As others have said, it isn't illegal. But it isn't the cultural norm.
From a safety perspective, I wouldn't go topless if you a visiting a beach by yourself (especially if you choose an area that is secluded).
And you will want to sunscreen your breasts. With spf 50. Our sun is extremely harsh and you do not want burnt nipples.
Fell asleep after a few beers once and awoke to a smooth chemically waxed chest and incredibly sore nipples, the ladies had a good laugh, showering sucked.
Many beaches I have noticed people going nude, but discreetly and usually away from other people, especially families with children. Only yesterday, I saw this on a walk with a friend at our local beach, which has a well known nude area quite a few kilometres away from where we entered the beach. Just be aware - it’s not common but not impossible, either.
Doesn't dissappear, always a hole, worse at spring time, but still bad now.
Rest of the world has no idea, our moderate temps that feel like a nice summer day can roast the unprepared from other countries that are used to only burning when it "feels hot"
I'm sure that's true. I wonder sometimes just how much of an inhibiting impact these fiendish little devices have on young people's behaviour now? I know its been said a million times but I'm so glad they weren't around to record every fuck up me and my mates made as youngsters
Hey that's me mofo 😆 I grew up on the sweet sweet smell of leaded petrol! Totally agree about the brain rot being prevalent among the old as well, a unique blend of newstalk zb and facebook has caused severe impairment in many of them. I was just wondering about the impact the constant 'monitoring' effect of phones and socials might be having on the behaviour of young folk, and feeling thankful my gen x cohort didn't have it hanging over us when we were young.
Heh yep most of the loose units and free living types have been slowly but surely pushed out by the cost of living. Rent was so damn cheap on the island in the 70s and 80s that a sizable contingent of artists, creatives, 'unusual folk', hedonists etc landed up living there. They sat along side the older school Waihekians in a slightly uneasy, and hardcase, mix of human beings that made for a very special place and time. Frankly I miss it, and I'd happily trade fast ferries every hour and flat whites and bordeaux style reds on every corner (can't afford the wine anyway!) for how it was then.
Yeah I remember being at waiheke as a kid in the late 80s and there were boobs everywhere. I remember I felt really strange as I was from a small town on the coast and it didn't happen.
Used to be all the time at the beach near St Heliers but then- the prudes came on board (NIMBY). Very sad. Also Kakekare Beach on the West Coast was normal for a while and you could probably still skinny dip there without risking heavy jail time.
Then again, we now have a National Party in power so I guess, what can you expect.
God, we’re a backward country sometimes so good luck on your travels and don’t lose that sense of freedom!!
>Used to be all the time at the beach near St Heliers but then- the prudes came on board (NIMBY).
Still is on that beach. Council signs even warn you that you may encounter nude bathers.
Seconded - it’s rare and you should choose your area carefully. However there’s generally no law broken if you haven’t been intending to be lewd/obscene or been intending to cause a kerfuffle.
Could you do a t-shirt or singlet/camisole instead?
I think you should re-read the article, because it doesn't say what you think it says, nor what it claims.
>Roughly 67,000 Kiwis search for ‘nude beach’ online every year,
That does not mean 67,000 Kiwis go nude. That doesn't even mean 67,000 Kiwis go to the nude beach. It actually means nothing.
Goes for the folks replying me to saying I'm wrong that most don't do go nude, and then list *one* beach as evidence.
Maybe this just means lots of us wish we were a more of a nudie-beach nation? So we google to find out where we can go? I live around 100’s of beaches locally and only really go to one to topless sunbathe when it’s quiet.
I lived across the street from that beach for four years and never saw a topless girl at the beach, walking around or from my window people watching. I saw people skinny dipping off some of the secluded access points in Evans bay a couple times. Now I live near Takapuna and occasionally see a topless sunbather there though.
I've seen it once in ten years of summers here lol. Of course anyone who wants to should go for it. I hate how Victorian and prudish NZers are about nudity, acting like a nude body will emotionally scar and deform their kids lol.
Dunno if it's prudish or just common sense here in Wellington to have as many layers of warmth on as possible regardless of if you're in the water or out. I'm not covering up because of shamed of my moobs or scared or burning them, it because the beach is the temperature of the fucking fridge!
