Main Menu
Sub Main Menu
sunshine coast
noosa
coolum
national
world
7:16AM Saturday 09 August, 2008 Sunshine Coast weather Mostly sunny min 6° - max 21°

Nudists spin bottle for nude beach

14 May 2008

| Kerryn Manifold

Nude bathing may soon be as legal on some Coast beaches as letting your dog run off-leash across the sand.

> See the latest developments in the fight for a nudist beach on the Sunshine Coast

Freebeach Australia handed a submission to the Sunshine Coast Regional Council on Tuesday to have dedicated, clothing-optional beaches made available for locals and tourists.

Freebeach vice-president Mark Hayter delivered the six-page proposal to the council’s Nambour offices.

The organisation has proposed four sites, including part of a Mudjimba beach that is backed by wetlands, and a stretch of beach north of Stumers Creek at Coolum.

Members also nominated what they called the Coast’s unofficial nude beaches, at Third Bay at Coolum and Alexandria Bay at Noosa.

Alexandria Bay would be a last resort because of its difficult access.

Nude bathing is outlawed in Queensland under the Summary Offences Act 2005, but the government has promised to reconsider the law if a local council were to ask it to do so.

According to Freebeach, having a clothing-optional beach would meet the needs of residents, increase tourism and help ensure the surf safety of nude bathers.

Mr Hayter said one beach would be enough to satisfy the group, and tourists would flock to the area to visit a nude beach if it could be established.

“There are thousands of nudists living here on the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Hayter said. “We feel that while the needs of other minority groups have been accommodated, nudists have been driven out of any unofficial beaches.”

The group hopes to meet with Sunshine Coast mayor Bob Abbot to discuss the proposed sites, but has been told he is unavailable for at least two months.

Meanwhile, mayor Bob Abbot has corrected claims that he would support an official nudist beach on the Sunshine Coast.

He said while he had no problem with the nudists’ cause, he would not fight any battles for them.

The comments last week were in response to a national media report implying he was all for the bid for the Sunshine Coast to become home to Queensland’s first legal nudist beach.

“I don’t have an issue with clothes-optional beaches at all but I’m certainly not the champion of this cause and don’t intend to be,” Mr Abbot said.

An application from Freebeach Australia is before council, but Mr Abbot has not viewed it yet.

“It would require public consultation,” he said.

Premier Anna Bligh said the state would consider the application if council endorsed it.

“If a safe and accessible location was put forward away from everyday beachgoers ... the government would consider it,” she said.

Recent Comments

Add a comment
Posted by Pete_Knight
on 15 May, 2008 at 2:36 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Looks like a lot of fudging going on if you ask me, council says it might if state gov is happy, state gov says it might if council happy, will someone make the first move please!

No one wants to be seen endorsing nude beaches, what are they afraid of for goodness sake, ugggh, politicians!
Posted by ontrack from twin waters
on 16 May, 2008 at 3:55 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Please see the following article

http://www.echo.net.au/archives/19_27/pd...
Posted by Phil_Surfmore from Alex
on 17 May, 2008 at 8:05 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Looks like Bob is giving the nudies the cold shoulder. He must be really busy sorting out our other problems if hes tied up for a couple of months.
Posted by marsketa from Coolum Beach
on 20 May, 2008 at 10:26 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Public Consultation? The only fair way to do that is to have a referendum. Polls conducted by local newspapers and media have come up with a 90% aproval rating in the past if the beach is isolated and there are signs to advise people. A referendum will cost thousands of dollars to organise. They didn't have public consultation before they made dog "off leash" beaches or before they close the Motorway for a bicycle race, or before they gave horse owners trails through State Forest etc. I wonder whether it is necessary to go to all the trouble and expence having a referendum on legal clothes optional beaches? Afterall BIG Bob is the BIG man for the BIG job which means making the BIG decisions.
Posted by vanga from caloundra
on 22 May, 2008 at 2:01 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
if you go to moffat at the right time of day it may as well be a nude beach
Posted by marsketa from Coolum Beach
on 23 May, 2008 at 8:45 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Thanks for the headsup on Moffat Beach Vanga.
LOL
Posted by Phil_Surfmore from Alex
on 24 May, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'm wondering how nudists go in winter when wetsuits are required or prefered and its too cold or windy to loll on the sand?
Posted by cate4molloy_1 from peregian beach
on 2 June, 2008 at 8:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Such a tired old argument. Coolum and Noosa will benefit from a Clothes Opional Beach don't like it don't go looking for it. Beaches all over Australia sport Clothes opional Beaches. A long time ago Poppa said to me.-Cate you don't need to stand up in the dunes with binoculars you can just go down to the beach and be there.Beattie said - Women and children need to be protected--

