. This treaty was signed in the presence of Captain Hobson who had earlier been appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the colony.

The Bay of Islands at that time was a trading point of the region with an established European community at Russell or Kororareka as it was then known. From the early 1800's since the establishment of a penal colony in New South Wales, Australia, ships from Britain would call regularly at Russell and with whaling ships regularly coming to these shores it was one of the few places that crews could come ashore for relaxation and also to replenish their food supplies.

There was little by way of law and order in those early times and frequent skirmishes took place between the local Maori populace and other Europeans, between ships crews and the general riff raff of other nations who found their way to this part of the world.

Liquor abuse and prostitution was rife in the community and there was a general air of unruliness and disorder reminiscent of a wild west frontier town.

Governor Hobson chose Okaito as the site of the first capital of the colony but due to the unsettled nature of the community and general discord with the Maori, he abandoned the Bay of Islands and established the new settlement at Auckland.

During the 1960's when our children were of school age, Jocelyn and I would spend our annual holidays camping in the north, usually at Tauranga Bay on the eastern side of the Whangaroa Harbour. It was here that we grew to enjoy the quiet relaxed atmosphere of the North and returned many times with friends and work- mates to this bay where we enjoyed the opportunity to fish, sail and sunbathe.

Gradually, as more people came to the area to settle and to holiday, the facilities available were slowly overwhelmed and it became difficult to get bookings in the campsites.

Earlier this year we decided to again take our annual holiday in the North and chose Karikari Peninsula on Doubtless Bay as our venue. Doubtless Bay was first discovered by Captain James Cook in 1769 and he was able to re-supply his ship with provisions before continuing on his return to Britain.

We had been to this locality occasionally in the past, but on this occasion decided to spend a more relaxed time there and enjoy the opportunity to tramp, snorkel and sunbathe. It is possible to walk many miles along golden sandy beaches nude, and only occasionally meet a nude surf caster enjoying the pleasure of the remoteness of this coastline.

One travels to the Far North via State Highway 1 from Auckland, There is a choice, on reaching Brynderwyn, of continuing directly north or taking Highway 12, north-west through the region of Northern Wairoa.

Taking this route, you go through Maungatoroto, Paparoa and Ruawai then on to Dargaville. For many miles the road follows the banks of the Wairoa River which in earlier times provided the means of travel for the early settlers.

Steamers would ply the river bringing goods from Auckland and returning with timber and kauri gum which provided the income for many of those people who were happy to seek a lifestyle in this remote area.

Today kumara (sweet potato) is grown in large quantities and along with dairy farming a good income is available to those who now live there.

To the north of Dargaville lies the Waipoua forest and it is here that the reputed largest kauri tree in New Zealand grows. 'Tane Mahuta' is just a short walk from the highway and well worth the visit should you venture this way.

Continuing north, the journey takes you to the Hokianga Harbour with many small villages along its shores.

Some fifteen ships have met their fate attempting entry to this difficult harbour and it's said the great Polynesian navigator Kupe returned to his homeland in the Pacific from Hokianga in AD 900. It is possible to cross this harbour at Rawene or continue to Kaikohe, a township in which many government agencies reside.

Being a large conservation and forested region the agencies can provide more direct supervision of their work by being located close to the centre of their operation. These agencies also provide most work locally, in these depressed economic times.

Our plans were to drive directly to the Far North through the large commercial centre of Whangarei and on to our accommodation at the Merita Bay campsite on the northern coast of the Karikari Peninsula, settle in and make the most of the relaxing atmosphere for which the north is renowned. Temperatures in early March are usually around 24.4 degrees celsius and the weather pattern provides many days of lovely fine weather upon which the traveller can usually rely.

