Why I Dont Go To Events

As some may be well aware, many nudist communities and groups have events or gatherings designed as private functions. It is great to see many of these events happening all over town and even to read about them on blogs or articles from over seas. 

Contrary to what the title suggests, I do get to some events but not as many is i would prefer It can be sometimes difficult as a number of factors are at play when I think about joining one of these events., and its usually timing, money and location... Usually in that order. Life can often be a bit of a hurdle when it comes to these things especially if you are in a working family with kids, school, sports and other social get ups with non-nudist friends. 

Timing

Often it is as simple as dates for events falling on the same day/night we are already doing something. This can not be helped however, sometimes it is a matter of not enough notice for the planned event and the event date. It is unfortunate as not everybody is as flexible with arrangements for a quick meet up or making a night out for dinner or some other kind of event.

Money

Unfortunately this is usually the deciding factor on weather most people go to an event. Often as venues need to be hired or booked out for the event the associated cost is usually a little on the steep side. This again can not be helped and makes it difficult for some to attend.

Location

This is a big one for me!! Often events are located a reasonable distance from where I live. Often the event organiser will plan the event and its location near to where they reside. This is fair enough however, something to consider would be the location of other nudists. Trying to set up events that are more centralised would potentially increase the chance of greater numbers attending. Now it is understandable that perhaps the venue in that area has offered to host the event and it has worked well for the organiser as they are locals.

It would be great to see more affordable events and more of them spread over a wider area of the city. So I guess all I can do is try and support the ones that are organised locally and hopefully regular affordable events will present closer to home.

Neighbours

Always an interesting one, and sometimes a fun discussion when you get busted by your neighbours. I have had my neighbours bust me on a number of occasions. While I have heard from some that the experience was distressing for Mrs Mackle over the fence, I have been quite lucky that it has not been so for me.

On a few occasions I had been walking back up the yard from the shed and my neighbour was hanging the washing. She caught a full view, gave an awkward hello and carried on what she was doing. Her Husband, on a seperate occasion just came out and began having a chat over the fence while I was clearing the fence line to install a privacy screen. To give you an idea, the fence is 900mm high and they are on the elevated block, so yeah...good vantage point if I'm in the middle of my yard. These are just a couple of occasions of quite a few more., not just by one neighbour but three that have seen me doing my usual daily nudescapade.

Oddly enough I never seem to get any complaints from them...(or a visit from the boys n blue) which I am thankful for. I do make some effort to be discrete and if they have visitors I avoid moving in view as to not freak out their party goers. 

We do have one neighbour who is quite ok with it, so much so that whenever she visits I need not get dressed. It is a real pleasure to be amongst people who are willing to accept me for who I am, and not insist that i change that within my own home. This all came about when she popped over for some reason to which I can't remember. I had a knock on my door and true to my door sign which forewarns people that if they visit un-invited, they would likely be greeted by nothing but a smile. Well, it was my lovely neighbour. She didn't bat an eyelid, and when I apologised she told me it was no problem and said its all good, no need to get dressed.

I have usually made it a point to let my neighbours know that I am a nudist and not to freak out if they see me naked in my yard, but this time around, I only got a chance to do that with one of them. Now we enjoy an occasional visit, me remaining naked. My other neighbours were not so lucky and had to find out by surprise.

I guess at the end of the day, if you try to be considerate and go about your business as normal but bare in mind that they may be out and may see you. Keeping out of sight might not be the easiest or practical option but being somewhat discrete may help to ease that awkward hello over the fence.

Return

Its been a little over 4 years since posting on this blog. I was not sure if I was going to continue but i have been receiving a substantial amount of likes and increasing interaction on the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/The-Nudists-Journey-520120901462247/ so i decided to have another crack.

I am not sure how often I will post, and am unsure of which direction I will head with the content. As the Facebook page indicates, the concept is to create a coffee table book filled with storeys and images of everyday nudists willing to share their experience with nudism, in particular how they became nudists.

So... here we go. Hopefully, I can gain more traction than I have in the past and am fortunate enough to make some kind of start to the book I would so much love to create. 

Please help by sharing this blog page as much as you can.

Why Are There So Few Young Nudists?

As a nudist of over 20 years its has always been a question that has plagued my mind. Why are there so few young nudists? As I have grown to love this lifestyle I have at times become a little disheartened with the lack of people in my age range enjoying such an amazing way of life. Lately I have been pondering this question and have come to the assumption that its not that there are so few young nudist but rather there are so few that have the ability to join in.

Traditionally the most common place for us nudies to hang out is the beach, camping and nudist retreats. This led me to think, what if it didn't like the beach so much? Or what if I cant afford to visit a nudist retreat? It was not till I had a discussion with a young nudist couple I am fortunate to be in contact with that I realised its simply just that. It may be that young people don't have time, they have uni or a busy social life which leaves them so little time to frequent nude beaches and retreats.

Another hurdle may be finance. Its simply not cost effective or affordable for young people to spend what little money they have on visiting a nudist retreat. I know when I was younger and had limited cash flow I could never afford to go to a nudist retreat. Even now I am reluctant pay all that money just to visit for a day and sit around doing nothing but gas bag next to the pool. This leads me to another point. There is nothing to do...