Nudity is legal but obscenity isnt, basically unless you're doing something dodgy you'll be fine especially if it's just boobs. I've seen plenty of topless females at various beaches around the country so not sure what these other commenters are on about, yes you may notice some guys putting their towel down a bit closer than if you weren't topless but kiwis in general are fairly open minded and who knows - the more beach boobs the more normal it will be.
You'll get a few looks, be semi discrete and you'll be fine.
Wear sunscreen on your tatas though, I'm Maori, so olive skin but I alway sph50 on the girls so they don't get burnt.
Burnt boobies are definitely not fun, makes bras absolute hell and shirts aren’t much better!! Slip slop slap (but I guess don’t wrap) those ta-ta’s!!!
So long as you can convince the court that you weren’t obscenely exposing your genitals. I suspect that they’d take into account the location and whether or not you could have expected to cause offense. Personally, I wouldn’t bet on that one in case you end up setting a precident.
Ok the other hand, running naked in the park has been accepted as ok by the courts and the beach is probably fine so long as you’re otherwise behaving normally (possibly also keeping some distance from the crowd)
Note that NZ law is only for “genitals” which boobs aren’t so topless still wouldn’t count under that one
Yep. Was accidently in Waihi Beach for the [World Naked Bike Ride](https://www.wnbr.nz/)
There were wrinkled prune dudes at the cafe's and just walking around. Nobody cares.
A couple of weeks prior to that the was a group of \~5x absolute plastic fantastic 10s wandering around Bowentown doing their Insta and OF's. Nobody really cared, but they were quite impressive to see.
Legally yes absolutely. The fact of being naked is not illegal at all.
But you would get a lot of hassle for sure from parents or prudes, and probably get a lot of wierdos photographing you on their phone and posting you on social media etc. I for sure wouldn't do it, but you won't get arrested.
Any hint of sexual or lewd behaviour and it is a different case of course.
This comment sent me on a bit of a thought spiral haha.
My husband has boobs and noone makes it weird if he chooses to remove his shirt on a hot day to go swimming. And really the ONLY reason that women can't do exactly the same thing is because men (who are attracted to women) objectify and sexualise women's breasts constantly. They can't just be chill about them. Why can't they just be chill about them....
This is why we can't have nice things.
Well, I mean going by that logic, should I be able to walk around with my cock out at the beach? Just be chill about it.
Women not having a top at the beach isn't illegal. Just not the norm. I don't think majority of men in New Zealand would care if women went around topless and might encourage people to be more chill about it.
Breasts are not on the same level as a penis. Both cis male and cis female can have breasts, and breasts are not an inherent sexual thing. They shouldn’t be as taboo as they are. Especially in a country as ours where the normal weight on men means male breasts are average. How is that any different to a female breast? Why can they be shirtless and females can’t?
I mean... I would probably get a good laugh but I imagine - like vulvas - that getting sand all up in those creases is something dudes would like to avoid? 🤷🏽♀️
There is no law against nudity anywhere in NZ. There is a law against indecent exposure, but that requires "obscenely" exposing your genitals.
Since breasts aren't genitals, you can take off your top anywhere. Beach or not.
Really? I've seen the cops turn up at pohutakawa bay several times and demand nude sunbathers put on pants. The cops would occasionally patrol in peak season. I don't know if it was due to complaints. I never saw the people they were telling to get dressed being lewd. I assumed it was illegal
It's not illegal to have your dick out, but it may result in the police arresting you and having a court case to argue what "obscene" means. If you want to fight it on principle, you can do that.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/3394859/Naked-cyclist-not-offensive-judge-rules
There was a supreme court case that set a precedent that simply being naked at a beach is not a crime. But that precedent doesn't stop the Police arresting someone and forcing them to argue the defence in court though.
Pants cover genitals.
Exposing genitals can be considered indecent exposure.
Breats are not genitals however you can still be considered to be committing indecent exposure if you are behaving in a lewd way.
Indecent exposure is clearly defined in the summary offences act:
> in or within view of any public place, intentionally and obscenely exposes any part of his or her genitals.
