Skinny-dip Down a Moonbeam

Have you every tried skinny-dipping? How about skinny-dipping down a moonbeam?

Well, this Saturday February 15th, you could try both...weather depending!

It will be a beautiful full moon that rises at 8:04pm on Saturday February 15th and the forecast for much of the country is looking mild if possibly even clear skies.

Why not get a bunch of friends and head to a beach near you, cast off your clothes and swim in the shimmering light the moon casts along the water as it rises above the horizon.

You could continue the Valentine's Day romance from the previous day, have a lovely picnic on the beach while awaiting the moonrise and then slip into the water discovering the magical experience of its silky warmness directly on your skin.

And if you aren't near a beach you could always try a river like this group in the photo on the Wairau River.

This event is promoted by Free Beaches NZ Inc. and more details are available on their website at:
www.freebeaches.org.nz/eventssdmb.htm

And for more information on the benefits of skinny-dipping and naturism go to:
http://gonatural.co.nz/news/1/24/Benefits-of-Naturism/

63rd NZNF Naturist Festival - Rapere, Hawkes Bay 2014/15

Every year the NZNF holds a National Festival to coincide with their AGM.  The festival runs for 7 days from 28 December to 3 January with the host club presenting themed entertainment each day and evening.

The Festival is a chance to reconnect with old friends and to make some new ones…a time to relax and "reboot” enjoying clothes-free recreation together.

This year the 63rd NZNF Festival will be hosted by Hawkes Bay Naturist Club at their grounds in Rapere, Rissington, north of Napier.

Theme:

The theme for the festival this year is "Rapere Film Festival".

The programme will be exciting...as well as a full sports programme, there will be movie-themed nights and outdoor movies, a Casino evening and Blues, Brews & BBQs...it all sounds very interesting doesn't it.  

The organising team is working hard to make this event even more memorable than Hawkes Bay's last NZNF festival - A Taste of the Bay which was in 2011.

The Rapere Film Festival registration form is available now from their website.

For as little as $150 p/person ($140 p/person if paid in full by 31 October 2014) you can treat yourself to a wonderful clothes-free holiday from 28 December 2014 until 3 January 2015 on the tranquil Hawkes Bay Naturist Club grounds.

This is my story...

Recently I received a fantastic email from a reader of this blog in response to my article about attracting the younger generation. The writer gave insight from his own experience and that of his wife, whom he described as a reluctant naturist, about how young people think and what they are looking for - or equally important, what they aren't.

He wrote also about how "women often help other women out" in relation to the reluctant partner and making them feel more comfortable in nude social settings. And it is this point that I would like to take up and tell…my story...for gonatural Week!

Hi, my name is Donna and I am - but haven't always been - a naturist. 

My parents brought me up deeply religious and we went to church, until my mid teens, three times on a Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well as youth group on a Saturday. The 12 or so years after that were spent almost as occupied with things Christian - church twice on a Sunday, youth group on a Saturday and music practice (being the church pianist) once a week.

As you can imagine, nude recreation would have been far far from my mind...it just wasn't a concept I was brought up with or even aware of. Televisions and even secular radio stations were frowned upon and we were separated from "the real world" immersing ourselves only with everything church - excluding all else.

My parents were clearly conservative, however around the home, they were always open...neither Mum or Dad hid away their nakedness or showed us that nudity was anything to be ashamed of - but we knew that was okay just for home.

During one family holiday to Cooks Beach (I was about 13 years old) and a day trip to Cathedral Cove our family was joined on the beach by what became apparent as European tourists who, much to my lovely father's horror, proceeded to undress and have awesome fun setting up their picnic, running in and out of the water, and throwing a frisby around. Dad tried to distract the attention of me, and my younger brother and sister...but there is only so much you can find interesting about the Hole in the Rock at that age! That was my first experience with social nudity.

So, fast-forward quite a few years...I'm newly married...we got married in Fiji so this was our wedding and our honeymoon. We organised to go on the Honeymoon Picnic where you get dropped at an isolated island (the one filmed in the movie Castaway) with food for the day, a first-aid kit, and a walkie-talkie in urgent assistance was required. Anyway, this is when and where I found that my husband had no problems going nude outside...and I did. 

After that experience we began going to nude or clothing optional beaches. I was the reluctant partner. Often I would finally be down to my underpants when it was time to leave! Each time however got a little easier...well, mostly it was that I didn't want to let him down by being the party pooper and likely creating a scene by taking so painfully long. My husband had spent time as a teen visiting his father - who was a naturist - even going to the 1979 Gisborne Rally so was quite comfortable without clothes. But he was very understanding and never pushed.