Most establishments don't have much and usually don't cater for the younger crowd or young family. There is simply not that much that interests young people to venture out and visit such establishments.

There are however on the rise, more nude events such as nude ten pin bowling or nude pub nights and even roller skating. These are great tho can also be a little on the pricey side. With the rise of nude events we may well see a change in the age balance but I believe it may take some time.

One reason may also be that some people simply prefer to enjoy nudism at home or in private. They have no desire to engage in social nudism and usually do not search for anything else outside of the comfort of their home.

A major factor I believe is lack of progressiveness. In Europe we see many more younger people enjoying nudism/naturism and we also see accompanying this a more progressive society. In almost all occasions my conversations with European people about nudity and nudism they have shown a much more progressive view on this aspect of life. They have less hangups about the concept of somebody enjoying an active nudist lifestyle while here in the western world the sentiment is different. In my case I have not been met with negative response but positive support however, many people I know have experienced otherwise.

With a society as closed minded and prudish as ours its not hard to imagine that many would be hesitant to reveal to others that they are a nudist. This would make it difficult to meet and find other nudists to socialise with. I have experienced this personally and have noticed that until almost 2 yeas ago I was having great difficulty meeting other nudists. It was only when I decided to reveal my lifestyle to all of my friends and family did the change come about.

I no longer had to hide facebook posts about what I was doing, I could speak freely and educate those who did not understand and most of all I could meet friends and have them in mixed company without fear of someone slipping up and busting us all for being nudists.

Young people have a lot on their plates with uni, part time work, busy social lives just to name a few. If we are to draw their interest we need to come up with more interesting ways to do so. I don't consider myself young or old but I have a few ideas up my sleeves which I hope will bring some young guns out of the woodwork.

A new outlook is needed and some fresh ideas and more exciting activities. It would be ideal to have a group similar to YNA (Young Naturists America) to do some progressive events and lead the charge in healthy body acceptance. The YNA is a prime example of this kind of positive promotion for nudism and body acceptance. They have done nude body painting with expert body painting artists right in the heard of New York City!! they have a nude Sunday session at a local gym and have planned and executed plenty more events since their inception.

A good friend and very active nudist in our community and a member of a very active group called QSN (Queensland Social Nudists) has done an amazing job of organising nude 10 pin bowling for three years running and as a result others have now begun planning events of their own. Nude snorkeling (which I regrettably missed out on), and soon to come roller skating.

Let's just hope we can attract more young people to these events, shift the tide and debunk the stereotype that nudism is mainly old lumpy and bumpy folks standing ankle deep on a beach looking out at the ocean. It will be a long journey, but I'm sure we will get there eventually.

Legalise a clothing optional beach in QLD

Hi all,

Its been a very long time but I have finally started to get back into the swing of things here in the blogasphere, and what better way to start then by highlighting a pettition that requires ALL of our support. We NEED a legal cloting optional beach in QLD (actually we need about 3 at least) but lets just start with 1. I ask and beg of you all who follow my blog (and I know I havent been around for a while), to follow the link and sign the pettition in support for a legal clothing optional beach at Alexandria Bay AKA A-Bay in the noosa area of QLD.

For many years this beach has been generally accepted as a clothing optional beach however, of late there have been a few complaints from prudish and narrow minded locals that they have been offended by the sight of naked pople on the beach. In each instance the offender was recognised to be not a typical nudist but a weirdo that has exposed themselves on the trail or in an area not actually on the main sections of the beach. These reports may become damaging and as proven in the past, the best way to combat this is to designate a specific area for nude use and anybody outside those areas can be liable for being served with a penalty.

Genuine nudist do not behave this way and strongly oppose lewd behaviour in public places. It is very damaging to the peception of our community and we will do all we can to keep the perves and wackos away from said areas.

This is very important to us a community and we could do with all the support we can get. You do not have to be a nudist/naturist but as my friends and family you have shown support for my lifestyle with your positive feedback when I opened up to everyone. And now I ask that you show it once more by helping us upgrade the status of this beach which is so important to my lifestyle and thos of my nudist friends.

Please follow the link below and help us win the right to skinny dip in the ocean and suntan naked without fear of being handed a fine for enjoying life as nature intended.

Legalise a clothing optional beach in Noosa

The Onsen Experience

While in Japan I was fortunate enough to experience an amazing part of Japanese culture. I learned of the great benefits of the bathing custom and how relaxing it can really be. When we think of bathing here in the western part of the world, we think of getting in the tub and scrubbing down. While this is true in Japan they do use this time to scrub down after a long day at the office or being out and about however, there seems to be another element to the whole process.

Bathing has been a long time tradition in Japan and some other parts of asia. Japanese used to bath in public bath houses called “Sento”. This was because most people could not afford a bath in the family home so off to the sento they would all go. Many decades ago these sento used to be mixed gender known as “Konyoku”, The whole family would go and wash and relax in the warm steamy bathing areas. Now this was in a time when the idea of mixed nude bathing was not even a thought in the forefront of the mind, it was simply done an no body had any hangups about it. Now days the Konyoku almost does not exist any more. The only place true konyoku exist now are deep in the mountains in natural hot springs called “Onsen”. They can be accessed but are usually very difficult to get to and quite often involve a little bit of hiking.

