As part of ANW's want to enhance understanding and appreciation of naturism we are sharing a selection of articles and interviews with ANW members exploring naturism around the world. ANW believes in safeguarding naturism with a genuine, healthy and respectful approach to social nudity and in doing so has an ever growing membership of friendly and appropriate users.
We also believe that naturism unites us and connects us. Beyond national boundaries, age, gender, religion sexual orientation and culture. These articles aim to show our connect through our mutual respect and understanding of social nudity. Inspiring people to get involved with naturism and the various naturist opportunities the world has to offer.
We welcome Rob from NSW, Australia:
1 Tell us a little about yourself and your part of the world.
I grew up on a dairy farm in country Victoria. Once I finished high school, I worked as a mechanic for a few years before studying geology at university. This led to work in some interesting places in Queensland and Western Australia. After leaving the mines, I moved to New South Wales and started working in natural resource management with the public service.
I currently live in Wagga Wagga, a large regional city along the Murrumbidgee River in southern NSW. To the east is the Great Dividing Range and to the west are the riverine plains. There is a lot of wheat, canola and sheep around here, but Wagga Wagga is also home to a university, an air force base and an army recruit training centre.
My partner (Maria) spends the warmer months with me in Wagga, but usually migrates to the north coast of NSW for the winter. While we don’t get snow, it does get a bit frosty here.
2 What was the attitude towards nudity and naturism in your home and upbringing as a child and teen?
It wasn’t really discussed much in our house. While we weren’t a naturist household, we were never made to feel that nudity was evil or unacceptable.
3 How did you first get involved in naturism and what were your initial thoughts.
When I was a kid, I used to run around nude at the creek with my cousins. In my thirties, I went on a few nude bushwalks in the tropics with friends and loved the feeling of freedom and the sensation of the sun and breeze
on my skin. That sowed the naturist seed. After I met Maria and we started to hang out at home nude. Over time we connected with other naturists and became much more active as social naturists.
4. Do you think that your initial reasons and attitudes towards naturism have changed since then and how?
I don’t think my reasons have changed. It felt right and it still does. As I get older and grumpier, my attitudes are changing about all sorts of things, but my feelings about naturism are fairly steady.
5.Tell us about your naturists adventures so far.
Once we became more socially active as naturists, we tried to take a nudie holiday every year and stay at some of the clubs around eastern Australia. We’ve spent time at a number of places in NSW, and a couple in Queensland. We joined the ACT Nudist Club in 2017 and now have an old caravan there which is our home away from home. We love our club and its members. We’re hoping to get up to the Northern Territory later this year to spend a week at a nudist retreat near Darwin.
In 2018 we spent a few days at Hangin’ Loose on the Big Island in Hawai‘i. It was a great base for exploring the Volcanoes National Park. Kīlauea was quite active while we were there and erupted shortly after we left.
Our biggest adventure so far was to cruise on the Big Nude Boat in 2020. That was social nudism to the max. Lots of fun and we met some really nice people. We took the opportunity while we were in Florida to stay at Paradise Lakes and Sunsport Gardens and to visit Lake Como (we couldn’t stay there because they were hosting a major nude volleyball tournament).
ACT on a foggy morning6. Do you share your time as a naturist with anyone specific - partner, family, friends?
Aside from Maria, we spend time with the friendly folk at our club. We’ve also made some good naturist friends around the place and try to catch up with them from time to time. Nude is the norm at home for me and Maria, but we usually have to put some clothes on when we get visitors.
7. How would you best explain naturism to someone new to it and what advice would you offer to them?
For me, it’s all about respect - for ourselves, for those around us, for the land that we’re on and the environment we live in. All things everyone should aspire to. Being nude just heightens that connection with the world around us. My advice to new starters - don’t overthink it. Just enjoy the journey. Keep doing the things you enjoy, but don’t worry about getting dressed.
8. If ANW wasn't a naturist site what other life choice/hobby/interest/passion...would have made you consider joining it?
I really love travelling and want to do more of it. I think ANW’s diverse membership provides an opportunity for getting insights into new places to visit, and local perspectives are always of interest.
9. What do you think naturism has taught you about yourself and do you think it has changed you in any way?
It’s taught me to stop thinking too far ahead and to enjoy the moment. Just being in the moment has helped me get to know people better and to relax. Getting away to our club and shedding clothes for a few days is the perfect stress relief method when work is getting a bit overwhelming.
10. Do you think that there are certain people better suited to naturism and others that are not suited to naturism?
I guess if a person is unable to accept that a naked body is a natural thing, they’re probably not going to embrace naturism. I do believe that everyone has the potential to be a naturist. We just have to open our minds a bit and let go of some of those ingrained beliefs we have. Easier for some than for others though.
11. How does your country consider naturism? How do the laws stand supporting naturism? What are the national and local opportunities like?
It varies across the country. Queensland is very conservative with no legal clothing-optional beaches. There are some clubs and resorts though. Other states and territories have some legal clothing-optional beaches as well as member clubs and retreats. Most are towards the coast. There are less opportunities once you go inland. However Australia is a big place and you can usually find somewhere a bit secluded to nude up. I’m not a lawyer, but generally if your genitals can be seen by someone from a public space, you’ll risk being charged with indecent exposure. Again, specific laws and how strongly they’re enforced vary across the country.
12. How would you like to see the future of naturism developing over the next 30 years and do you feel these ideas are achievable.
I’d like to see more young people and families becoming involved in naturism and for nudity to be accepted as being natural and normal. There are a lot of obstacles, but I do see more positive media coverage of nudist events from time to time, and social media is being used in a positive way by groups like ANW to promote the virtues of naturism. I’m hopeful that in 30 years everyone will be wondering what all the fuss was about.