6 years ago we booked to stay at KatikatiNaturist Park for a few nights on our way back home after Christmas and New Year in Napier. Oh the nervousness! I drove the 3 hours there...I just needed to concentrate on something else and take my mind off what I was about to do. I'd warned my husband that I was just going to stay in the cabin and relax and not walk around anywhere with him. However, when we arrived I was truly taken by the place. It really wasn't long at all before we went for our first wander, exploring the grounds, nervously, almost terrifiedly waving at those we passed trying to put on a brave "I'm a seasoned naked person...nothing special to see here" smile. 

A couple of days later there were discussions of buying caravans, making the trip down from Auckland every weekend, and fully buying into the naturist lifestyle they provide. Then within days, of arriving home, we contacted the club we now belong to for a visit, became members and within a couple of months brought a caravan there which we now enjoy...every weekend.

Just being honest, I actually like clothes...even nice clothes. And I'm sometimes, okay often, cold. I don't feel like "oh I can't wait to get these clothes off" all the time!

But, I am no longer reluctant. Naturism and nudity are part of my life and I embrace the benefits I receive in my body, my mind and also in my soul. 

For me, the attraction first probably came with the setting...the privacy and safety of the club...the closeness to nature with native trees, birdlife, and even the weather. From there it didn't take long to realise I actually enjoyed the feel of the breeze on my entire body and gardening or working around the caravan without clothes. The awkwardness of talking to people without my clothes on left quickly - everyone was so genuine and welcoming - and I began to enjoy socialising more with fellow members in the nude. 

Today, my greatest enjoyment comes from introducing people to clothes-free(dom) living so they can experience the joys and benefits it holds for themselves. But I understand, having once been the reluctant partner myself, that it can take time for people to feel comfortable. So allow yourself time to truly experience the freedom and if at first you don't fully relax then give it another go. I'm sure you will soon wonder why you didn't enjoy it sooner. 

For more information and FAQ go to our website: http://gonatural.co.nz/

Day Without Bathing Suits

Almost seven years ago, the Spanish Naturist Federation held the very first Day Without Bathing Suits event and promoted it to all Spaniards and tourists in Spain, to be held on the third Sunday in July. 

The initiative was highly successful and a few years later the 2010 INF World Congress in Italy declared this as an International Day. 

Now you don't need to be told that the third Sunday of July here in New Zealand is always pretty cold indeed. However, the New Zealand Naturist Federation and Free Beaches New Zealand are declaring the Southern Hemisphere equivalent of the third Saturday of January as Day Without Bathing Suits day - the event nicely kicking off our annual national gonatural Week to a great start.

Hence, on Saturday January 18th 2014, go to a beach near you and sunbathe or swim in the nude - without soggy toggys! 

In New Zealand, it is not illegal to be naked in appropriate public places, such as beaches. It is not the lack of clothes that is the issue but the behaviour that goes with it. The New Zealand Naturist Federation and Free Beaches New Zealand fosters your choice of sunbathing with or without swimsuits and want to increase greater acceptance of nudity by the general population. 

We want this to be a day where tolerance and respect to everyone is practised - nudity is an option same as wearing a swimsuit, bikini or going topless - we are all just sunbathers or swimmers.     

If you wish to go to a recognised clothes-free or optional beach, the Free Beaches New Zealand website www.freebeaches.org.nz/noted_beaches.htm has the location of these. 

To find out more about the naturist community in New Zealand and frequently asked questions, check out the New Zealand Naturist Federation website www.gonatural.co.nz.

Go Natural - During gonatural Week 2014

It’s a brand new and bright new year! Each year we make resolutions or have intentions about things we will change or do different.

So, why not do something really good for your body and your mind...and go natural.

The New Zealand Naturist Federation announces that “gonatural Week” will again be held nationwide and this year it will run from January 18th until January 27th.

This gonatural Week many clubs and organisations around the country will be celebrating their healthy lifestyle and inviting individuals, couples and families to visit during their open days and discover the many benefits of naturism for good health and well being along with the facilities they offer.

This is your opportunity to experience the true benefits of being a naturist - from being close to nature; the newfound confidence you get about your body; the stress relieving freedom that nude recreation brings; to the amount of awesome people from all walks of life you get to meet and find are just like you.

Naturism is by definition "a way of life in harmony with nature, expressed through social nudity, linked to self-respect and tolerance of differing views together with respect for the environment”. Naturism is a holistic approach to healthy living that leads to an improvement in both physical and mental health, stemming from a person feeling better about themselves and their body.

