Nude Beaches in Australia


Australia is just about our favorite country in the world.

Yes, we’ve been there–and loved it

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Sightseeing • Dining •
Rates • Impressions • Photo Album • Trip Reports
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Resort Overview

…the people are friendly, the scenery spectacular and the diversity of the country is fabulous. You will not get bored when you visit Australia. If the authorities didn’t insist you have a round-trip ticket to take you back out of the country, a betting person would wager lots of people would stay, and never leave Australia.

We spent two weeks in Australia on our honeymoon a few years ago and added on New Zealand for good measure. Sydney was our base to explore the area including the Hunter’s Valley, one of the premier wine regions in all of Australia.

Seeing the Opera House, taking a cruise of Sydney Harbor, strolling the “Rocks” area near the harbor, and visiting Lord Nelson’s Pub & Hotel (a must) plus the wonderful restaurants there managed to consume our time in Sydney.

The rest of the time, we did the “adventure tour” routine in northern Queensland, using Cairns (pronounced “cans” by the Aussies, as in beer cans) to SCUBA dive on the Great Barrier Reef, take the spectacular train ride to Kuranda, survive white water rafting (Class 3 on average), practice nude sunbathing, go hiking and touring the outback, most of which accounted for our second week and went as fast as a cold Foster’s beer.

The beaches in northern Queensland, especially between Cairns and Port Douglas, are virtually deserted, one of the better concentrations of free beach choices we’ve seen, and serve as wonderful places to drop your drawers for a swim and sun your buns, which we did on several occasions.

In certain seasons, it’s best to swim in and around the jellyfish nets, which are numerous and protect beachgoers. Beaches and the surrounding mountains and coastal plains are terrific in so many places, you’ll have trouble picking one.

Be warned, however: technically, beach nudity is illegal in Queensland, but law enforcement may be inconsistent depending on the whims of the local or county mounties. Just use a bit of caution and check with the locals before you sun your buns.

Conventional beach tourism centers include Brisbane, the Gold Coast north of Brisbane, and the fabulous offshore islands that run parallel to Australia’s east coast, where the Great Barrier Reef is located. The offshore islands provide good opportunities for nude beach exploring, too.

Australia loves nudityAussies seem to have a healthy respect for one another, and each other’s beliefs and seem to take a live-and-let-live approach to life. Acceptance of nudity is refreshingly open with lots of places to visit throughout the country……with several locations near metropolitan centers counting nude beaches within their city limits.

Without trying to cover the entire country in one resort report, we’ll describe an example of resorts that cater to nudists or are near nude beaches. Plus, resorts are located near major tourism centers, so you’ll have plenty of conventional touring to enjoy. NUDE BEACHES
Here is a suggested website for some good references to nude beaches (official and unofficial) in Australia. The two most popular tourist regions where nude beaches are located are Queensland and New South Wales.

MORE ADDITIONS TO NUDE RECREATION IN AUSTRALIA

Social Nudity in Australia  List of Nude Beaches

Australian Naturist Federation  Several links to local nude clubs and resorts

Mai Tai Resort – Mai Tai has been in operation since 2003 and is located on 5 acres, surrounded by rainforest with magical views. Only 10 minutes north of Port Douglas (north of Cairns). Mai Tai is an adults-only boutique resort and the website states it’s clothing optional around the pool.  Contact: Anthony Roxburgh at [email protected] or via their website maitai-resort.com.au

Other resources:   None of these sources are guaranteed and only represent data offered via a Google search.

Getting There

U.S. Citizens: Passports are required for international air travel to all destinations outside the USA. U.S. residents and most citizens are required to have a visa in addition to a valid passport to enter Australia. Nude beaches and nudist resorts.
Most nude beaches (and population) are on the eastern coast generally between Melbourne/Sydney in the south up to Brisbane and then Cairns further north, even to Port Douglas, a far northern city in Queensland, a great jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef. Most of the nudist facilities and beaches are in Queensland, which is a state in the far northeast section of the country.