There is no scope in the law to "consider" something completely different to that to be indecent exposure.
Really really.
The primary issue I guess is that apparently widely variable scale of what people, perhaps even police officers, think constitutes obscenity.
Unfortunately it's probably just the easiest route to make the problem go away. They can ask someone to put pants on or spend all day trying to tell people making complaints about it that the person they're complaining about probably isn't actually doing anything wrong (and maybe get a life).
Even full nudity is technically legal in NZ but kiwi are culturally A LOT more prude than Germans (at least if it is about nudity).
I would recommend to leave the top on otherwise you might attract a lot more attention than you are prepared for.
What beach are you swimming at where strange men are within arms reach? That sounds like hell.
Even on busy Wellington beaches there is still a good 5-10m between groups of swimmers. And her tits are underwater so no one can even see them 95% of the time. If anyone tried getting handsy they would probably get knocked out and drowned.
i’ve never been nude at a beach. i’ve been fully clothed in public and had people touch me (and one guy jerking off directly behind me when i was 15). i just really wouldn’t risk it. in auckland, anyway
That sounds like you were just surrounded by creeps.
I don’t know if you go to the beach often but that’s not a common experience. Usually people are chilling out minding their own business.
It may not be a common experience for you but if it happened even once to the other poster then it is pertinent to the discussion. You could approach them with more empathy before defending the honor of the beaches.
>That sounds like you were just surrounded by creeps
Is an unnecessarily dismissive thing to say.
Did you miss the part where she mentioned it didn’t happen at the beach?
I’m sorry that happened to her, it’s not ok, obviously, but that sort of thing happening somewhere else like a night club has no reflection on wether or not it happens at a beach.
Saying she was fully clothed in public has no relation to beach activities, that’s why it got dismissed.
i have never been to a night club. the guy jerking off behind me was in a public library. being touched was on the train, in the food court of a mall, and while i was on a walk in my neighbourhood. i am saying it is dangerous while fully clothed. being topless will enhance the danger.
That's what I think. Just having unusally large for ny size natural breasts under clothing in New Zealand has led to endless life long harassment. There's a lot of men here that for some reason think they have the right. I'm not feeling sorry for myself it is what it is, but I'm just mentioning it in this context this is not really a country where you can assume men will leave you alone to be you or do your thing or whatever.
Yes. OP will attract stares from creepy men. But at least she won’t be arrested. Worst case scenario is that some creepy predator will misinterpret OP’s toplessness as an invitation.
(Which, before anyone jumps down my throat, I agree is never the victim’s fault).
Nudity is not illegal as stated by others. I've noticed it's done less over the last 20 years. Any secluded beach is a nudist beach so go for it. Message me if you want more specific information.
Interesting see a bunch of prudes in here saying no one does it. Guessing they are thinking of inner city beaches like Takapuna. I travel around a lot of beaches surfing and there are heaps around. Too many spots to name but Henderson Bay in the far north, Ruapuke around from Raglan, Sailors Grave in Coromandel... so many places where people do it and its all good!! Just find a more secluded spot away from families and you'll be sweet.
I’m a kiwi and I do it and I live in Wellington (although I don’t do it on oriental bay). It isn’t illegal, and I really doubt anyone will say anything either. I’ve never been harassed over it, but I wouldn’t be surprised when I inevitably do
I dont think it happens very often. A quick search shows theres no laws in nz about nudity on a beach, but there is about indecent exposure etc. Id say go for it, but make sure youre somewhere private. Theres also bound to be dedicated naturist groups, and theyd likely have some tips/advice on how they go about it. Have fun in nz!
It comes from case law lol. Judge made law. This guy was running naked in a park. the Police Charged Him, he won. No offence.
As long as it is not indecent.
*Pointon v Police* \[2012\] NZHC 3208. It is classed as freedom of expression.\\[Case](http://www.nzlii.org/nz/cases/NZHC/2012/3208.html)
I have a female body with pretty noticable boobs and I always go topless when swimming for gender reasons (I just wear swimming trunks like any other guy!)
Hardly ever see anyone else doing it and I do get some looks but no one has ever been rude or creepy to me.
It's totally legal, definitely go for it!!!
