# 158 - September 1996 

Self Abuse: Have you occasionally wondered what they think, out there in domestic blissland? You know - among those that vote, when they can be dragged away from their telly. Well, among other things they are being protected; shielded from the likes of us. Us: the textile challenged.

There exists, you may have noticed, this thing labelled the Broadcasting Standards Authority. Being an Authority, it must KNOW, in order to effectively determine what the couch potatoes are permitted to see in the darkened privacy of their own living rooms.

In these days of de-regulation it's everyone for themselves. We're all busy in the chase for the next dollar. For clubs that means more members and getting your club on the telly is a good ploy. This was done in Auckland and Christchurch last season. Great! All publicity is good publicity the pros tell us but what was the message we actually sent?

Unfortunately, (the case of the Auckland event on Newsnight) there is no publicly perceived (or admitted) difference between us 'barely suited' on the telly and those who are likely to be the targets of Hard Copy style sleaze. Both are assumed to be seen through sex tinted glasses and salivated over. Both have their 'naughty bits' blocked to save our eyes from popping. After all, a naughty bit is a bit naughty, isn't it? So it's only right to block it regardless - so assumes TVNZ.

Well, I argued the toss about that with this Broadcasting Standards Authority. I said they, as 'The Authority' must follow common-sense and be guided by rational and comprehensive argument as to why they should accept the findings of the Indecent Publications Tribunal in 1968 - the decision which allowed the Naturist to be published without 're-touching' and be freely available to children. That is that media depiction of innocent nudity is 'unexceptionable' - 'G' certificate stuff.

I pointed out there had been no complaints about documentaries on naked tribes in Africa, or any problem with Desmond Morris' Human Animal, among several programmes which included explicit nakedness.

I pointed out their own research shows that the only group in the community who thinks they should be able to direct what's permitted, the evangelical Christians, actually accept innocent nudity in an educational context. However, The Authority as we are about to see, sits to the right of that view.

Thus the case was made for The Authority to find the "masking of non-sexual nudity to be discriminatory, dishonest and unacceptable."

With little ado they responded:

"The Authority notes the sun club members spoken to during the item do not practise nudity when not in the sun club environment. Indeed one member referred to the joy of dressing for dinner. It was apparent that the members were members because they seemed to get pleasure in sunbathing naked and had chosen an environment where they could do so with people of similar interests. For example, another member spoke of the unwanted attention to which nudists might be subject to at 'free' beaches. In other words, the members could not be regarded as exhibitionists. They wished only to enjoy the delights in sunbathing and socialising naked when among those with a similar interest. They did not want to flaunt their nudity as such.

"Given this scenario The Authority considers the use of the graphic hand to cover the genitalia and pubic areas of the members of the sun club was an appropriate technique for TVNZ to use. Whether of the innocent sun club variety or the lascivious strip club style, the widespread public portrayal of nudity is not expected and the Authority concludes; the broadcast did not breach the nominated standards."

There's the sum total of what The Authority knows of us.

So, even as exhibitionists we wouldn't be allowed to 'wave penises about on national television' as TVNZ described it, simply on the grounds that it is 'not expected'. Neither, I'd have thought is the actual killing of someone on screen but that's been done. A person hanged alongside another about to meet that fate.

I don't know if The Authority can distinguish the term: 'expected' from 'accepted' which is the one their Codes of Broadcasting Practice uses.

We know that nudity is not sex. They still don't. It is surely obvious that a commonly assumed or accepted falsehood, will raise the stress in the community of its currency. Do we really need that right now? What are we doing about it? As far as I can tell, there are only a couple of Free Beachers in Christchurch setting the record straight in the newspaper there, when necessary. But no one wants to know elsewhere, especially in Auckland. To quote Pink Floyd: "Is there anybody out there?"

Does anyone remember how the British video maker David Ball lauded the open attitude of public broadcasting in this country just five years ago? If the more recent compliance with the American Way remains unquestioned, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy: unmasked non-sexual nudity on the telly is no longer expected here, merely because the Americans don't permit it! Now it has become not accepted by The Authority. Next it will be just: not permitted.

I can show that a little more unmasked, innocent nudity (only) on the telly will ultimately result in a decimation of child molestation cases (and some reduction in rapes). Unfortunately though, there is a generational time span to consider. Because, in the meantime, the police statistics will go up, if we clearly do have more nudity on the telly during that time, someone will notice and equate that rise to 'nudity on the box' of course. For that reason any more nudity shown must be entirely free of any hint of sexual innuendo or commercial exploitation: exactly as we have in the clubs and should have on the beaches.