The eastern seaboard is a great big beach, running from south to north, up the whole coastline. The western part of Australia, where Perth lies, is bordered by the Indian Ocean, which can be cool to cold, much like the Mediterranean. Perth, the largest city on the western coast, also boasts nude beaches nearby. By law, all Australian coastal beaches are public. But, like elsewhere in the world, make sure you check with local customs and nude beach etiquette to avoid surprises.

BRISBANE-Central north part of Australia’s east coast, near the famous Gold Coast (sort of the Miami Beach of Australia, but better).

On the east coast near Brisbane, the NUDE Olympics are held annually usually in March. For more details about all the nude beaches in the area, nude Olympics, and more, click on the link above for Australia Nude Beaches.

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A pretty town, Mossman has its seaside ‘suburbs’ in Wonga Beach and Port Douglas and its towering backdrop is Mt Demi, which also stands guard over the stunningly beautiful Mossman Gorge, a site to see for sure.

Mossman, a town of about 2,000, is the gateway to the true wet tropics, “The Daintree,” where you can cruise on the crocodile-infested river which makes its way through the rainforest to the sea…an adventure you ought to try if you visit the area. Other rivers around Cairns and Port Douglas also offer great white water rafting…..A voice from experience: Wear your helmet and your life vest if you try white water rafting. If it’s rained recently, you can be in for a real ride.

Mossman is about 45 miles north of Cairns, the closest international airport.

Port Douglas as well as Cairns are great jumping-off spots to visit the Great Barrier Reef, several miles off the eastern coast of Queensland, where the reef is at its closest to shore. Transportation
Brisbane, Cairns and, of course, Sydney, are gateways for international airlines, providing easy access to the country directly from world-class destinations. These major cities are served daily by frequent flights from other tourist centers such as Canberra, Melbourne, Townsville, and other Australian destinations.

Bear in mind, you MUST have a visa and passport to enter Australia plus an onward bound airline ticket. Australia as a country is world-class fun for locals and visitors alike…we suppose the country only wants us as visitors, because lots of us would move there pronto if we could, overloading the infrastructure as well as potentially dislocating portions of the native-born job force.

Visa procedures used to require you to surrender your valid passport to the “authorities” for sometimes weeks at a time. Now, travel visas are issued electronically by the Australian government offices. Several of our clients we’ve recently sent to Australia were issued the visas, but note there is no “paper” document issued.

We demanded and got a FAX copy of a receipt evidencing such payment and all trips have gone without a hitch. The visa is called an ETA, Electronic Travel Authority, and is entered into the airline flight record.

We do all of that for you, so just make sure you have a valid and in-force passport. We usually recommend the passport be valid for 6 months beyond the end of your stay in Australia. So much for the housekeeping…..just go and have fun.

Non-stop flights are available on Qantas, United Airlines, and Air New Zealand (from the U.S.). The flight is long (12-14 hours and longer, depending on your destination city) so it might be advisable to take a break and stopover in Hawaii to cut up the trip. We have done that and lived to tell about it. The longest flight we were on was a non-stop from Hong Kong to San Francisco–felt like a week in the air.

A cool bonus: Not only do you get to cross the international date line, but you also cross from the northern to the southern hemisphere…..so you’ll have bragging rights upon your return.

A final word about flying to Australia….you will lose an average of two (2) calendar days flying there from the western hemisphere. But you will gain it back flying east going home. From trips flying back from Hong Kong or Australia, for example, we left at noon locally and arrived back in the USA about 3 PM, the same day, having flown through numerous time zones and date lines.

Services

Without trying to reinvent the wheel with a country-wide summary of nude and resort services in Australia, suffice it to say this world-class destination has the best of everything, so take advantage of the country and see as much of it as you can. Try to commit at least 10 days to two weeks if you can just to the country’s east coast.

