It’s a Tuesday morning, the infinite blue sky of Byron Bay has opened up and the six naturists – four men, two women – have stripped down to their birthday suits for a quick dip in the buff.
This section of beach – an 800-metre stretch along the vast coastline – forms the only legal clothing-optional beach in the shire. Among those taking advantage of the opportunity to be out in the open is Duncan James, vice-president of Northern Rivers Naturists, who is something of an evangelist for “embracing the beach as Mother Nature intended.”
“Many of the beach users have described the clothing-optional beach as their happy place, a place where they can disconnect from modern day stresses, a place they can feel at one with nature,” he says.
There is, however, a metaphorical cloud on the horizon. On Sunday, Tyagarah is set to be stripped of its status as an official clothing-optional beach.
“I guess these values aren’t shared by New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service [NPWS], who are hell-bent on closing one of Byron’s last alternative community hubs and experiences,” James says.
However I still maintain that kids should be treated as if they are as innocent as I was as a kid. I didn’t know what sex was until puberty, and thats the way it should be. Let them have a childhood.
This just reads so… Strange. Nobody is advocating telling young kids about sex.
There is nothing inherently sexual about a naked human body. It’s only weird if you’re making it weird and, well, you are.
Nobody is advocating telling young kids about sex.
Even if they were, I don’t think I would take issue with it. Sex is a natural part of life and society. I think prudish/taboo attitudes towards sex create more problems than they solve.
Fully agree though as a broad rule but there’s an age of innocence that needs respecting IMO. I got told by an older boy I knew when I was just 8 and honestly that was not great. My own barometer is that if you still believe in Santa we’ll have the talk later.
Funny story - Our eldest had some broad strokes when we sat him down but thought from the playground stories that you used a condom if you wanted to get pregnant. I was very glad to clear that little misconception up.
got told by an older boy I knew when I was just 8 and honestly that was not great
Yeah, that’s probably not the best way to find out.
there’s an age of innocence that needs respecting IMO
I’m not sure I necessarily agree. I had books like Visual Dictionary of the Human Body within reach since I was a toddler, so I don’t recall the ideas of “sex” or “where babies come from” ever being a big deal or a shocking revelation.
if you still believe in Santa
Funnily enough, I don’t think I ever believed in Santa either, so I guess your barometer checks out :)
Nobody may be advocating for it, but it happens due to lazy parenting. I heard one 10 year old on the bus a few months ago tell another about his age “Suck my dick!”.
When I was his age I’d never heard such phrases. I wouldn’t even know TO say that. They hear it from whatever media, whether its tv, or youtube, or movies. Nobody is saying anyone is doing this in person, but lazy parenting leads to it happening.
I’m honestly not sure if you’re trolling or not at this point. We’re discussing nude beaches here. Lazy parenting and kids using bad language is nothing to do with nude beaches.
Like… Nothing at all.
Because a nude beach is supposed to be sexual. And a kid is the wrong element for that. They’re supposed to not even know about nudity or sex at that age.