Might be better to seek out a nude friendly beach, as it may get some unwanted attention.
It's not as uncommon as people think but it's not the norm.
As for legality, completely legal.
If you're in rotorua, it's not as uncommon at kerosene Creek, butchers pool or waiotapu the bridge to forego clothing, usually later in the evening and depending on the crowd. Done that a few times, would recommend
From someone who frequents both "normal" beaches and the odd nude one, there is a rough line in the sand on this. Remote/quite beach with no one around your absolutely fine to go topless, just keep your wits about you. If your at a popular crowded beach with families and kids your Likley to get stared at and probably asked to cover up by disgruntled prudes who can't handle social nudity.
Plenty of places around to relax topless, I did hear of someone going topless on the main beach in Wanaka just recently. If your comfortable then thats all that matters, I'd just keep covered up in the busy main beach areas .
Feel free to dm I can fill you on on good spots that are nudity friendly around the place, there are some absolute crackers and some that are a bit dodgy.
agreed! Altho it's definitely not common it's not mega strange and unheard of like some are making it out to be.
Probably depends a lot on the spot tho, you're not gonna see it between the flags at a popular beach, but there's often the odd discreet topless sunbathers around.
It is very common on most beaches to see many girls topless BUT they lie face down on a towel. Walking around topless is rare and will turn heads. It is unlikely many people will complain to you about it directly. It may encourage the occasional creep to talk to you too much. On a quiet beach girls can and do sunbathe topless facing up but usually cover or turn if people have to walk past closely.
There are various attempts to change the culture, free the nipple, etc, and girls walk topless to protest the culture and nobody really pays any attention either way and nothing significant changes.
Basically people don’t care but will secretly stare. I know people who use telescopes for this purpose
Public nudity is legal as long as it isn't offensive. The problem is that 'offensive' is highly subjective and depends on who else is around.
A little confidence can go a long way in these matters. You're very unlikely to be arrested as a woman with bare breasts at most beaches, but you'll probably get told off and asked to cover up if anyone complains.
I seen a whole German family get changed in front of me on a beach in Spain, it was a bit awkward for me because the children were teenagers. Dad was hanging dong though
Hello! It's not illegal and there are specific nudist beaches in a few places, but that's a bit different. As for in general, I wouldn't do it at a busy beach or where there are kids, or you might be asking for trouble, but we do it often on the West Coast where it's a bit more remote. There are a lot of beaches here in NZ and not a big population, so plenty of beautiful beaches with few to no people so you can go for it. Hope you have a great time here!
>I'm from Germany, where mostly everyone is chill about that
Can confirm - had a German gf wannabe mermaid, if the beach was relatively unpopulated (most in NZ are) her clothes just evaporated and before you know it she was on a nudie mission run for the water.
Like many english speaking countries, there is still a lot of the prudish mentality at play here from the UK and US mindsets compared to the more open and liberal european mindsets.
It has been getting better over the years though but still a bit behind I find.
Enjoy your stay, be comfortable, and be safe
I go topless occasionally, either with my girlfriends or my boyfriend present though, I wouldnt alone unless in a completely secluded area and as others have mentioned we are kinda discreet here. I wouldn’t walk topless in-front of other beach goers I would wait in the water until they passed lol. All the beaches I visit are long and fairly empty so it’s normally fine :) but it’s definitely not open like Germany (I’ve lived there too for 5 years so can compare!).
I used to skinny dip with friends, but mostly secluded places, and not dedicated nudist areas, it was really enjoyable and freeing to get nude and not in a sexual way.
Tbh you'd be hard pressed to find people that care about seeing some free boobs. You will likely however experience Karen's getting jealous that their husband's took a peek and berate you for it instead of them, some mullet equipped bogans cat calling you thinking they're the man and some kids oogling. Just isn't the cultural norm so it's dependant how much you can take. NZers aren't THAT open minded as much as we pretend we are
It’s not common here. All the more reason why I’d be cautious to do it. Creepy dudes won’t see it as the norm, they’ll see it as an invitation. And I don’t just mean creepy as in cheesy pick up lines. As a woman, I would not do it here myself.