Isn't it time we the unashamed, undressed, began to realise and proclaim our value to the ashamed dressed? Particularly those who haven't time to rush all that way out to the beach or club, after church, to relax. We are the victims of our own apathy. The price of freedom is indeed, eternal vigilance. Anything else becomes eventually, self abuse.

by John Lowe     [FBG (May) version]

In 1992 the Waikato Outdoor Society's committee came to the conclusion that our club was regressing, so some positive action needed to be taken to counteract membership decline and the lack of member's attendance on the mountain grounds. The declining membership arose from a number of factors, namely the distance from Hamilton City and the unpredictability of the mountain weather patterns.

Relocation appeared the logical option and although not an unanimous decision, eventually a sub-committee was formed to find a suitable, available property. Special consideration was given to closeness to the city, availability of flat land and existing screening from neighbours. Several properties were assessed and when the present property was reviewed it was immediately obvious that it met our criteria plus a little more.

Flat land of ten acres, ten minutes from the city with established shelter for screening, and the Eastern boundary bordering the Mangaonua Stream which with its gully largely overgrown by natural vegetation would prevent encroachment from that side. This property was located in an orchard sub-division and as eight acres is still in orchard and leased, we have been able to develop the rear portion which is well screened and furthest from our neighbours, leaving the front sections in revenue producing income.

Nothing can succeed without water and energy, so soon after the property was purchased a tank for water and power was installed, plus a small portable Parapool loaned by a member and a shelter for shade and inclement weather was constructed. And then, for the next three years loyal supporters enjoyed very basic and minimal, but frustrating conditions.

In 1993 we applied for resource consent and after a long and costly struggle, eventually by early 1996 we gained planning consent for our proposed recreational facility. There being no further obstacles in the way we then applied for the usual building consents and by April three years later it was almost too good to be true, the first sods were turned.

The weekend of April 6th 1996 saw a digger arrive with the following end results. Gone was the small Nashi orchard, gone was the shelter of poplar trees between the Nashi orchard the established grassed area. The club house building site was levelled and the miniten court dug out and some base sand laid for winter consolidation. The parking area and driveway had been cleaned up and bitumen mix spread out.

Finally the steel portals which had previously been welded together were painted with rust preventative. The committee then set a goal: to have the building to "lock-up" stage by Annual General Meeting time, (June 23rd 1996).

This could be an unreasonable or a very achievable goal depending on the availability of related building contractors. But hey, yes, we did it.

As the autumn colours faded, with the appearance of frosty mornings we saw the tempo on the grounds increase. Tuesday, May 7th saw the commencement of our club house when a builder moved onto the site and the foundations and footings were dug out. Building material arrived and a variety of contractors added to the progress.

Whilst work on the club house has progressed, we have seen an extraordinary number of members managing to find the time to assist when required and to further develop the grounds.

Monday of Queen's Birthday weekend saw over thirty members on the grounds, which was a wonderful response to a call from the builder to hoist up the framework which has been pre-constructed on the floor. Man-power, women-power, block and tackle, ropes; and by sheer determination the walls were finally placed into their correct position.

Yet more contractors arrived, aluminium joinery arrived and was fitted, more concrete trucks arrived to pour the ablution block floor, roofing contractors arrived: the whole place was a hive of activity. Organisation and co-ordination was the key and much credit goes to our building supervisor, who has the power to get things moving forward and as a consequence there has been very little delay in the delivery of materials for the planned daily building programme. With a colour-steel roof and the exterior walls stained before erection we have been able to keep finishing touches up with the actual building progress.

Although we still have a long way to go, members are using the club house at the moment purely as a shelter, there being no facilities as yet. This has provided a blessing on days when the weather has been unkind.

Currently we are working on completing the kitchen and ablution facilities and of course, getting the power and water connected. We have been encouraged during the winter months with the improving number of members attending the club grounds. There is now an optimistic view of a strong future for our resort.

Ultimately we will be able to offer the opportunity for travelling nudists to come share with us our facilities and have an inexpensive family holiday. Obviously we are looking forward to the summer when all the southern club members call in on their way to and from the Auckland Rally.

- Ray Coates

Darwin, Northern Australia, early April, supposedly the end of the wet season. There were still areas of Kakadu National Park closed by flooding. The rain flows off the Arnhem Land sandstone escarpment in beautiful waterfalls and is seen by few tourists because most visit in the dry season.