My response is yes In their own homes.

crimes against women and children occur not on our nude beaches or our beaches as such but in your homes.
Posted by Phil_Surfmore from Alex
on 13 June, 2008 at 5:48 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Nice blog, Cate...But what does domestic violence in homes have to do with designated nude beaches debate. While your on it, though, we should make it harder to get married (50 hard questions to answer before you say 'I do') and then make everyone take a course on child rearing before you have one and then go back and check everyone's progess to help them improve.

Bobs two months is nearly up so lets see what he has in mind. Seems like most people are OK with CO beaches, its just that they want them away from their back yards.
Posted by marsketa from Coolum Beach
on 15 June, 2008 at 11:06 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
This weekend many naturists enjoyed the winter sunshine at Alexandria Bay and even swam in the sea. Besides local naturists there were couples from Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand who prefer our mild winter climate spending money as naturist tourists in the Sunshine State. Phil Surfmore you have your "skins" but we are comfortable in our skins.
Posted by Bob_Bates from Warana
on 17 June, 2008 at 6:13 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Why is this story still on the front (sort of) page while other, more recent, disappear into the back blocks?

Ed: It is in the "most popular" story box, which automatically pulls in the stories on the website that are getting the most clicks.
Posted by Bob_Bates from Warana
on 17 June, 2008 at 6:44 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
So, this proves that stories about middle aged pharts getting naked attract voyeur interest only.

It IS only voyeur interest, because apart from my post, the most recent was the 15th June, before that, the 13th June, before that the 2nd June, and before that the 24th May.

Posted by brewer from Bribie
on 20 June, 2008 at 11:22 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
With immigration there is a European clientele here and coming. Cannibals, animal bordello's etc.
I'm no prude though i don't indulge in public nudity. I've known a lot who do in the clubs etc and i notice the nude bathing beach applications are never assoc with any sexual upsets that occur with such practices.There is also a wife swapping movement assoc with it, arguments and fights,forever fending off and dodging unwanted sexual advances, perverts and pedophiles. Some clubs have their act together. Where i don't have to see or indulge-fine, but don't try and tell anyone that trouble is not coming with it. The indulgers may be able to find their way around in that crowd or defend themselves from it. Not so a lot of others.And it does'nt all happen on the beach.
Posted by LeeBryer from Coolum
on 21 June, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
When you look at the mindset of the coast it makes you wonder. I remember a surf club not long back having a big stink of a nude portrait on the wall of a lady. Some limited minds decided it was offensive basically turning everything we love and hold dear into something dirty.IE the wimen in our lives, wives girlfriends mothers sisters .

These people force thier limited interlects and dubious high morals upon everyone covertly but much the same as the talban. So what if someone wants to take there cloths of on a beach especially selected for it. Being the god bothering capital of Australia does wonders for the attitudes of our elected representatives.
Posted by yoda_au from Mudjimba
on 25 June, 2008 at 6:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Perhaps we can take the young teens to the beach now to learn a bit about sexuality ... I hope the chicks won't complain while the young guys sit and perv at them ... after all it is public space and is legal in a democracy ... let's be sure that the nudists don't complain if some individuals choose to sit and stare at them on our 'public space'...
Posted by vanga from caloundra
on 26 June, 2008 at 1:43 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
six weeks we've read that nude bathing may soon be here - when?

and where??