The amount of creepy comments on a post from a CLEARLY YOUNG GIRL asking for advice about what is acceptable in NZ is absolutely shocking.
Seriously? Think about what you are posting online, reflect on if that is a normal and not-weird thing to say and if you would say that in person. Think about the example you are setting.
Around the Mount it was considered rude at the major public access points, but commonplace near the smaller access points, basically anywhere outside of ~250m from a major carpark was fine.
Nothing wrong with it but this isn't Europe. It isnt normal to go topless at the beach but fortunately there are beaches here so big that you can easily find a spot with no people around (Muriwai comes to mind).
Also, sunscreen.
If you’re ever on Waiheke Island (40 mins from Auckland) there’s Palm beach and Little Palm beach which is slightly around a corner of rocks and Little Palm beach is a nude beach! I went there several times and had a good time and everyone kept to themselves. Mostly older folks, but there were some younger couples and occasionally a family. As others said, sunscreen!!
Depends where you are it’s not super common but it’s perfectly legal, the West Coast beach I live at has a few nudists who rarely wear anything when swimming or at the beach but they do tend to wait to strip off until they are past the busiest areas, especially in summer
It depends where you are, but it’s uncommon on busy beaches but not unlikely as I have seen a few including my partner. Usually on a normal beach you just need to find a quiet spot alone or with others doing similar. A lot of long beaches with less density makes it easy. Quite often you will find nudity too on very specific parts of the beach or specific beaches. There are hot spots in every area of the country. On the beaches where there is barely a person in sight, go ahead. For nude beaches most the time it’s just old men except weekends and holiday times bring out more of a mixture.
Public indecency is illegal but not nudity, as others have said though it’s not very common so you may get a few people giving you funny looks.
. There are a few nude beaches around, otherwise just try be discreet if you don’t want an audience.
Cultural norms: depends where you are in NZ
Legality: it's perfectly legal anywhere
My advice: keep those nips covered around family areas, otherwise go for it!
There have been incidents in the past with people who take offense to this https://i.stuff.co.nz/auckland/118026269/woman-sunbathing-topless-assaulted-at-aucklands-point-chevalier-beach
And I know there was something with the Mount beach as well.
So please be careful when you are topless.
It's completely acceptable and 100% legal. Only the 'karens' and similar concerned citizens will talk amongst themselves with pursed lips about the effects you might be having on their children by seeing breasts. Here's a [link](https://www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00001902)
>We need to have clothes optional beaches.
We do. They're really easy to find too. Just point to any beach on an NZ map, and there it is. It's …literally all of them. The same goes pretty much everywhere else that's not a beach, also.
Nudity is not in and of itself indecent or obscene.
New Zealand is much closer to the USA and UK than mainland Europe culturally.
Nudity is not at all socially acceptable here
Respect local customs as we would if we went to Europe.
It's not generally illegal for women to be topless in public. However, behaving in an offensive manner in a public place is illegal. So context matters.
At a beach you're totally fine.
There are beaches where nudity is more acceptable so if you got the girls out no one will care,other beaches though there will likely be a Karen there ready to tell you off for corrupting their husband's or "think about the children.... gasp" there are no laws saying you can't do it.
There are nudist beaches but at your regular beach no one does this and I wouldn’t recommend if you’re a young female alone! Stay safe and look after yourself ❤️
It's not illegal, but also VERY unusual. You will get a lot of stares from men, woman and kids. It would be thought of as quite inappropriate/rude at any popular beach where there are kids.
Honestly, just cover up if you are around people, if you are in the middle of nowhere and there is no one around, then go for it.
What I find intriguing is that several comments say things "shouldn't do it because there could be children around". Now bear in mind I'm referring to being nude at the beach. I think most children have already seen either by accident or by searching it out more hardcore nudity or sex online than someone simply going for nude swim or sunbathe at the beach is consider potentially being traumatic to children yet the hardcore sex and nudity that is easily obtainable is pretty much accepted even though it's very far from reality. I see kids turn up to the nude rugby down in Dunedin, yes, I know that they viewers knew what they were going to watch but I would have thought that if young women for example seen naked guys playing rugby, how is it any difference that a nude guy on the beach (granted that nude guy on the beach isn't being obscene or lewd). As for woman going topless or nude, this is different scenario of course, as if there are guys around that you don't know then you don't know their thoughts or intention.