Early April was great because that is the time the wild flowers are blooming before being burnt out by fires that are frequent at this time of year.

There were eight of us including our guide (a biologist) on a three day camping trip off the beaten track mostly. The water coming off the escarpment has nothing to pollute it being beautiful, sweet and tepid.

The first day we walked about 5km into Motorcar Falls - just a track they used to take cars on. The waterfall splashed into a deep pool about 40 metres across.

I asked if anyone would mind if I swam naked and by the time I hit the water all but one of the group were joining me. This set the scene for the rest of the trip: when we came to a clear pool, strip and in. Around our camp sites and along some of the tracks, clothing or lack of it was never an issue. This was a very comfortable, relaxing attitude in a group of people who had only just met each other.

The international group comprised the Aussie guide, a Kiwi (me), an American couple from California, a German couple, an Englishman and a Swiss lady. The last person was the only one not to peel, but said she was okay with us being nude.

Kakadu National Park is beautiful. Standing on a high bluff at dusk, I could imagine it unchanged in thousands of years. Seeing wave-ripples in the sandstone, estimated 1200 million years old, time loses all meaning. The Aboriginal rock art at Nourlangie Rock, with on painting estimated about 20,000 years old, was incredible.

A KIWI AT
KAKADU

On the lowlands where the floodwaters were still receding we were very aware of the dangers of crocodiles, snakes and scorpions. Having seen crocodiles at the Crocodiles Research Centre in Darwin, my blasé Kiwi attitude of bush and streams was replaced by survival mode awareness. Let someone else go first!

The marshy lowlands were teeming with life: insects, birds, fish, crocodiles and other reptiles. We saw a few water monitor lizards, about a metre long, but no snakes, thankfully. With food so abundant, no predator was going hungry. I am told the story is different in the dry season with food scarce as the plants and insects die off.

Kakadu is a beautiful, natural place and with similar minded people, being clothes optional away from the main tourist areas, we had a most enjoyable, relaxed time.

During Easter, I went out to the Top End Naturist Recreation Resort, about 80km southwest of Darwin. My visit coincided with their celebrating the completion of their first year. Yes, you have seen two other articles about TENRR in the Naturist in the last year. I had contacted the owners, Jean and Gary Paar before I left New Zealand. They had sent me information on local tours which helped my planning.

Jean and Gary and their regular visitors were very welcoming and although told I needed to provide my own food, the pig-on-a-spit and other meals meant I didn't eat much of it. The climate here is so good for irrigated plants that the photos in NZ Naturist No 154 and 156 would now show shrubs around the buildings hiding much of them. Plant today, prune with a chainsaw tomorrow.

TENRR is close to the Litchfield National Park and when the road is sealed TENRR will be in a good position for a round trip. Kevin, who has a coach business, offered to take me on a tour in his own car for the day. The scenery is beautiful and as it was Easter Sunday, wall to wall people in all of the pools that were safe for swimming (crocodiles here too).

Kevin and I had dinner at Adelaide River. Barramundi and chips made a great meal and here I met 'Charlie', the water buffalo star of the movie Crocodile Dundee. With horns over two metres across I sure didn't want to pick a fight with him.

Thanks for the tour Kevin, and thanks to TENRR for the hospitality, it is sure a nice place to visit.

That termite mound is real - an insect skyscraper if ever there was one. (See inside front cover: above.)

Back to Darwin on Easter Monday afternoon, I drove to the Casaurina free beach. The weather was cloudy and warm and the tide low and a long way out. The tidal range of 7 to 9 metres is huge but no swimming is possible due to stingers. By a small coral reef I saw what I thought was some reddish seaweed, it was a starfish in disguise. Fascinating shells on the beach too. Another nice place to visit.

My next adventure was driving to Alice Springs in a 4WD Nissan camper 1600 kilometres by myself. The cyclone that caused damage west of Darwin was affecting cloud cover all the way to Tennant Creek. The temperature was hot, so with my beach towel on the seat, air conditioning set on half and in club uniform I was comfortable. The difficult part was remembering to pull on my shorts when I stopped for fuel.

A beautiful country with harsh landscapes and friendly people and being away from the high price facilities and the few tourist traps, well worth a visit. Thanks, Oz.

In no time at all we have the trailer parked and the fly erected which will be our home for the next week or so. As soon as the gas fridge is set up and things are arranged so as to use the trailer for a kitchen, we decide it is time for a swim. The water is crystal clear and beautifully refreshing, being protected from the winds that sometimes buffet the ocean side.

