Do you like to go nude at the beach?
Hmm, maybe not at our age. However, it appears Australia is a popular destination for nude-seeking holidaymakers if a recent data trawl is correct.
UK swimwear brand Pour Moi analysed online search data and found that Australia was the most searched destination for nude sunbathing, and presumably bathing.
So we love it in the buff. That seems about right. Even my suburban beach has a decent amount of topless bathers, some of them women. Boom tish.
The other top-10 countries keen to get their kit off in descending order were New Zealand, The Netherlands, Canada, Ireland, the US, Spain, the UK, Lithuania, and Iceland.
I’m hoping Iceland is in there for the thermal baths, otherwise … brrrr.
If you want a list of where you can let it all hang out, here are a few completely nude – or ‘clothes optional’ – beaches in Australia.
Lady Bay Beach, Sydney Harbour National Park
Best online review: “This beach is not suitable for kids and family”.
No! Really?
Just half an hour from the Sydney CBD so you can be in your birthday suit every night after work if you so wish.
Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin
Miles of beach with a nudist section in the middle, which must be weird.
Imagine walking along, clothes, clothes clothes … suddenly nude … clothes, clothes, clothes. It’s the NT, so it’s probably only normal weirdness for them.
Doesn’t get good reviews because you can’t swim there due to crocs and stingers, which to be fair, can be a bit of a downer even if you have clothes on.
Tyagarah Nature Reserve, near Byron Bay, NSW
Of course, there is going to be a nudist beach in Byron. It’s like night follows day.
It’s a bit out of Byron Bay, but whatever.
Best online tip, go midweek to avoid the weekend perverts. Turns out perverts have jobs too.
Other activities include motor paragliders, bikes and horses, all clothing optional. The mind boggles.
Sunnyside North Beach, Port Philip Bay, Vic
A bit of an overachiever, this beach has been clothing-optional since 1986. That’s because you can only swim there for half of the year at most, so they had to start early.
The local council surveyed its residents last year to see if they wanted the beach to keep its nudist status and the results were overwhelmingly in support. They love a bit of starkers down there.
Maslin Beach, Fleurieu Peninsula, SA
Sunnyside wasn’t Australia’s first (official) nudist beach, that goes to Maslin, declared nudist in 1975.
Go if you love a bit of time in the nuddy, but also a good site for whale watching. That is not a euphemism.
Also ink into your calendar the Maslin games, usually held around Australia Day. Events include three legged races – I’m not going to check out how that works – and judging of the ‘best bum’.
It used to be called the Nude Olympics until the International Olympics Committee found out about it and got a bit twitchy and called the lawyers in.
The beach is named after local businessman Thomas Maslin. His family must be so proud.
Favourite online review: “Lots of willies here, very hairy willies.” Lady, don’t you know it’s rude to stare?
Samurai Beach, One Mile, NSW
Not just a clothing-optional beach, but also a clothing-optional campground. Be careful where you pitch your tent.
Only 4WD access, otherwise a long walk. You don’t want your bits burnt.
Alexandra Bay, Noosa National Park
Not officially a nudist beach, but apparently a local favourite with a more mature demographic. Yay for us. Trouble is it’s a 3km walk from Noosa Main Beach. Boo.
Locals call it A-bay if you want to fit in. Also not a euphemism.
Port Kennedy, Warnbro Beach, Western Australia
Perth’s only legal nudist beach. It has survived many a do-gooder’s attempt to close it down.
Reviews urge the lightly clad to go avoid windy days as you can end up ‘sandblasted’. Crikey.
Heavy pervert presence in the dunes apparently.
Also lots of dogs. They’re always nude.
Have you ever been to a nudist beach? Were you comfortable there? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments section below.
Also read: Swimming with whale sharks, what you should know before you go