Our campsite was located central to all the points of interest that we wanted to see and in many cases within easy walking distance of the secluded beaches that we sought out. Daily we would pack our lunches and other refreshments into our rucksacks and head off along the five kilometres of beach from the camp. I was reminded at the start of our holiday just how remote the area is when I asked Neville, the camp owner, to freeze some Slika pads for me. "Sorry mate, you are out in the sticks now, we don't have electricity." However, there is a diesel fired heating arrangement and the showers do have hot water where one can wash off the salt and sand after a day at the beach.

Nude hiking in the area is quite exhilarating and occasionally we would meet a nude surf caster quite oblivious to our passing.

On one particular occasion whilst we were enjoying a quiet sunbathe we were approached by a young chap with fishing rod in hand who politely asked if we would mind him stripping off nearby to fish.

This seemed to us a little incongruous as we were totally naked ourselves at the time and doing the very thing that he was asking permission for. However his politeness in asking first did show consideration and he obviously did not want to intrude upon our relaxation, without gaining acceptance for his activity.

After some days by ourselves we were joined by our nudist friends David and Jojo with whom we had arranged to meet, should the opportunity arise for them to do so.

Along with their pet Labrador 'Jenny', we went together on outings and particularly enjoyed our trips to Matai Bay some two kilometres from our camp. This is a beautiful, sheltered double bay with gentle sloping beaches ideal for swimming and snorkelling.

The water is beautiful and clear, and you can observe schools of small fish and crabs that took no notice of our presence. A regional campsite adjoins this bay. It is well appointed and a haven for campers.

My interest in photography gave ample opportunity to record our outings we had together and we obtained a very nice photographic record of our holiday.

All too soon we had to return to the city to again resume our employment but we still reflect on the many enjoyable days we spent in the Far North, and have decided to go there again in the not too distant future.

 Club Orient

   - St. Martins

Were it not for sunbathing on sunny beaches, tax-free shopping for electronic items, perfume, cameras, jewellery, etc. there would hardly be any justification for coming here. The arid soil, combined with low rainfall, makes this a very dry place. But irrigation does wonders, and Club Orient is kept a green garden of Eden by constant irrigation using reclaimed water.

People are very friendly here; they all want you to relax and have a good time: be happy. The beaches are clean with almost pure white sand. The water is warm and inviting, so clear you can see fish swim around the reef. Snorkelling, you can see to the bottom, and take in the underwater wildlife in all details, and with scuba equipment you can catch it all close-up.

At the Club Orient beach many people bathe nude, but some are only topless, and others remain in swim suits. After all, the beach is public and only clothing-optional - not really a nude beach.

Kerry's water sports concession can also take you to Green Cay or Pinel Island, if you like, for the best snorkeling, for exploring, picnicking, or whatever.

By Leif Heilberg

Arriving at Club Orient in the late evening (after a $25.00 taxi ride from Juliana Airport), there is a welcome sign at the office directing the Heilbergs to their assigned beach chalet.

A guard takes us and our baggage in an electric cart to our accommodations which are lit up like a palace and, having settled in, we found a complimentary bottle of white wine to greet us. It was delicious. The brand? "Club Orient".

Opening our doors we let in a fresh sea breeze, the balmy trade wind these Caribbean islands are famous for. Hearing the wave action and the palm fronds being rustled by the wind, is a peaceful way to fall asleep.

We wake up to finches singing in the bushes outside. The sun shines bright across the lagoon, the skies are pale blue, and the water the colour turquoise. Walking across the grass to the beach, we feel soft white sand under our feet. The day has begun.

At beach-front restaurant Papagayo we have cafe au lait and croissants. A pleasant young French waiter called Pascal served us, speaking fluent English. Life picks up at the beach. Kerry and Gary, the Australian brother concessionaires, rent out beach chairs, parasols, catamarans, wind surfers, snorkeling equipment, and much else. They do a thriving business, not just to Club Orient visitors but also to day trippers from other hotels and to tourists off cruise ships. These Australian boys who had built a boat in their backyard at home, sailed around the world, looking for romance and adventure, and ended up in St. Martin where Kerry is now the King of the Beach.

