Noosa loses Nude Olympics to Byron over fears of arrest

[Danee]

 FEAR of arrest will see Noosa wiped as the venue for the naked sports carnival known affectionately as the Nude Olympics after six decades of staging the event at Alexandria
 Local nude bathing advocates are to hold talks with Sunshine Coast police about clothes free options, but it is too late to save the Noosa gathering of about 600 locals and visitors in March.
 Australian Naturist Federation president Greg Serow is already planning on taking the event to Byron Bay over fears carnival goers will be arrested for wilful exposure.          "I don't know how we are going to fix this up," Mr Serow said.
 "It's down and gone (the nude sports carnival). "So we're not doing it - we're going to New South Wales. It will be Belongil Beach (at Byron Bay) or (nearby) Tyagarah (Nature Reserve).
 Mr Serow said the ANF estimates for the revenue it would cost Noosa was more like $4-$6 million rather than a previous estimate of $2 million.
 "We've always thought of Noosa as a progressive place - you used to have hippies in the main street selling tie-dye stuff," he said.
 "We're copying the American society where nudity means sex, as opposed to the European society where nudity means nothing like that."
 He said clothing optional beach supporters did speak to the Minister for Police Mark Ryan at a recent fundraiser about their concerns and "he sounded like he was interested in doing something about it."
 However he said a formal written reply was "somewhat vague."
 "They always say we can't allow this to happen for the safety of the community," he said.
 Mr Ryan's chief of staff Ellen McIntyre said the Minister requested advice from the police service and was told the wilful exposure legislation was "designed to provide for the protection and safety of Queenslanders."
 "As such, there are no plans to change current legislation dealing with wilful exposure at this time," she said.
 Mr Ryan did advise the clothes-free beach lobby to meet with police at Maroochydore to discuss the matter further, and representatives will pursue this option to try and clarify the situation. Mr Serow asked which community was in considered to be in danger - the nudists who had been arrested in recent times or others who may be offended?
 He was was informed by Noosa lifesavers, who usually receive a $750 donation, they cannot provide special patrols at A Bay "because the activity is deemed illegal."

Mr Serow said lifesavers already did standard patrols at Alexandria Bay and any visit by patrol members would not be at any request by the ANF "but simply for the purposes of ensuring people are not drowning."



https://m.noosanews.com.au/news/noosa-loses-nude-carnival-to-byron/3144354/

[TheNudeBot]

I don't understand why they'd shut down something that was so long running.

[Danee]

I don't understand why they'd shut down something that was so long running.

Queensland does not have an official N beach and yet, that area -- I have been there --- was so cool!  @Leah lives there and knows all the story, I am sure.

[Danee]

Update:

Byron is getting ready to host this and this is out:

Nude Olympics etiquette explained

 UPDATE 1.20pm: FIRST rule of the nudist club is don't talk about your day job.
 That's one of several unofficial rules in etiquette at the Nude Olympics, an event of about 600 participants annually which organisers hope to hold at Byron Bay in March.
 Australian Naturist Federation president Greg Serow said other rules included not taking photos or videos, putting a towel down on a beach chair before you sit on it (for hygiene purposes), no hanky panky, and not using your last name.
 "It's give people a bit of privacy," Mr Serow said, adding that if you have a partner, your first names are joined as one.
 "We also don't want to judge people on what they do, based on an income and our living.
 "Our character and our attitudes towards ourselves and our plant and our children is the most important thing."
 On the subject of children, Mr Serow responded to Byron Bay Councillor Cr Alan Hunter, who said so long as the event 'respected children' and gained development consent, he'd support it.