NOTE: The nudist resorts in Australia generally are pretty basic with most properties providing recreation, some accommodations, camping, activities, and swimming pools. Do not expect Caribbean or Mexican types of large resorts with “all-inclusive” plans.   Think instead:  Camping or small, modest family-run properties.

The resorts featured in this report are located near city centers where you can rent a car, shop for groceries, visit bars, and restaurants, and scratch your adventure travel itch.

Ambiance

What a hard choice to make…….split your time between the (cooler) mountains or fun in the sun at the beach…..it’s your choice. We believe the intangible ingredient to a great visit is not the beach, the hotel, or the restaurant…it’s the terrific treatment you receive from the Aussies. Everyone seems to smile easily and genuinely, so you will enjoy just about anywhere you visit in the land of OZ.

Just be a responsible tourist, make friends easily, respect their country, buy your mate a beer, and just listen to them talk. Life hardly gets any better. TIPS
Wear LOTS of sunscreen…not tanning lotion. The sun is incredibly strong there.

Wear a hat all the time when the sun is out.

Check for jellyfish warnings before leaping into the water

Check the local surf advisories for rip tides or red flag conditions where swimming may be deemed too dangerous.

Be friendly with everyone you meet and you will form terrific, lasting memories.

Drive on the left—enough said—and don’t drink and drive at the same time!

If you tour the outback and uplands from the coast, look for the incredible insect and termite earthen mounds you’ll see in the countryside. Some are 5-10 feet tall…..busy little buggers

Don’t expect to see kangaroos in the cities…they’re out in the country!!

While fun-loving and spirited, the natives of OZ are quite cosmopolitan and sophisticated so they will enjoy your company.

Consider a stop on the way over or back in Hawaii or New Zealand, where we’ve also visited. It breaks up the trip…..advisable only if you have time.

If you’re on a do-it-yourself itinerary with a rental car (which is how we saw New Zealand and much of Australia), suggest you buy pre-paid hotel vouchers here in the States so you will have the flexibility to stay at many, many locations. We bought hotel vouchers on a pre-paid basis before we departed the USA. You get a choice of several categories of hotels which you can select and prepay before you depart. (We used the same type of system for a trip to Scotland where we stayed in farmhouses, castles, and conventional hotels….great fun if you’re adventurous).

If you use prepaid vouchers during high season with lots of other tourists competing with you for overnight accommodations, plan, call the hotels early, and make your decisions ahead of time. Best not to “show up” and say “I’m here” and expect a room.

Watch a little local TV. Even the news announcers are funny activities
Make a “water wish,” you can do all there is to do in the water in Australia. Here’s a partial list of things to do: Nude, sailing, nude sunbathing, nude snorkeling, SCUBA diving, deep sea and bill fishing, nude surfing, train rides, 4-wheel adventures to the rain forests, beaches and the outback, champagne nude cruises at dusk, cozying up by the fireplace at night in the hills, white water rafting, nude windsurfing, speed cruises out to the Great Barrier Reef, visiting butterfly farms, bar hopping in town and up and down the beaches, darts, pool, hot tubbing, sampling local restaurants, dancing at night, game room games, big screen television, craft markets, nude hiking over 20 acres at The Lodge, horseback riding, golfing, tennis, touring historical villages, visiting zoos to gape at the local wallabies, kangaroos, koala, kookaburras and more.

Think you can fit it all in????

One of our personal favorites (yeah, it’s a tourist thing) was the heart-in-your-throat train ride from Cairns up to the Aboriginal village of Kuranda. The rail line is built along the edge of the mountain range with lots of switchbacks, leading up to Kuranda. The train ride is the reason to go, with a stop along the cliff for one of the top 10 Kodak moments in the world.

The town of Kuranda is fun to explore. There was a local theater established there to showcase local actors and talent, craft shops, restaurants, and a butterfly farm to top it off.