When asked why the brothers stopped here, Kerry said: "The booze was cheap and the women ran around naked, so why sail further!" Stephan and Ken, two Englishmen who work for the brothers, wholeheartedly agree with that conclusion.

Reint Brink, the illustrious Dutch owner of Club Orient, throws a free wine and cheese party Wednesday evening, for guests to relax and get acquainted with each other. IWo types of French wines are served, pate, and many sorts of cheese to be eaten with French bread. It was delicious, a great social event. The visitors come from all over the world, mostly from the U.S. on account of its proximity, but also from France, England, Switzerland, Canada, etc. They all come to Club Orient because the beach is one of the ten loveliest ones in the world, and the dress code is clothing optional on the beach as well as everywhere in the resort, including the restaurant, reception and supermarket.

This naturist resort has close to eighty chalets capable of accommodating two hundred visitors at a time, and capacity crowds keep coming.

The island of St. Martin is half owned by Holland and half by France, Juliana Airport is located in Sint Maarten, and Club Orient is at Baie Orientale in St. Martin. The latter is part of the Department de la Guadeloupe and thus an integral part of France and, by extensions, also of the European Common Market.

Prices for food and lodging are somewhat higher than on the island Guadeloupe and at the same time there is less to see.

If you don't know how to use catamarans or wind surfers, Kerry and Gary will teach you how to operate the equipment.

At Papagayo restaurant which overlooks the beach, you may consider the prices for meals and drinks to be at somewhat inflated levels, typical for an isolated resort. However, day visitors from other resorts on the island claim to pay even more where they stay, so you are definitely better off at Club Orient. The bar is stocked with Dutch beer, French wines, and all sorts of liquor. As a guest of Club Orient you get a 20% discount on food and drink prices so they become very reasonable. Besides Pascal, also Evelyne and Gilles from France, and Mbarek from Morocco will serve you at the tables. Then there is Randy the barman. On St. Martin you can pay all bills either in French francs, in Dutch Antilles guilders (on the Dutch side), or in U.S. dollars which is by far the most used currency.

Most guests at Club Orient seem to be in their 40's and 50's, but the day trippers from other hotels and cruise ships come in all ages. For entertainment and the resort has a weekly steel band (Friday evening), singers, and other local talent. Then there is also dancing, to Caribbean rhythms, naturally.

Club Orient has a well stocked store called Orientique-Boutique. Reint's wife Truss runs it. You'll find everything imaginable, with all kinds of groceries, fresh French bread and croissants every day, postcards, suntan lotion, other sundries, and beach clothes. Prices are mostly higher than in the U.S., of course, but remember, everything has to be shipped in to St. Martin, and then Club Orient is an isolated resort. So your alternative is to rent a car for $42.00 and drive into Marigot, the French capital, to buy groceries at a supermarket.

That way your total expense is even higher, so you are better off buying groceries at Orientique-Boutique, and ordering meals at Papagayo restaurant.

If you do rent a car, continue all around the island and you will see that the French section is of a real residential nature, with many gourmet restaurants. The Dutch sector, to the South, has most of the large, luxury hotels which charge an arm and a leg for their services.

The Dutch sector capital, called Philipsburg, contains a lot of banks, tourist shops, etc., with duty-free shopping. Don't let the duty-free label fool you, however; not paying duty says nothing about the profit level. Although some items - like unset gem stones - can be bargains, prices on many other products are higher here than in the U.S.

Landscapewise, around those fancy hotels there is a lot of lawn, and close to the beach also a belt of planted palm trees.

Otherwise the whole western part of the island is rather dry as well as flat. Around Philipsburg it is also dry, but with traffic jams and construction continuously going on, one pays less attention to nature here than to the tourist traps set up to lure passengers from the many cruise ships that stop by.

Only the northeastern part of St. Martin is really green and mountainous. It's and here though, we have the most gorgeous beach: Baie Orientale, or Orient Beach as the English-speaking locals call it.