Our first chore is to change the water in the pippy bucket, needed to be done a few times a day or they won't survive and wish that one day we could invent a pumping system to eliminate this laborious task. The rest of the afternoon is spent lazing in the sun and enjoying a couple of coldies while lapping up the serenity and beauty of our surroundings.

As the sun dips towards the horizon the barbecue is lit, as we will have one of the steak meals tonight and turn in early after a long day's travel and leave the fishing to begin tomorrow. Just before tea we have a shower from the 20 litre water bottle fitted with plastic hose and shower rose, which has been warming up in the sun on its shelf dug into the sand bank beside the camp. A plentiful supply of fresh water is available just down the beach from one of the many creeks on the island, of which the softness of water is better than any town supply to be found. A smear of Rid after our shower will keep the few sandflies at bay that seem to occur at this time of day.

The morning sun brings another perfect day and after a light breakfast we decide to try our luck fishing.

Not long after the lines are in the water Greg turns around to see those bloody crows acting suspiciously around the remaining part of the open pippy, and comments they'll do their best to fly off with any fish caught as well, but our attention is turned to a bite on my line. I reel in and find a nice size Bream doing its best to unhook itself but it soon finds itself in a bucket of water where it will stay until cleaned and thrown on tonight's barbecue.

By Greg & Petria Stack

About an hour later, 65 km up the beach, approaching the track which will take us to the western side, we stopped and gathered pippies for bait. At low tide and on most of the island, pippies abound by the thousands just below the surface of the sand. In no time at all we have enough for our needs and chuckle as a four wheel drive bus load of Japanese tourists driving past, point and stare at our all over tan and we debate between ourselves do our Asian neighbours have brown bums or white.

Even though the 25 km trip across the island takes about an hour it is still enjoyable as there is interesting scenery along the way particularly in the rainforest area. As we break onto the beach and observe the calm clear blue waters that prevail on the western side our exhilaration wells up even further.

About 1 km further north we decide one of our regular spots will be the place to stay and notice that since last visiting, the beach has widened about 20 metres with the build up of sand.

Although we have been to Fraser Island many times over several years, the feeling of absolute freedom and tranquillity that envelopes you the moment you drive off the barge onto the beautiful white sands never changes. Our holiday had just begun, our intention being to spend between one and two weeks of relaxing in the sun and fishing, mainly on the less frequented western side of the island.

After travelling a discreet distance from the group milling around the barge landing, we stop and remove our now unnecessary clothing. From now until we return to the barge at the end of our holiday, clothes will not be needed unless the occasion arises of dropping into a shop at one of the few resorts that dot the island, the further north being at Orchid Beach. As we travel into a slight northerly breeze and not a cloud to be seen in the beautiful blue summer sky, we can't believe our luck and hope the weather stays like this for the duration of our stay.

We will be keeping our eyes on these crows if they go near that bucket. A couple of Dart and Whiting are added to the catch. Rarely do we not catch enough edible size fish each day.

After lunch a stroll down the beach is in order, to browse around the mouth of the freshwater creek. On the way a couple of dolphins troll the shoreline. Also enjoying the balmy conditions are two pelicans gliding gracefully only a metre above the surface of the water.

Just before reaching the creek we remember that one previous trip, when the beach had been severely eroded by bad weather, a handful of huge sawn logs, many years old (the lost property of timber-getters who once carried on a thriving industry), were exposed. But with the gradual build up of sand once again they have disappeared.

A dip in the beautiful fresh water washes the salt of the ocean out of our hair and feels very refreshing. These creeks become impassable at high tide and even at low tide caution has to be exerted. Petria found some nice shells along the shoreline and by the time the camp is reached the sun tells us it is tea time, and later, relaxing in the deck chairs we gaze at the beautiful array of stars in the clear sky.

Tonight the conditions are right for the phosphorescence to appear in the gentle waves lapping the shoreline and is quite interesting to watch. A day has passed without another Jeep being seen and it almost seems we have the island to ourselves.

One morning when getting up to greet the day we could not believe our eyes - we see a bloke pedalling along the water's edge on a pushbike. Here we were miles from anywhere and could not understand where he could be from as all he had was a small bag thrown over his shoulder. With a cordial wave he continued on his way and out of sight.