We’ll never forget the first time we saw our first Aborigini….we had mental images of the local natives in the outback in a loin cloth roasting a side of beef over an open pit fire…..wrong! We ambled into a local watering hole (pub) for a cold Foster’s “beach” where a good deal of hollering was going on….we looked in where my first glimpse of the local native was an Aborigini dressed in cowboy boots and jeans, banging away at the PacMan machine. So much for stereotypes!

Group Trips

We don’t have any scheduled Group Trips to Australia… but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great place for two, three, or even more couples to get together for a group trip.  If you have other couples that might want to join you, please contact us and see what kind of group trip deals we might be able to package especially for you.

Sightseeing 

Here are a few highlights for great stops to make for more of a classic tourist itinerary:

Sydney, of course, and make sure you take a city tour so you will enjoy the highlights and get yourself oriented. Of course, seeing the famous opera house and a tour of the bay will get you started. Try to follow it up with fish and chips at Doyle’s at several locations around the bay. Stroll around the “Rocks,” which is right in front of Sydney’s harbor. The Rocks used to house criminals but nowadays, famous shops, boutiques, bistros, and restaurants dot the area. Sydney’s version of Seattle’s Space Needle is known as Sydney Tower so stop in for a birds-eye view of paradise.

Nude beaches around Sydney include Lady Bay, Cobblers Beach, and Obelisk.

Not to be missed, if you’re a beer drinker, is the Lord Nelson’s Pub & Hotel, located right in downtown Sydney. A local watering hole for over 200 years, you’ll rub shoulders with city workers to attorneys, from secretaries to bankers, to folks from the docks to regulars from the outback.

We spent an entire afternoon there being passed from new friend to new friend, who all asked us to say something to them in “Texan.” Hey, for a free beer, I’ll recite the Declaration of Independence for them.

The Hunter Valley north of Sydney, is one of the most famous wine-making regions in Australia. A fun way to spend the day. We spent a day tour there, but can’t seem to recall the afternoon tour portion, after downing some form of an Aussie version of “white lightning!” Geez….couldn’t see or talk after the “tasting!” Thank god we took the tour bus and left the driving to someone else. The stuff was called PURPLE DEATH.

Here’s the description taken from the warning label: “Purple Death: An unusual “Rough As Guts” Wine that has a distinctive bouquet of horse shit and old tram tickets. It is best drunk with the teeth clenched to prevent the ingestion of any foreign bodies. “Connoisseurs will savor the slight tannin taste of old coffee grounds and burnt cat fur. Possessors of a cultivated palate will admire the initial assault on the taste buds which comes from the careful and loving blending of animal manure and perished jock straps strained through an old miners’ sock. The maturing in small pigs’ bladders gives it a very definite nose. “Marketed under the Saviour Brand (9 out of 10 people who drink it for the first time exclaim ” Jee-eus Chri-i-ist”.)

“Caution: Keep away from naked flames (both old and new).”

See www.roscoclub.org.    Rosco Club is situated in the Hunter Valley of NSW (New South Wales). They have some beach BBQs. You pass right by Rosco Club when you travel from Sydney to the Hunter Valley wineries. Their legal nude beach nearby is Birdie Beach. Near Sydney is also the Blue Mountains, said to be seen with a bluish tint due to the vapor exuded by the eucalyptus trees in the forest. Near there is a nudist resort called River Island Nature Retreat.

From the locals:  

Here are several comments from our clients who live and play in Australia regarding nude beaches, locations, use, and tourist info.   NOTE:  This information and the status of the beaches, resorts, and contacts below are not guaranteed and are subject to change without notice.

South of Sydney is the Royal National Park and Werrong Beach is a legal nude beach, reachable by public transportation, about 120 miles away.

Near Sydney is an established nudist resort River Island Nature Retreat and Samurai Beach, a legal nude beach, about 130-140 miles from Sydney.