Truus Brink, the Orientique store manager and resort co-owner, and her husband Brink, the other co-owner and general host to all the happy couples, families and singles who flock to Club Orient - and keep coming back.

They all speak English, whatever their home language, Dutch, French, English, Arabic or whatever. You will find the personnel at Club Orient very pleasant.

There is no question that the club management does its best to entertain its guests and to provide for their welfare. New brochures have been produced, showing the advantage of this rapidly developing resort. Publicity is being done in several languages and countries, so a true international mix of nationalities will be representative of the guests.

The Finnish made wooden chalets, are roomy, comfortable and modern. The kitchens are fully equipped, and the veranda has a table, benches and two beach chairs.

You will definitely find it a home away from home.

Mr Brink is kind of a visionary who plans ahead for this Dutch enclave on French soil. More chalets are to be built, and other, still secret plans are in the books. Under construction in early 1991 is a new water sports center at the south end of the beach.

This self-contained naturist resort has its own water-desalination plant, so you will never lack fresh water. It has its own electricity-generating station - with three separate generators - so you will always have light and power. Nowhere in the northern Caribbean do you find another totally clothing- optional resort even remotely approaching Club Orient. You will simply love it!

CANTERBURY SUN CLUB

If one reads through some of the club newsletters, it seems that many other clubs as well as ourselves are holding their AGM's very soon. It's almost as though our batteries are getting a little tired and we need recharging again.

Well that's exactly what we did at Easter. One of our more southern members commented, "We've got to keep them busy," and, after a bit of a slow start there was just enough time to cram in the many thrilling games of bowls, teniquoits and miniten. Our Tie n Tail Disco night had some great looking bunnies present (a few strange looking hares as well), the Easter Bunny was very generous supplying heaps of chocolate Easter Eggs and of course Hot Cross Buns for afternoon tea. I must admit that when I saw the crowd gathered on the clubhouse deck basking in the sunshine, I thought our membership must have doubled overnight! To round it all off, a game of Trivial Pursuit - Pineglades style.

Aha! You thought that would be the last you would see of us all didn't you? The following Sunday we celebrated the 50th Birthday of our newest Geriatric with a superb pot-luck lunch. Barry, I am sure, was quite chuffed when he saw how many friends showed their appreciation for the tremendous contribution over the years that he has made to this club and set aside this special day for him.

I'm not sure what was the highlight of the day. Was it the cake iced by his daughter 'Tracy, complete with miniten court, balls and bats; or perhaps the "Thursday Geriatrics Barbershop Quartet with Friends"; maybe even Julie and Kay's interpretation of how a grass seed germinates, shoots forth only to suffer the drastic consequences of a lawn-mower! (You'll need to read "Bogor" in the Listener for that one.) I, for one think it was when I looked out the window and there was Barry in typical style carting off a barrow load of rubbish bags from HIS birthday party!

AUCKLAND SUN CLUB

Now that the cooler weather is unfortunately with us once more, we can now take time to reflect on the successes or failures of the past season. We, at the Auckland Sun Club are quite pleased with the way things went for us. It has been one of our much better years for new members, mostly new to the movement, besides visits from many more prospective members, some of whom joined other clubs. Others may return next season to a club more suited to their requirements. Our main regret is loosing Bridget and Jeff after only a short season. Being U.K. born they could not get residents permits, so have had to return to crowded and cooler climes by way of an Asian back-pack tour. They have optimistically renewed their membership for another year, hoping to get the necessary red tape sorted out back in the U.K.

The inter-club visits, tentatively started last year, picked up with enthusiasm this season. What with spit roasts, BBQs and high teas it must be said that nudists are not health fanatics when it comes to good food. Most came back for second helpings when the offer came. Although this could be taken as congratulations or reprimand. Was the food really good? or was not enough served the first time? No! Come off it! The food is ALWAYS good at ANY Club. One of our members claims that he can be as much as two kilos heavier when he starts work on a Monday than when he finished on a Friday.