The two bait-scavenging crows had now been joined by a pair of sea eagles anxiously watching us as we fished, hoping some morsel might be discarded for them to swoop on. The crows swearing and the eagles shrill whistle kept us entertained. It is always amazing that the minute fish start being cleaned so many birds appear from nowhere, as if a message was sent around the neighbourhood, to argue over the scraps.

That afternoon again to our amazement our friend on the pushbike came pedalling back up the beach and stopped for a chat. It turns out that he was off a boat moored at Wathumba, which is an inlet 20 kilometres to the north that provides sheltered anchorage. He had gone down to Moon Point 20 kilometres to the south expecting to meet some fishermen who had arranged to give him a lift back to their boat but they had not shown up. This resulted in him doing a round trip of about 80 kilometres. He surely would have worked up a thirst by the time he got back.

Next day we decided to drive up the beach to Wathumba to try some fishing there, as the bloke on the bike had said they had been catching big flathead using soldier crabs. After catching some soldier crabs on the flats at low tide and making sure the Jeep is parked well above the high tide mark we settle in for a spot of fishing.

Not long after sundown we begin to feel bites and soon Petria reels in a nice size flathead. After catching three good size flathead and a couple of Bream we have had enough and bed down for the night in the back of the Jeep as we can't get down the beach to the camp until low tide tomorrow. This is the best fishing spot we've found and we'll have to come back more often.

The weather for the past eleven days has been perfect most of the time but today becomes very overcast and windy. The weather report from Bundaberg forecasts showers and storms for the next few days so we decide now might be the right time to head home. When we get back to the eastern beach the northerly is blowing fairly strong and bluebottles are scattered along the waters edge.

We've become so used to not needing clothes during the last 10 days that it's not until we are waiting for the barge to arrive we suddenly realise we'd better put our togs on or eyebrows may be raised when the barge lands. Even though we haven't left yet we wonder when we'll be able to return and even consider the possibility of regular tours to share our experiences. It would be interesting to know how many others would enjoy this kind of holiday.

In the December 1995 edition of The Naturist we set out our plans for developing New Zealand's newest naturist venue. Now we can report that we have done it - all that we intended for stage I is complete.

It hasn't been without a few hitches and lots of problem solving but it is now all ready for you to come and enjoy. The accompanying photographs show what we have to offer.

We have a 14m by 8m concrete in-ground swimming pool, two metres in the ground at the deep end. The spa pool in its own decking beside the main pool has already been enjoyed by many naturists. Back in March when we had a weekend to say thank you to all those who have helped us on the way, the spa was full to overflowing from lunchtime to midnight. With 45 people on the grounds it was a good opportunity to try out all our systems. At that time of the year people were alternating between the spa and the main pool, whereas at the time of writing, only a few brave souls are dunking themselves in the main pool. This is usually after roasting themselves in the sauna.

For those who wish to amuse themselves without getting wet the recreation room provides TV, a pool table, and a dart board. A petanque set is also available - while we don't have a petanque court our spacious grassed areas give plenty of space for a challenging game. The Frisbee Golf course is bound to provide you with a few laughs.

From comments made by a few of the many visitors we have had, there appears to be some uncertainty in the naturist community as to whether we are naturist/nudist or clothing optional. We are definitely naturist. One of the few rules we have is that no clothes (togs) are to be worn in the spa pool, swimming pool, or sauna. When the weather is fine we expect people to make the most of the opportunity to go free of clothes, with of course the usual leeway clubs have for newcomers.

Some of you may have seen articles in newspapers about problems we have had about screening. It was really a small molehill blown into a mountain by the sensation seeking media. The issue was about the interpretation of the resource consent and after some vacillation the District Council agreed our interpretation was correct. All that is behind us now and we offer a very pleasant environment for all of us who like life without the impediment of clothes.

KATIKATI NATURIST PARK

YES!! We are open.

Kevin and Joan Sampson

We are looking forward to the coming summer and hosting guests from within New Zealand and from overseas. Already we have had visitors from the USA and Canada plus enquiries from Australia and the UK.

We hope that our naturist park will develop into a place where nudists from many countries can mingle with Kiwis.

WELLINGTON SUN CLUB INC.

For the first time ever, mid-winter madness hit the Wellington Sun Club when we "celebrated" the mid-winter solstice with a mid-winter swim. We are sure the six adults and three youths who took part left the pool faster than they jumped in! No, it was not the weekend when Invercargill had the record low of minus 14°C. It was a week earlier. The weather had been fine and cold overnight and remained fine and cool - 8°C - for most of the day.