Canberra, to see the capital….somewhat sterile and new, it’s designated as the headquarters for the country. Skip it if you’re pressed for time. In the area is River Valley Resort near the historical tourist town of Echuca, 2 hours north of Melbourne (www.rivervalley.com.au) Sunland Holiday Village is near Adelaide.

Adelaide is a good reason to leave Sydney if only to explore the nude beaches on the way. In the general area and on the way, there are nude beaches that include: Pelican Point Resort, Point Impossible near Melbourne, Maslin Beach near Adelaide and throw in a visit to Pilwarren Naturist Resort.

Brisbane, the stopping-off point to the Gold Coast, where most of the famous nude beaches plus glitz, gambling, and glamor are located.

Melbourne, Sydney’s cosmopolitan competition, in the far south of the nation, is worth a visit.

Alice Springs and Ayers Rock are in the center of the country. Remember, the distance is like traveling from Washington, D.C. to Kansas so it’s not a quick drive for sure. And Sydney to Cairns is like traveling between New York to Miami, only in reverse.

Cairns….stay there most of the time if you enjoy a beach and nudist experience…..there’s lots to do and see. A small city, really more of a large town, you can use Cairns as a great center of operations to see lots of the country, its local nude beaches, and launch an exploration up to Port Douglas, north of Cairns. This coastal drive is pretty and we made our nude beach along the way to catch some afternoon rays.

Queensland also includes the famous Alexandria Bay at Noosa Heads where nude beachgoing has been the norm for years. An adults-only/couples-only nudist resort called Taylorwood is located in Queensland, too.

Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territories, includes the Top End Naturist Recreation Retreat and the Casuarina nude beach there.

For the best nudist quality time, Queensland’s got it hands down. More of the country’s nudist resorts and nudist B&Bs are there than anywhere else in Australia.

Dining

In Australia, you will find lots of varied cuisine from beef, chicken, and fish dishes to exotic fare that reflects Australia’s proximity to its Pacific island neighbors. Of course, not to be missed are the fabulous pubs, cafes, and bistros that serve some of the best beer you will ever taste.

Rates 

Room rates can vary greatly depending on your choices.   Most of the properties with accommodations range from camping, to simple cottages and nicer stand-alone chalets.  Rates can range from USD $70-$250/night with prices subject to change without notice and subject to seasonal variations.   Mai Tai near Port Douglas starts at about USD $250/night, with accommodations for 6 chalets.

All rates mentioned are not guaranteed, may vary by season, and are subject to change without notice.

Impressions

 Uppers-Downers

 ▲▼ Australia is a long way from most countries, so take plenty of time to see the country. Don’t try to cram too much in a week, for example, and don’t stay just one week…..you won’t do justice to yourself or the country.

▲▼ The country is BIG and spread out. Don’t expect to drive from city to city fast and see lots of man-made sights in between. The total population is only about 20 million compared to 300 million in the USA. Maybe that’s why everyone is glad to see you. Population centers are few and far between in the outback. ▲ Negatives are few and far between when judging Australia.

▲ Only superlatives come to mind when daydreaming about Australia.

▼ The sun is INTENSE so wear sunscreen all the time you’re outdoors.

▼ There are no nudist “all-inclusive” resorts in Australia similar to Grand Lido Braco, Hidden Beach, Hedonism, or Desire.

Age Ranges

From infants to seniors, you’ll find it everywhere. Australia is a family-oriented country so there will be kids around most places and on the nude beaches.

Best Time To Go

It depends. The farther you go north, any time of year, the hotter it gets. North of Brisbane up to Townsville, Cairns, and Port Douglas, the weather is mostly subtropical the entire year but can be subject to seasonal stormy weather. Since Australia is the largest continent south of the Equator, all seasons are reversed, compared to most of us who live in the northern climates.

Just think of New York, Tokyo, London, or Paris weather in December. Ugh. The weather in Australia in the far south where Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney are located, has a similar winter during July. Think of Miami during a winter in the USA…..Cairns’ weather would be similar year-round to Miami’s.

