Hundreds visit nudists’ camp

Press, 26 November 1979, Page 1

Hundreds visit nudists’ camp

Several hundred Christchurch people drove to Rolleston during the weekend to see an equal number of other people enjoying themselves in the nude. Most of the visitors stripped off and joined them swimming, playing tennis, or just enjoying the sunshine. The occasion was the Canterbury Sun Club’s annual open week-end, when non-members are welcome to inspect the premises. The purpose of the open day is largely to dispel popular misconceptions about nudist clubs, according to Bill, the membership secretary. (Members of the club are known by their first name “as this makes for easy informality besides allowing for individual discretion.’’)

“The public think there are all sorts of sex orgies out here,” he said. “But I haven’t seen any in the 26 years I’ve belonged.” Another purpose was to allow all those who had toyed with the idea but never acted on it, to see it for themselves and “crystallise their thoughts about it.” The club has more than 400 adult members and about the same number of children, he said. He expected that about haif' of those who had come out to the open day would join the club. Times were getting much more liberal, he said, and this was reflected in the growing membership. “People were once reluctant to be associated with nudist clubs

but they are less so now.” He 1 nevertheless was reluctant to allow his full name to be published, agreeing that the club was still forced to be fairly covert. While Bill asserted that he was not embarrassed to belong to the club, he was wary of the reaction of neighbours and colleagues. He cited abusive telephone calls as part of the “persecution” members had suffered after the club was founded in 1954. The most frequent question members were asked was “ ‘Why do you do it’?” said one of them. Most found it difficult to explain, but the simplest and most convincing answer came from a teenage girl: “Because it’s nice.”