13 What are the biggest problems that naturism is currently facing? Do you think these are worldwide concerns? Are these problems any different from when you first became a naturist?
Social media misinformation, increasing influence of conservative groups and sexualisation of television are all negatively impacting on body confidence and the ability of people to be able to separate nudity from sex. The world definitely seems more prudish than it was when I was younger.
14. If the world was accepting of naturism - happy to take on a clothing optional policy in most situations - how do you think it would change the way society works - what positives could you imagine and do you think there would be any negatives?
I think people would be more comfortable with who they are and feel less pressure to conform to others’ expectations. Clothes can be a bit of a power symbol, so by removing them, interactions between people might be a bit more respectful and equal. Unfortunately, there will always be a minority who get their jollies from perving at nude bodies. This would have to be managed and pathways provided for them to find the help they need.
15. Is there any aspect of naturism that frustrates you or annoys you or you feel let down by? Are there any answers that you can think of to put these things right?
Personally, I get annoyed on some naturist social media groups by people posting photos where the focal of the picture is clearly on their bits. I’m more interested in seeing pictures of people out and about enjoying the naturist lifestyle. Some groups (like ANW) do a really good job at moderating this type of thing. It really comes down to the members of these sites being actively involved and calling out bad behaviour. We all have a responsibility to keep these communities safe.
16. Has there ever been a specific day, location, venue, activity that at the end of it has made you think - this is naturism at its best?
Generally, when we have a full club house for a social event or when we’re out with naturist friends and the air is full of laughter and merriment, that is social naturism at its best.
17. Do you speak to work colleagues, friends and family about your naturism?
Not really. However, I wouldn't hesitate to tell them if they asked. I think most people I know would find it mildly amusing.
18. What five words would you use to describe naturism that people who haven't tried naturism may not have considered and what five words would you say doesn't describe naturism that those same people may wrongly consider to be true.
It is: respectful, free, invigorating, communal, fun
It isn’t: sexual, swinging, rude, sinful, perverted.
19. If you were to close your eyes and consider naturism as an animal, a colour and a food item what three answers would come to mind?
Hippopotamus (because like us, they like to lay around in the sun and wallow in the water)
Blue (for clear skies)
Watermelon (no better way to eat it than in the nude)
20. Do you have any naturist regrets?
I know I’m not the first to say it, but I wish I’d started sooner. There are places I visited around the world unaware of the naturist opportunities they provided.
21. Why do you think people should join ANW? What can existing naturists get from it and how about "newbies"?
My experience with ANW so far is that it is a well-run site that is truly about naturism. People are respectful and genuine. There are opportunities for expanding your circle of friends and possibly meeting up socially in the real world. For newbies, it’s a safe place to explore, ask questions and become comfortable on their naturist journey.
22. Independent globetrotting to beautiful beaches and exotic locations is an exciting part of naturism - but naturism has a long history of local clubs, social meet-ups and national bodies - how important do you consider these aspects of naturism to be for today's naturist and the future growth of naturism?
Social meet ups are important for young and old, but I think younger naturists are less inclined to join clubs. They’re looking for events to be involved in rather than just hanging out by the pool. To attract younger members, clubs should provide social opportunities like nude gallery tours, nude dinners at a local restaurant, nude sporting events etc. I acknowledge many clubs are already going down this path. I think these types of events will also have role in ‘normalising’ naturism in the longer term. National bodies should support and provide some legitimacy for those arranging events to give venues confidence naturist events are wholesome and a potential market.
23. You are a member of ANF and a local club (ACT) do you feel the ANF do a good job supporting naturism on a national and global level? How important is your local club to you as part of your naturist life and your social life?
In recent years ANF have been quite active promoting naturism and naturist activities in Australia. They are engaging with the online world via their ‘Grin and Bear It’ video series and online pub nights for members. They’re also supporting real world events such as the recent ‘Nude Up Australia’ festival. As I’ve mentioned previously, ACT Nudist Club is important to us for the friendships we have there and as a place to take some time out from the world.
24. Tell us about your experience of the naturist cruise you went on.
It was our first cruise ever, so being able to do it nude was really special. It was an 8-day cruise on the Carnival Legend organised by Bare Necessities, visiting ports in Key West, Mexico and Roatán. I loved the ‘at sea’ days and being able to wander around nude on the ship with a couple of thousand other nudists. I found the normal shore excursions in port to be a bit touristy, but the special nude excursions arranged in some ports were a lot of fun. I’d definitely cruise nude again.
25. You have spent time as a naturist in the USA have you found any differences between the way naturism is considered by both naturists and non naturists between Australia and the states?
We met some wonderful naturists while in the US and their friendliness and warmth was no different to what we see in Australia, I think having so many naturist venues in Florida makes it a bit more mainstream than in Australia. The ‘lifestyle’ seems to be much more in the open than here, which is OK. It’s just not our thing.
26. If you could go anywhere in the world as a naturist where would it be?
Europe has so many naturist opportunities that we’d like to explore. France, Spain, Croatia... the question is where to start?
27.Any other thoughts and considerations to add?
Nothing to add other than to say thanks for letting me contribute and for being such wonderful advocates for naturism.
ANW thank Rob for this wonderful interview and sharing his thoughts with ANW.
ANW welcomes all who are respectful and interested in naturism and invite all genuine naturist organisations, clubs, events, venues and other opportunities to be part of the ANW community and work with us to encourage the growth and acceptance of naturism around the world. If you have any questions email Anna and Steve at [email protected]
© 2023 Rob from NSW and www.anaturistworld.com All Rights Reserved