But don’t just take our word for it.

We hope that you can accept our invitation to visit one of these venues and have the opportunity to meet some members and to better understand what naturism is all about. And once you have, you will wonder why you didn’t ‘gonatural ‘ years ago.

There is no pressure to undress – it is most important that you relax and have a good time.

To find out more about the naturist community in New Zealand, check out our website www.gonatural.co.nz

Roman Rotota Campout is here...

Every year the New Zealand Naturist Federation holds a Festival to coincide with their AGM.  The festival runs for 7 days from 28 December to 3 January and the host club or affiliate presents themed entertainment each day and evening.

This year the 62nd NZNF Festival will be hosted by Rotota Sun Club at their grounds on the sunny shores of Lake Ohakuri, not far from Rotorua, Tokoroa and Taupo - which is where they take their name.

The theme for the Festival this year is "Roman Rotota Campout"…they say for every two hundred metres you travel down their driveway, you travel back two hundred years in time. Back to a time when gladiators and chariot races provided entertainment for the rich and powerful; a time of slave auctions and catapult competitions; and a time where a Goddess was totally pampered.

These Festivals are a chance to reconnect with old friends and a chance to make some new ones…a time to relax and "reboot” enjoying clothes-free recreation together.

Rotota is one of those few magical places left on earth where there’s no cellphone or internet coverage…a place where you can truly get away from it all and unwind without the entrapments of technology and equipment that we think we need around us.

So come along, bring your toga, and join us for lots of fun, and some well-deserved R&R.

To find out more about the naturist community in New Zealand, check out our website: www.gonatural.co.nz.

And for more information about the Roman Rotota Campout please contact either Keith – Rotota President – rotota.president@gonatural.co.nz, or Donna – NZNF Communications Officer – nznf.pro@gonatural.co.nz.

gonatural Magazine Issue #227 December 2013

The editorial direct from the Managing Editor's desk in the just printed next issue of gonatural Magazine:

This issue is dedicated to my friend, Bevan Tong, who died 19 September 2013. In his obituary for Bevan, Ken Mercer outlines the tremendous input Bevan gave to the Wellington Naturist Club as well as his support for naturism in general. Many of us will remember Bevan for his mischievous humour, and his ability to enthuse others. Bevan shared his love of life with June and their families to whom we express our deepest sympathy.

In this issue we report that NZNF Communications Officer, Donna Miller is gearing up for summer, bringing you a number of ideas for gonatural Week in January, and in her article ‘Young naturals’ she asks the hard questions while at the same time presents her ideas on how to get youth interested in naturism.

At the other end of the spectrum we introduce INF President, Sieglinde Ivo, with her address to the 60th anniversary celebration at Montalivet in France. Brian and I were fortunate to arrive at Montalivet in time for the festivities and happily re-acquainted ourselves with several others in our worldwide naturist community, including Christianne LeClerc now aged 102, whom we first met in Paris in 2000.

Another old friend with whom we had met that same year, also felt very lucky to participate in the ceremony: INF Honorary President, Charles Obergfell. Four years after the INF was formed, Charles discovered naturism as a 19 year old on the Ile du Levant.

Prior to the celebration, I attended a workshop on Youth in Naturism which generated an interesting discussion. A summary of this workshop will be available on the website: www.inf-fni.org

On a recent visit to a naturist resort in France, Stephane Deschanes was struck by the multitude of people wearing clothing away from the beach and pool, and sets out to understand the reasons why.

FreeBeaches NZ had a party – an AGM party. To celebrate our summer issue we feature a number of beaches that are frequented by naturists. I’m sure you have others, and we would like to hear about them.

Meanwhile the Naturist Association of Thailand held their second annual conference at the naturist friendly Chan Resort in Pattaya.

Visiting France is always a pleasure and we bring you some delightful photos of family and friends in our feature article ‘l’Eglantière Rose.’

John Lowe suggests if you’re heading north (in New Zealand that is), call in to see Ross and Raewyn. You’ll discover a rather dark naked lady and several emus. The beach nearby is pretty good also.

While travelling in Australia, a couple of Kiwi tourists found ‘a naturist facility with enjoyment plus’ run by another two Kiwis who may be familiar to many of our readers.

Life-long naturist, Joyce Fleming, brings you more than a book review on ‘Pond Life. A swimmers journal.’ The author, Al Alvarez, has been swimming year round in the ponds at Hampstead Heath, London, since he was eleven years old. Now he is eighty.

Enjoy your summer.

Kay Hannam

Managing Editor