So, if you plan to have fun in the sun, stick with the Cairns and northern area year-round. Temperatures can be HOT during the summer. The peak travel season in Australia is basically around Christmas and New Year…. not only due to the holiday season but also because of the moderate temperatures nationwide. October to April are good months for Sydney and all points south.

We traveled in January and February all up and down Australia’s east coast and never experienced rain once.

Wish List

● Wish Australia was closer to all the countries. But, then the mystery about Australia wouldn’t be as pervasive as it is.

The Bottom Line: GO!, if you ever get a chance during your lifetime. You will thank yourself for visiting Australia.

SPECIAL THANKS to Rick & Julie from The Lodge who contributed mightily to the contents of this report.

Plus, thanks to Nude & Natural “N” Magazine contributors Dr. LES Rootsey, David Lay Flurrie, and Peter Stekel for their in-depth reporting and background stories about nudist travel in Australia, issue 19.2. Copies are available from the Naturist Society, Box 132-NN, Oshkosh, WI 54903. E-Mail: [email protected]

Photo Album

The photos in our Australia Photo Album were either taken by us, our clients, or supplied by the resort. If you’ve been to Australia (naturist destinations), we encourage you to contribute your photos. To contribute your own photos (or trip reports), go to our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.

Trip Reports

If you have recently visited Australia, we would appreciate you contributing a trip report. You can contribute to this section by using our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.  Here is one from one of our clients.

_____________________________________________________________BH 
The White Cockatoo is far more than what I thought it would be.

Tony and Lenore Fox have turned this marvelous little property into a destination rather than purely accommodation.

The property itself is modestly beautiful with great landscaping. It has a unique charm that has been cultivated to the point of near perfection. The pool is big enough but I would imagine that it would be overcrowded if the facility was at full capacity. However, in this environment that can’t be all bad either.

Regrettably, I arrived just as cyclone Larry was due to come ashore. This puts a damper on side trips offered by the resort, but not the atmosphere. Both Tony and Lenore went out of their way to assure that all of us were safe and they made every attempt to keep us entertained.

On arrival, Lenore led me on a tour of the facility and introduced me to all the other guests. This walk-through put everyone at ease as well as facilitated the start of making like-minded acquaintances.

Tony has a great sense of humor that keeps all in stitches. Lenore makes a good straight man for Tony’s one-liners and creates an extremely comfortable environment. Lenore prepares a Happy Hour snack tray that she should patent. The 5 pm social breaks the ice for the present.

Tony provides an exceptional sense of security to the guests by being in total control of the resort at all times. One quickly learns that nonsense will not be tolerated. This is more than appreciated as it provides an atmosphere within which you can enjoy yourself without any worries.

We did manage one side trip in Tony’s boat down the Daintree River. Tony has made an effort to become well-educated concerning the local flora and fauna. In consideration that he is originally a Kiwi transplanted to the area, that was no small feat. A great time was had by all.

While at the White Cockatoo, I had the good fortune to meet a couple from Japan. Between very little English, pointing, an electronic pocket translator, and laughing at each other, we managed to forge a great friendship and have a lot of fun. Since getting home we have been in constant communication by way of e-mail and have agreed to meet up again next year at the White Cockatoo.

I have selfishly been in search of a little spot that I could call my hideaway and I’ve found it. The greatest fear that I have is that this the best-kept secret on the nude scene, will become as popular as it deserves.

I can only give this resort a perfect 10. I would highly recommend it to any single or couple seeking a real treasure of a holiday.

The only negative thing I say is that these folks down under don’t speak any form of English that I have ever encountered before. Both Tony and Lenore had to act as translators for me on several occasions. I came home with a bunch of new words that I look forward to using when I find someone who speaks OZ.

Thank you for your assistance in planning my trip. I will be going back next year.

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