Probably the highlight of these visits to our club was the horse racing on the lawn. Some, not knowing what to expect, soon got into the swing of things. Many a dollar bet was placed but no great fortune was made or lost. Just an hilarious time was had by all who were there.

The good weather, lasting as it did right through the Easter weekend, saw many a camp site occupied for the final camp-in of the summer.

Most of each day was spent yawning and yarning with the odd game of mini-ten thrown in. But some work was done behind the club house, keeping the woodpile stocked and continuing the levelling of the ground. Grass seed has now been laid, hoping for a nice lawn ready for next year. Then we will be able to be like Sir Rob and spend more time at the back of the house.

A Champagne Breakfast was served on Easter Sunday morning which a large number of people enjoyed. Each evening Heritage Videos were shown. The highlight being our own "Naked Down Under". How many of us are now international film stars!? It's interesting to note that when nudists are viewing a film or a photograph the first thing they look at is the face to see if anyone is known to the viewer.

The second thing to look at is the place, to see if the viewer has been there. Non–nudists rarely look at either!

And so came Monday. Time for some to sadly pack up the camp-site, which, in some cases had been occupied almost every weekend since before Christmas, and stow away everything until next season. It sounds better to say "later on this year". One or two families were lucky enough to be able to stay on for an extra night.

Still, the winter will not be miserable at the A.S.C. There is always a monthly function to attend. And it is always nice at weekends just to sit in front of a roaring club fire drinking coffee and nattering with fellow members.

PALMERSTON NORTH SUN CLUB

Our Club suffered another significant loss before Christmas. We greatly miss our Works Manager, Tom Robson, who has provided us with many amenities, including a new ablution block and new clubhouse. Our memories will be of him when we enjoy the buildings he has planned and constructed.

We were delighted to receive many visitors from other clubs at our mini-rally in January. Sports, games, socials and a spit roast were enjoyed by all. Our young members now have the old clubhouse for theirs and they have started some fundraising ventures. The mini-rally promises to be an annual event, along with our sports champs at Easter and Polar Bare Swim in June.

In May our Club reaches its 20th birthday. We will celebrate with the official opening of the new clubhouse. There is still lots of work to be done, but it is very satisfying to look out over the pools, miniten and badminton courts, and the children's play area. We welcome visitors anytime, and hope to see many of you at our annual events.

ROTOTA CLUB

We have had a steady stream of visitors over summer, some for the first time, and others returning for more back to nature living. I love watching the visitors' expressions when they first see the warm stream, the glow-worms, the trip through the cavern to the lake - great fun. Some of us come here for serious relaxation!

At Easter we had about 30 FBG members from Auckland and Wellington visit us, and N.I.V.P. Stan and Barbara.

A good-fun group of people who really enjoyed our natural surroundings. I know we will see them again when they return.

There will be more bush clearing over winter on the forest land around us, but they will be leaving a barrier of bush on the boundary. As far as we know the warm stream is safe, even if they have cleared very close to it on the far side.

I've seen the Heritage video "Naked Down Under", and was most impressed with the production. I was pleased to see "real" people in the forefront, not just dolly birds as have appeared in some of their other videos. Well done, David! I've already recommended it to a travel group in France.

To finish, we no longer have a contact phone at the club, as Bill and Caryle are now based in Tokoroa. Make contact before visiting to ensure somebody is there to unlock the gate.

And yes, we are looking for new live-in caretakers.

Dear Sir,

It's official! The Alpine Lakes Nudist Centre has been formed with a small membership consisting of members of existing clubs who have moved to the Central Otago area. We have magnificent climate in the area and are hoping, in the future, to cater for both the domestic and overseas Tourist Market.

Activities tentatively organised include nude horseback trekking, nude tramping and nude rafting. At a later date we hope to organise nude skiing.

We are presently seeking a benevolent farmer who may have a disused cottage on his property that could be used as a clubhouse. Somewhere in the Alexandra - Queenstown - Wanaka triangle.