As the economic wealth of the average family increased so did the ability for them to afford a bath in the family home. This has changed the social element of the sento which are usually located in and around the cities. People no longer socialised as a community from the neighbourhood they would go as a family unit as a night/day out and most likely not as regularly. Families will go for relaxation and now days they are split by gender as social attitudes changed toward mixed gender nudity. Dads will go off with the boys and or son in-law or friends, and likewise for the mums.

The etiquette of bathing in Japan is different to the way we bath in the western part of the world. When one enters a bathing area be it at home or in a sento/onsen the rules are the same. When you arrive in the onsen the first thing you do after you pay is to go to the respective dressing room, strip down nude and make your way into the bathing area. Next, you must rinse or wash your body before entering the bath and the bath is not for washing but soaking only. This is the reason a whole family can use the same bath in a night as they do not make the water dirty and the bath is designed to keep the water hot and filtered. Many onsen/sento have a few different kinds of baths ranging from mineral, cold, extra hot and many more including green or red tea. After a relaxing soak in the bath(s) people would then spend time scrubbing down shampooing and all the personal hygiene acts one would normally perform during wash time. They sometimes also have outside baths called “Rotenburo”, these are magnificent in winter when it is cold outside and the steamy 42deg water is up around your shoulders!

Going to an onsen or sento can be daunting for those not familiar or comfortable with nudity in a public setting but its not all that bad. The key to enjoying the experience is to simply follow every body else and pretend you have been there a million times. As a nudist I never had this issue and it felt like such a natural thing to do. I did learn how good bathing can be for the body and soul. I found my body was not as sore every day and my injuries from a car accident was never a problem even when it was cold. Its a good chance to de stress and relax after a long day at work and until I learned to bath every night before bed I never knew what I was missing. Now as we have been back in australia for some time now I do truly miss the night time bath and even more the Onsen.

I will be looking forward to visit Japan again with my family and as usual we will go to an Onsen and I will enjoy it immensely! If you should ever travel to Japan or even Korea it would do you well to seek out an onsen or sento, your hotel staff can direct you to one and most big hotels will have either their own or a partnership allowing guests to use another hotels or a local establishment.

Give it a try and lose yourself in the amazing custom of the Japanese bathing experience.

You never Know Who Is In The Audience

I am a firm believer that if you tell people about your love and passion for the sans clothes lifestyle you will be surprised at the response they give you. I have two situations that have transpired into something I completely did not expect. One of these situations has now led me to a position where a good friend of mine is calling me her nude guru.

This amazing woman already knew I was a nudist and not till recently did I discover that she was considering the lifestyle to tackle body issues and attempt to break free from her shackles of negative energy she had taken on over the years. It only came about when I asked her opinion on a naturist issue. Before long the conversation led to her saying she had been thinking about giving it a try. So without hesitation I offered my advice and some tips to help the initial transition from being clothed to unclothed, offering ideas such as staying nude after the shower for a short wile or as long as she felt comfortable.

As time has progressed I discovered that she had acted on my tips and was moving forward at a steady pace. She can now look herself in the mirror full view in the nude and accept herself as she is and she has no problems standing in the hallway talking to her housemates while nude. All of this because we had a discussion about nudism, the ideals of the lifestyle and the way they  can help change a person’s positive outlook on life.  My dear friend is now quite comfortable with the idea of nudism although it will take some time for her to take the leap of faith and go to a public beach or resort. She is yet to transition to spending the day or weekend nude at home however, is now much more comfortable with nudity in general. As most of us nudies know, once you feeel the comfort and relaxation of being nude for long periods of time you don’t want to return to the clothed life.

The second situation stemmed from a conversation with a supplier rep, who came to visit my workplace. We had spoken before and he is a great guy to have a good chinwag with. We were talking about Japan and how he had been a few times and enjoyed the Onsen (Japanese hot springs) so much that he had to go every time he went to Japan. When I told him stories of how people asked me if I was terrified about being nude in these places he chimed in and said he used to live in Europe and nudity was much more accepted over there amongst peers. He then mentioned off hand that he had lots of nudist buddies and he visited a nude beach in north Queensland. That’s when I revealed I was a nudist and the conversation lead to us discovering that we both had some mutual friends in the nudist community.

As it happens, he has been living a great life as a nudist and even had the opportunity to introduce some people to it also, tho they didn’t take it on they still enjoyed the lifestyle and learned how great the people in this community can be.

If we had never spoken about the onsen, we would never have known that the other was a nudist. If I didn’t share my passion for nudism I would never have had the opportunity to help a friend change her life, and if e we don’t speak to anybody we will never be able to teach others the beauty of this amazing way of life.

So, to all my fellow nudists and naturists and to all my followers who may not be nudists please, if the opportunity arises do not be scared to have a good, frank discussion about nudity and this amazing lifestyle.  Nudists share you passion and non-nudists show your support. You never know who is in the audience.