After an afternoon committee meeting in the clubhouse lounge with a gas heater keeping everyone warm those who braved the elements went into the sauna for a preliminary warm-up. Once that was over they sauntered across the lawn to the pool - yes, they did saunter, they didn't run! All lined up for the camera while the spectators hugged their thick winter woollies tighter around themselves. At the given word those gallant souls jumped into the pool - and right out again!

Then followed a leisurely walk across the lawn back to the clubhouse for drying down and donning warm clothes again, then followed by some delicious hot soup. Nobody seemed any the worse for the experience either. Later there was a pot luck tea for all, followed by socialising for the rest of the evening. During this some of the members were 'dressed up' (topless) as if they were at the beach in summer, complete with peaked caps and sun glasses! The rest kept their warm jerseys on and stayed as near the heater as the others would allow. It remained cold with heavy rain for most of the night to spoil Sunday's working bee!

And the water temperature for the 'swim'? It was a 'warm' 7° Celsius! BRRRRRRR!

HIBISCUS COAST SUN CLUB INC:

We are pleased to report more progress in our tree planting programme. We can only hope that our other landscaping will be completed this spring. A special thanks to Ross for his help and advice.

Our mid-winter social was great despite torrential rain, many thanks to Mrs G. for setting up the tables.

The hot pool nights at Parakai have been well attended by our nudist friends, especially those from A.O.H.C.

Despite the second wet winter in a row we are all looking forward to a long dry summer, and the highlight will be the rally at 'Camelot' (A.O.H.C.)

Best wishes from all at Kirikau.

TARANAKI NATURIST CLUB INC.

It's really good to see such a motivated committee for the upcoming season. This season the club is lurching into membership mode and if you have any ideas on increasing membership then please let either Bronwyn or Ray know. After 5-6 years we are just about ready to operate as a full club. There is a clubhouse and grounds, complete with a river and a swimming pool (which just needs a few more working bees to make it fully operative), walking distance to a beach, a lagoon and lots of open ground for everyone to enjoy. So if you know of any family that wants to be part of our membership then let the committee know as soon as possible as summer is just around the corner. Please note the change of address as listed below.

AUCKLAND SUN CLUB INC.

The committee and members of ASC Inc. wish all NZ Naturist readers a very pleasant spring. The days are noticeably longer in our part of the country - daylight saving commences next month and we look forward to those great nude camping times through summer.

Which reminds us. Auckland Sun Club members have had a busy winter improving club facilities not only for ourselves but for your enjoyment too. We are geared to supplement the hospitality that will be offered by our sister club, Auckland Outdoor through the New Year Rally time. Some of you may prefer to stay over with us - we're just 10 minutes away - but enjoy the Rally programme as day visitors. We invite you to pamper yourself this summer with a stay at our place! Our access ring road has been completed and with plenty of caravan / tent power connections available we can offer quiet camping in our beautiful native bush setting. Come enjoy our relaxing spa and sauna facility in spacious clubrooms. We would enjoy your company this summer, so give our friendly caretakers, Malc and Sheila a call. Note our new phone number and postal address, details of which are elsewhere in this issue.

Life members Ron and Hanna spent time during the northern summer enjoying Hanna's native Austria.

Gaelene has very ably stood in for Hanna as acting secretary/treasurer. And Jeff assumed Ron's presidential duties in addition to his other tasks in favour of our club.

Peter and Penny have returned from the 25th International Naturist Federation Congress. This world gathering of naturists was held at the end of August on grounds of the Belgian club Athena which actually is sited just over the border in Dutch territory. Peter, who was New Zealand delegate, will be contributing an article on this visit for the next issue of NZ Naturist.

Sunday's regular spa and sauna sessions have proved popular with our own members and visitor guests from other clubs. Inexpensive light meals courtesy of the haute cuisine DD's Diner have added to these enjoyable end of week occasions.

1996 is Auckland Sun Club's sixtieth year. During summer we will be celebrating this long period of service to Auckland nudism with a special occasion - watch this space for details.

Make Auckland Sun Club part of your holiday plans this summer!

ROTOTA SUN CLUB INC.

Winter again already. The Fernlands hot pool swim in early May was a great way to round off the summer.

One hundred and twenty six people including seventeen children attended under a cloudless sky. The sound of happy children playing and the buzz of conversation was really nice with people from twelve different clubs along.