If our readers are aware of such a person we would love to hear from them.

M. Mackay
Interim Secretary
P.O. Box 49, Arrowtown

Sir,

I shall not attempt to follow through with all the personalities and other irrelevancies introduced by Mr Raymond L. Grant in his letter, which appeared in the March 1991 number; such as, for example, his "Durham Fathers" (whoever they might be), nor his 1939 "World Congress" nor to Dr Scofield; nor shall I stoop to the pot and kettle level, by reciprocating his "talking arid nonsence" (his spelling) accusation.

I am quite content with his admission that the scriptural prohibitions against nakedness were not the inspired laws of God, but merely "man-made laws of their own making"; coupled with his claim that "not even the Bible" is "perfect" (his phraseology). Though how he is to reconcile admissions like these with his claimed "Fundamentalism" must pose a problem for him and his fellow fundamentalists.

Certainly, I feel no compulsion to enter upon his "1. You tell me; then I'll tell you; then maybe we'll both know" merry-go-round; even if I felt sure that it had any meaning. Presumably, it must have some meaning for Mr Grant - I concede him the benefit of the doubt here, though the point is probably not worth pursuing.

But having said that, is not to unhook him from his original claim; namely: that he (an "expert") had searched ALL the relevant texts, and that his finding was that they ALL referred to "nakedness" as a manifestation of "poverty", without any other significance.

Even now it is not too late - rather than making personal attacks and insinuations, Mr Grant may still favour us with a dissertation upon these texts, coupled with the "nakedness" and fig-leaf aprons theme in the Garden of Eden myth (or has that passage escaped his diligence also?). After all, the "fundamentalist" position, as I understand it, attributes the whole Pentateuch to Moses as author (including Ex 20.26); and when Moses used a phrase like "And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel ..." he meant what he wrote. Ex 20.26 was introduced at v 22 with such a phrase - this prohibition therefore is attributed by its author, Moses, to God himself - I cannot think it can have been, on the face of it, a "man-made law of their own making"; and the importance attributed to it must have justified its insertion into the sacred text as an appendix to the Exodus version of the Decalogue itself! But has Mr Grant some special "fundamentalist" charter which enables him to ignore what he doesn't want to see, or to rectify, when it is pointed out to him, what he doesn't want to credit, by attributing it to some "man-made imperfection" in the Holy Bible?

Perhaps your correspondent "Alan" too, might chip in with his speculations upon some of the "number of things it could have been", on which the Bible itself is silent, but which he has heard, though I (alas!) have not. His commentary will doubtless be enlightening. Who knows? it might even transpire that there is some Freudian verbal connection between "nudism", "fundamentalism" and "sodomy" which has hitherto been overlooked.

Mr John E. Maddams, too, might use some of his insights to comment upon these texts, thus enabling other nudists also "to read, study and act upon" them. Or does he consider, perhaps, that it might be more "positive" to ignore them, even deny their existence (as Mr Grant's original article did)?

A. E. Molony

Dear New Zealand Naturist,

We like your very famous New Zealand NATURIST magazine and your New Zealand Nudist Federation and your very interesting and beautiful country.

We will be very proud if you could publish our letter in your nudist magazine.

We are a naturist family from Poland. We do love and adore the naturist style of life and all nude activities. A large number of people sunbathe in the nude along the Baltic Coast. Here there are very good beaches for naturists. Naturism is very popular in Poland these days and summer holidays confirm its speedy propagation among the Poles.

The whole world is far ahead of us in many ways, but we do appreciate when Naturists from New Zealand and all over the world could write to us and tell us about their naturist style of life and other nude activities.

We dream to open international naturist photo exhibition about "Human Nude Body of My Woman".

Dear friends please, send your set of 8-10 photos or slides or negatives for our exhibition. We will return them to you if you order it.

We would love to show naturists from New Zealand video cassette 180 min. "Polish Naturists" about their nude activities indoor and outdoor, nude beaches, private naturist parties and other nude activities.