 Mr Serow said if minors were barred from the event it would be a deal breaker.
 The last thing organisers wanted was for the event to be closed off with barriers to over 18s.
 "We're trying to get across her that we're just ordinary people and families, going to the beach and we just happen to have no clothes on.
 "If you're going to Italy and driving on a bus to Niece there's 10km of beach everyone is topless or nude and no one even turns their head."
 Mr Serow responded to Cr Hunter's joke that he'd only support the event if 'the good looking ones took their clothes off and not the ugly ones'.
 "The funny thing women look a lot better naked because half of their clothing, which cuts into them with elastic and makes them uncomfortable, isn't there.
 "We think that naturism is useful and positive for women and men.
 "As a rule, women often don't even have that situation where they can say  'hey, I'm okay'.
 "What we find is people and women, once they finally give it a go, you can actually see the whole stress of that fall off their face, it's like all of a sudden someone's taken all those worries away and their whole persona changes.
 "And that's when they realise that no one is paying attention to their shapes, they're looking in your eyes - it's very honest and truthful, all intellectual."



 Mr Serow claimed nudist events were designed for individuals to shed not only their clothes, but their social facades and life pressures.
 "Just recently a report came from Europe showing people who engage in naturism, it's a great tonic to stop them from depression and anxiety because it gives them some escape," Mr Serow said.
 "And I know for a fact people with those types of illness have this positive change when they walk away from the real world.
 "You drive up to the venue, you take your clothes off and you throw them in the car, and you walk away and it gives you this really funny goose bump feeling.
 "I reckon it's a bit like bungee jumping."
 Mr Serow stressed the event was not sexual in nature, but conceded men's top concerns included being aroused at inappropriate times.
 "All the guys are worried about it but it never seems to happen is because once again you're on a another planet and where we separate nudity from sexuality.
 "The sex thing has been removed from the equation and it's all to communicate in genuine authentic ways."
 Nude Olympic events include 4 - 8km marathon, pass the bucket, tug of war and egg throwing.



Note:  Kids and families?  NO issues.  Good on them.







@Leah @Dario Western



https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/councillors-say-theyd-welcome-nude-olympics-in-byr/3144647/

[Leah]

The article above covers off everything we know to date, though locally the move from Alexandria Bay at Noosa to Belongil/Tyagarah at Byron was a reflection of a Lifeguard service note being available, because as a voluntary organisation requiring State Government support the local Life Saving Clubs could not be seen to be be supporting an illegal activity.

The issue of infringement notices last November to 11 gentlemen who aired their bits while two police officers new to Noosa cowered in the bushes ready to spring would seem contributory to the Life Saving Clubs actions.

What I have noticed is that the number of the people at Alexandria Bay (clothed and unclothed) is now about half of what it was - the popular theory being that it is roughly the same distance from Brisbane to A Bay as it is to Belongil so why take the risk of being bothered by Police.

Hopefully over the next twelve months a position can be achieved where this event is held at Belongil and a fortnight later at A Bay. Though with the event at Belongil the crowd should be substantially bigger as parking and access is not as great an issue and people from Brisbane, Gold Coast and local area ca get there easily as can the large number of travellers moving through Byron in the summer.

On a personal note happy for it to be at Belongil this year as we are in Byron that weekend visiting my sister and we can make it a family affair. 

With regard the comment from the Byron Councillor about the event "respecting children" he is more regarding that they will be kept entertained and safe rather than alienated by the event.  We go to Belongil 4-5 times a summer and there are always kids on the beach from little ones with parents to young boyfriends and girlfriends testing their boundaries so I don't see any obstacles to the event.

[Dario Western]

I don't understand why they'd shut down something that was so long running.

The Attorney-General for Noosa Mr. Glen Elmes swayed the SLSC and the Council to demonise the nudists in a "secret" letter that was written by him to Yvette Green in late 2015.

Robin Bristow from the Australian Sex Party reproduced it on his Facebook page as indeed I did on mine.  You can see it at: https://www.facebook.com/dariowestern 

[Leah]

Just for the out of towners the assertions of the State Representative for Noosa to the State Attorney General are completely unfounded and much of the information is actually incorrect.  Who would think a conservative politician would make up "facts".