A pot luck dinner in the evening saw everyone worn out by 9pm. Thank you all for your support, you make such a successful day of it with your presence.

The AGM on Queen's Birthday weekend saw minor changes to the committee with most members going on for another term. With the start of spring the new committee will have settled in and Rotota will be ready to greet the many visitors expected for the summer.

Congratulations Rotota on being first to introduce colour to your club's newsletter - Ed

AUCKLAND OUTDOOR
HEALTH CLUB INC.

Another great mid-winter Xmas function was held recently with the catering carried out by the members. It was a great setting and 98 people attended. A professional hypnotist provided the evening's entertainment with willing members prepared to be a part of the festivities.

Work moves apace in preparation for the 'Medieval Madness' Rally. As in the past, this rally will provide entertainment, sports and a good social atmosphere for all in attendance. Get your application in soon and be part of this great occasion.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Individual club members have recently experienced difficulties with NZ Customs in the importation of genuine naturist videos from overseas.

These videos are available in New Zealand from DB Photo (see advert elsewhere in this magazine) and have been cleared by Customs and approved by The Film and Video Censors Office.

For those who like to 'surf the net' you may like to check out the world wide web. Doug Ball has a 'Naturism Home Page' which can be found at code: http://www.dbphoto.co.nz. Check it out.

HAWKES BAY OUTDOOR
LEISURE CLUB INC.

Hello again from Hawkes Bay.

What a horrible winter we have had wet and cold and we sympathise with other folks who were worse off than us.

Spring is not far away and the thought of sunshine, warmth and freedom in the open air is really something to look forward to.

Our house at the club grounds known as 'Norms Lodge' has a new roof, thanks to Norman again. I must add that he has re-piled, lined with gib board, carpeted, painted, re-hung windows and doors, mostly at his own expense. Reminds us of the 'old axe' that had three new handles and two new heads. Ha, Ha.

A special meeting was held in July to discuss a name change for H.B.S.C. After some discussion we settled on the new name of Hawkes Bay Outdoor Leisure Club.

We now have a spa pool, situated in the basement of our club house. Even though not fully completed, it is operational at present and proving very popular. We have a user pays system and the proceeds go towards operating costs and finishing costs.

Well that's about all for now folks. Hope to see more of you in the summer.

Patrick

Dear Editor,

I note that in a club newsletter for April there is a report stating: "Arising out of problems reported to the committee, the committee resolved to rescind the membership of two members of the club. Unfortunately these two members have now decided to challenge that decision through Court action."

A few years ago I researched the implications of member dismissal, referring to a book titled 'The Law Relating to Non-Profit Associations in Australia and New Zealand' by Keith Fletcher, published by the Law Book Company in 1986.

I quote: #302 'The courts have long recognised that a member should not be deprived of personal rights of membership without due process. The contractual nature of this right in an incorporated association means that protected rights extend beyond the user of property ... to more personal rights of participation.' #306 'The rules of an association constitute a contract between the association and its members and the association is bound to apply the rules of natural justice when adjudicating upon the rights of members.' #301 'The Court of Appeal accepted that 'a club does not conduct a formal trial. It must respect its rules, and it must see that an accused person is given fair play; but this, in our opinion, it does when it affords a member accused of misconduct an opportunity of answering a charge, the particulars of which have been made known to him'...

The plaintiff knew the nature of the charge and was asked to present his case to the committee but was denied the right to hear witnesses for the prosecution present their evidence or to cross-examine them. The trial judge held that this was a breach of duty. 'Both sides must be heard and in the presence of the other.'

'... The right to natural justice was central to the claims of the expelled member in another case where the judge not only made a declaration of the plaintiff's continuing membership of the club but issued an injunction restraining the defendant committee members from interfering with his enjoyment of the rights and privileges associated with membership ... The member's conduct was not considered in relation to a disciplinary rule but to a rule which empowered the committee to revise the roll of members and to refuse to accept a member's subscription.'

A legal opinion could be useful, and perhaps clubs should look carefully at the words used in the relevant sections of their constitutions.

Jackie Caldwell

Dear Editor,

In the ongoing naturist/nudist debate, there is a facet which is usually overlooked, and this is the negative connotations of the word nude. Some nudist supporters complain that naturist invites confusion with naturalist, but nude invites much less savoury associations involving mind-sets which are at odds with natural acceptance of the human body. When something is described as denuded, it means its natural covering has been removed, and indeed the emotional wisdom is that it is natural for the human body to be covered, so it is unnatural for naturists to support such terminology.