Please, send US$60 for 180 min. VHS, PAL, NTSC video, or US$100 for VIDEO 8mm cassette PAL, or NTSC.

Kindest regards,

Mr and Mrs Mark Grela
UL. REJA 1
23-200 KRASNIK LUB
POLAND

Sir,

The tone of some of the correspondence in your issue No. 136 of March 1991 surely falls short of an acceptable level for a serious journal. You printed my first letter after deleting my half serious, half light--hearted suggestion that the author of the original article should have the letters he trails after his signature, revoked for incompetenence, but you allow Mr Grant to reply in a manner current in the pamphlets of the XVIth century, when rudeness was in inverse proportion to sound learning.

You, at least, should have been aware, even if Mr Grant was not, of the convention by which gentlemen sign with their initials and names, while ladies precede their signatures with (Mrs) or (Miss), as appropriate to their status, in brackets: that while living authors are accorded the courtesy of a "Mr", "Mrs" or "Miss" when referring to them, the deceased are not. You should, perhaps, have appended a footnote to the reference to that "belated attempt" explaining the limitations imposed by your publication and editorial deadlines; you should also, in the interests of polite intercourse, have blue-pencilled terms like "arrogance" "high faluting words" "execration of his so-called "Saced Text",^[sic] (I never used an expression justifying such words); and "talking arid nonsence" (you might have corrected the spelling here, at least!"

If the correspondence is to be allowed to continue on that plane, you run the risk of alienating large numbers of people, of several denominations, or of no denomination, plus some of other religions as well, but who holds the Holy Scriptures in respect.

Your faithfully
A. E. Molony

Photo: Freddy Karstensen

NEW ZEALAND CLUB DIRECTORY

The secretaries of these clubs will be pleased to hear from genuine inquirers. Please enclose return postage.

new zealand

naturist

No. 137 June 1991

The New Zealand Naturist is the Official Journal published quarterly by the New Zealand Nudist Federation Inc. Registered at the Chief Post Office Wellington as a magazine.

Editor:

Graeme Brown

Typesetting and Artwork by:

Ad Service, P.O. Box 22271, Otahuhu

Plates by:

Ellar Litho Graphics Ltd, East Tamaki

Printed by:

Aarkon Printing Ltd.
P.O. Box 38065, Howick

Distributed by:

Gordon and Gotch (NZ) Ltd

(Top)

AUSTRALIAN NUDIST CLUB DIRECTORY

This magazine is protected by copyright, no part of it may be reproduced. stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photographic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the editor.

In our desire to present different points of view we publish articles and letters which do not necessarily represent the opinion of the editor.

All correspondence should be addressed to:

P.O. Box 2925,
AUCKLAND.
NEW ZEALAND

General inquiries concerning nudism in New Zealand, or overseas, should be addressed to the:-

New Zealand
Nudist Federation Incorporated
P.O. Box 1359. Wellington.
NEW ZEALAND

President: June Campbell-Tong
Wellington 356-918

Applications for membership of clubs should be made direct to the club secretary (See Club Directory)
 

PHOTO CREDITS

Graham Hall - F.C. P11, P12, P13

Freddy Karstensen - I.F.C. P5, P14, P23, B.C.

Les Olsen - P2, P7, P20,

Leif Heilberg - P3, P4, P18, P21

Charles MacFarland - P8, P9, P10

STATE ASSOCIATIONS:

Nudist Association of Victoria,*

P.O. Box 313,
Reservoir, Vic. 3073

Nudist Association
of Queensland,*

P.O. Box 442,
Woodridge, Qld 4114.

NOTE: The clubs marked with an asterisk (*) above are affiliated with the Australian Nudist Federation.

DEADLINES FOR COPY

138 September 1991 - 15 July 1991

139 December 1991 - 1 October 1991

140 March 1992 - 30 January 1992

141 June 1992 - 20 April 1992