How do I join the Naturist lifestyle?
You can be a naturist in your own home or private garden or at a quiet beach if you like to go skinny dipping. But most people prefer to be part of a family friendly, non-sexual social community where they can simply be naked in their natural state and practice the naturist lifestyle together with other like-minded people.
Please refer to our “Locations” option to view the nearest family-friendly naturist club/resort to you! Each one of our nationwide naturist clubs or resorts are privately owned and most are volunteer run, so best contact them in advance to arrange a visit. Go on, take that leap! What do you have to lose? Nothing. What do you have to gain? Everything!
What does it mean to be a Naturist?
Freedom: The freedom of not feeling ashamed, or self-conscious about your own natural naked body. The freedom of being at one and in tune with oneself, others and nature and feeling the breeze, the sun, earth, the water - all of nature’s elements – on one’s skin. The freedom of feeling comfortable, and not having the burden of putting something on your body that you feel represents who you are, when who you truly are, should not have to be covered up, both physically and spiritually.
Over all ages, demographics, shapes, sizes and areas of the world – naturists stand as one. To promote a family friendly, non-sexual lifestyle that is natural and should come natural to anyone. We were all born naked into this world, but yet, this world tells us that we need to cover up our natural bodies. Our children should know what true, natural bodies look like and that there is nothing to be ashamed of. Naturism is simply a natural state of being.
This is why naturism, or being naked in one’s natural state, is referred to as a lifestyle. Some people also call it nudism or nude recreation but in New Zealand/Aotearoa, the term naturism is most commonly used.
The Naturist Movement
The New Zealand Naturist Federation offers the opportunity for anyone in New Zealand/Aotearoa to be able to practice the naturist lifestyle in a social, family friendly environment, by way of 17 nationwide naturist clubs/resorts/parks.
The New Zealand Naturist Federation, which consists of over 1500 members, is also a member of the International Naturist Federation, which includes 40 national naturist federations and represents over 450 000 naturists worldwide.
History
Naturism, or social nudism, emerged in Germany around 1900 as a Freikörperkultur (Free Body Culture) movement, reacting against urbanization and rigid morality by promoting health, sunbathing, and nature. It spread to Europe and North America in the 1920s-30s, focusing on non-sexual, family-friendly nude recreation.
The first naturist clubs in New Zealand/Aotearoa were founded in the 1930’s in Auckland and Dunedin, however, they went into a recession during the depression and WW2. After WW2, the naturist movement made a comeback and multiple naturist clubs started forming throughout the entire New Zealand/Aotearoa mainly from the 1940’s to the 1960’s.
Naturist clubs were founded and built from the ground up by passionate members who all volunteered their time and energy. That is why, today, we are fortunate to have so many beautiful naturist clubs throughout New Zealand/Aotearoa, each one unique from the other, but yet all with the same values and naturist lifestyle in common.