In regard to entertainment, live or pictorial, the term nude always implies an element of titillation. In reports of crimes, an unclothed body is habitually referred to as being in a nude or semi-nude state, never a natural state.

References to the nude in art carry the message that the subject is not in the state which non-naturists regard as natural, that is, clothed. In short, the word nude has as many negative connotations that it is surprising how many people with apparently positive feelings about their bodies prefer to associate themselves with 'the nude' rather than 'nature'.

Yours naturally

Guy Graves

Dear Editor,

How safe is your club? How safe are your members? How legally aware are your club's officers? Do they know the requirements of the Privacy Act and that unauthorised release of personal information is an offence of that Act? How loyal are your committee members? Do they work for the club, or for their own interests?

A club recently had a problem, where the committee, then a special meeting of members made a clear statement to remove some members. Because the process used was not exactly as noted in the club rules, the people challenged the process used and made an expensive lesson for the club.

How clear are your club rules? Do they say that the club's decision is final and no reason for dismissal need be given? Don't believe it! The Privacy Act, the Human Rights Act and general law (may) override your club rules.

Like a dismissal from the work place, the club's system must have a clear recorded trial where the problem is presented, the person/s visited to discuss/explain their situation (possibly at a later meeting if evidence needs to be gathered).

Once a decision is reached and communicated to the person/s concerned they then have a right of appeal, after which a final decision is made.

Each part of the process must follow your club rules and be clearly documented. Details need to include names of all people involved and the alleged offences. Protecting peoples sensitivities is less important than ensuring the process is followed correctly and completely.

To keep your club safe and strong, it needs a grievance process that is seen to be fair and can be proven to be fair.

The survival of your club may depend on it.

Graham

Dear Editor,

Please can you help us? We are a new naturist friendship organisation with a small but rapidly growing membership of couples, families and singles throughout the UK. We would very much like to get in touch with English speaking naturists in New Zealand who are interested in friendship and travel.

One of our main functions is to provide a simple and affordable way for naturists who might never otherwise come together - maybe because of shyness, backgrounds or plain geographical separation - to contact one another. Once we have helped them make the initial contact, some of our members are happy just to conduct a long range acquaintance, exchanging letters, phone calls and videos etc, whilst the majority go on to develop firm friendships and travel to meet one another, or occasionally exchange homes over the holidays. Having naturist friends in faraway places provides a great opportunity for cheap naturist travel!

We know many naturists dislike other contact clubs due to unhappiness about their names and addresses appearing in a directory. We use a system where members compose their own directory entry, but are identified only by a reference number, so membership is kept totally private.

We have been very successful in the UK, and would now like to include naturists from outside the UK as members. As publishers of a leading magazine, perhaps you could help us get in touch with those of your readers who would like to communicate with naturists in Europe.

We are trying to put together a small mail order catalogue to make available naturist and naturist related related goods (alternative health books, for instance), both to our own members and to members of the general public who are interested in finding out more about naturism/nudism. If you feel that you could use an agent in Europe we would be happy to discuss this with you.

We look forward to hearing from you, and enclose an international response coupon for your reply. In the meantime, we can always be reached at the address below and telephone number (24 hour answer- phone)

Yours faithfully

James and Liz Edgar

Club Genesis

15 Strateford Road

Hillcrest

Hereford HR4 9TW

England

Ph + 44 1432 264266

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. 158 September 1996

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:

Les Olsen (09) 444 5015

Business Manager:

Laurel Olsen

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.

(Top)

AUSTRALIAN NUDIST CLUB DIRECTORY

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 Secretary NZNF
P.O. Box 74-257
Market Rd PO
Auckland 1005

President: Brent Thomson
Tel/Fax (09) 279 3771

Secretary: Peter Moosberger
tel/fax: (09) 520-0796

National Nudist Information Freephone
0800 574 932

Applications for membership of Clubs should be made direct to the Club Secretary (see Club Directory).

PHOTO CREDITS

Graham Hall: FC, 21, IBC

Ken Whittle: 2, 3

Graham MacGregor: IFC, BC, 4, 5, 6

Kevin Sampson: 15, 16

Doug Cousins: 17

G & P Stack: 7, 8, 9

Les Olsen: 11,12b, 13b

DEADLINES FOR COPY

159 December 1996 - 1 October 1996

160 March 1997 - 30 January 1997

161 June 1997 - 20 April 1997

162 September 1997 - 20 July 1997