My fave would be the top of bribie island - a national park and therefore out of the remit of the state government..... and a walkway bridge from the esplanade to the island would be a wonderful thing for caloundra.... and all of those people who poisoned the trees can get to see the nudists
Posted by bingobill from Edinburg TX USA
on 7 July, 2008 at 3:14 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I am a nudist living in Edinburg, South Texas with my wife in Sandpipers Resort. Our nearest “nudist” beach is on south Padre Island on the west coast of Gulf of Mexico. Our struggle is similar because it hard to find a place where one is not disturbed. I think society’s struggle should not be to close the areas to clothing optional minded people but to control crime as in any other area of society.
It has been years since I have discovered that one can be naked and not sexual. Why not designate a safe place where other people can discover the same thing and to overcome negative body image everywhere. Keep up the good fight!
W.W.S Edinburg Texas USA.
Posted by JonnoMac from Caloundra
on 16 July, 2008 at 7:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
If there is a nude beach allowed on the Sunshine Coast please make sure it has at least a 10-meter fence surrounding it and is in an unknown area. I don’t think my heart could stand the shock if I happened to come across a crowed of ugly old nudists wit their saggy bodies.
Posted by bingobill from Edinburg TX USA
on 20 July, 2008 at 12:20 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Dear JonnoMac from Caloundra
It is true there are some people who do not have perfect bodies. Nudism, as many practice it, is not about how good you look as it is about freedom to express yourself. Without cloths, you can communicate on a more intimate level with another person. Status is removed and so you can discuss ideas and advice with anyone regardless of money, power or fame. Clothing (for example sexy swimwear) tends to hide parts of the body and makes the parts alluring. Why should any part of the body be more or less important than another part of the body? I feel less aroused in a nudist setting because I see the whole person, including mind and body, than I do on a beach full of bikinis! If you have tried the nudist setting and determined that it is not for you we want to accommodate you with whatever fence you require and notification of where we can enjoy our freedom. I don’t like sneaking around any more than you like being surprised. Please give the nudist experience a try and talk to everybody you meet there. My hope is that you will find that nudism is more about peace acceptance and freedom than “ugly old nudists wit their saggy bodies”
W.W.S Edinburg Texas USA
Posted by Phil_Surfmore from Alex
on 22 July, 2008 at 8:29 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
With regards to Mudjimba Bch is the area being proposed somewhere south of the surf club and north of the Twin Waters patrolled area? How long a stretch of beach are we looking at? Is the suitable parking and access? If we go ahead with it can we reverse the process if it proves a lewd criminal magnet as the nay sayers believe?
I'm not a nudie but it seems like a reasonable spot as does the Stumers spot. Maybe we can give it a go on a trial basis.
Posted by vanga from caloundra
on 23 July, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
wait for the mirror to catch up with you johnnomac :-) ROFLMAO
Posted by Sunshineviking from Buderim
on 24 July, 2008 at 2:49 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Ok Ed - lets move on - this is boring now !

If all these crinkly exhibitionists want their own discussions, let them start their own forum....


Posted by marsketa from Coolum Beach
on 24 July, 2008 at 10:38 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Phil,
I believe the area between beach entrances 59-61 may be the proposed clothes optional site. It is a mere few hundred metres of beach. Not much to ask really. And the textiles can have all of the rest of that long stretch of beach.
Posted by marsketa from Coolum Beach
on 24 July, 2008 at 10:49 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I have been to most of the nudist clubs and retreats in Australia and a few overseas ones and I have never seen the activities brewer e describes. Most clubs have strict rules against such behaviour. And Yoda, sexual harrassment is illegal and never acceptable in any public place particularly clothes optional beaches. I would also like to say that the FBA has a motto "Free Beaches for EVERY body". Nudists accept people with bodies of all shapes and sizes including the old and saggy because it is what is on the inside that really counts. Jonno Mac should maybe put a ten foot fence around his comments instead? I for one don't want to see such ugly thoughts.
Posted by scootermigavin from mudjimba beach
on 25 July, 2008 at 2:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Take your thoughts of a nude beach elsewhere because it wont happen @ Mudjimba. Also the 1500 people or so it apparently brings with the nude games is not going to help our local economy it will destroy it. We get more than that over the weekend every weekend between the park, beach, nippers & shop now. Locals are more than happy just the way things thanks. Not against a nude beach just against putting it on a very popular family beach. Take to 3rd bay where its secluded.
Posted by flinchy from noosa
on 30 July, 2008 at 11:33 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
i love nude beachs how i met my wife
Posted by Adkins from Moffat Beach
on 5 August, 2008 at 4:58 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Listen,
if these 'steel-trap-minded'(always closed) people dont want you on 'their' beach, why not think of other places?

For instance. Vanga mentioned how Moffat Beach was already a free beach at some times. WHY NOT COME HERE. Tooway Lake is normaly a nice place to swim, theres toilets nearby, Barbeques, Shops. Normaly theres good surf out at moffat point. Tidepools with lots of marinelife to look though, plus a strech of really nice beach.

Have your say

We welcome comments on our stories and blogs - after all it's your site. Please note comments should be on-topic and not abusive. Comments are checked before publication.