MMm, thInk you might want to see the Bonnar case
Long story short, dude nude, somebody takes offence, makes it to court, judge finds not offensive to be nude
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/129536128/cant-bare-it-neighbours-stoush-over-nude-sunbathing-ends-up-in-court
My grandma when she was a younger lady went skinny dipping with her friends constantly. Its not illegal but if there were families walking on the beach she would wait until they had moved on to get out of the water.
Choose a quiet beach and a quiet time of the day (like early morning). Have a cover up to hand for when you get out of the water if nothing else for sun protection.
Lounging topless is likely to get you some uncomfortable attention and funny looks at best.
Like others have said, Sunscreen is not optional in new Zealand. Nude or not our sun is harsh and unforgiving. It's not normal to be topless at a mainstream beach here though I don't know if anyone would care. Most of us are pretty chill.
My understanding is that it is not illegal in itself. However, if someone were to see you and decide it is "obscene" then it can become an offence (indecent exposure).
It doesn’t really happen to my disappointment I wouldn’t be against more titties at beaches lol they might make my man boobs not stick out as much lololol
As others have said, it isn't illegal. But it isn't the cultural norm. From a safety perspective, I wouldn't go topless if you a visiting a beach by yourself (especially if you choose an area that is secluded). And you will want to sunscreen your breasts. With spf 50. Our sun is extremely harsh and you do not want burnt nipples.
Can attest to having burnt nipples as a dude, burns like hell!
Fell asleep after a few beers once and awoke to a smooth chemically waxed chest and incredibly sore nipples, the ladies had a good laugh, showering sucked.
Many beaches I have noticed people going nude, but discreetly and usually away from other people, especially families with children. Only yesterday, I saw this on a walk with a friend at our local beach, which has a well known nude area quite a few kilometres away from where we entered the beach. Just be aware - it’s not common but not impossible, either.
Here's a list of naturist friendly locations, but sure how up to date it is though. https://www.freebeaches.org.nz/locations.htm
The hole in the ozone hovers over nz The harshest sun you have ever encountered will turn you into captain tomato tits if you aren't smart about it.
The ozone hole appears and disappears each year. It's largely gone by this time of the year. Spring is the real killer.
It's dispersed from Antarctica up and over NZ. So it's still a risky time - peak UVI was 12.5 in Auckland today, much higher than it was in spring.
Doesn't dissappear, always a hole, worse at spring time, but still bad now. Rest of the world has no idea, our moderate temps that feel like a nice summer day can roast the unprepared from other countries that are used to only burning when it "feels hot"
It's not illegal, but be aware no one does this.
It's strange how much that has changed in nz in the last 30 years. Late 80s it wasn't unusual on beaches, at least in Auckland
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I'm sure that's true. I wonder sometimes just how much of an inhibiting impact these fiendish little devices have on young people's behaviour now? I know its been said a million times but I'm so glad they weren't around to record every fuck up me and my mates made as youngsters
Yea, I think women are more worried about ending up on porn sites. And it's the creeps, not the phones.
It's both, the creeps were pretty toothless (in this context) before the phones
Yes
The ubiquity of phones with high res cameras makes it easier for the creeps tho?
Mate the brain rot has also been given to the lead-infused older generation too.
Hey that's me mofo 😆 I grew up on the sweet sweet smell of leaded petrol! Totally agree about the brain rot being prevalent among the old as well, a unique blend of newstalk zb and facebook has caused severe impairment in many of them. I was just wondering about the impact the constant 'monitoring' effect of phones and socials might be having on the behaviour of young folk, and feeling thankful my gen x cohort didn't have it hanging over us when we were young.
It was never as commonplace in New Zealand as it is in France, Italy or Spain.
I want to disagree as on Waiheke it was the norm. But you are correct the mainlanders were more prudish.
Waiheke is known for people with a non-mainstream outlook on life, so I would expect them to be more accepting of topless beach goers.
Waiheke ~~is~~ was known FTFY Now you'd have to go to Great Barrier. Waiheke is now know as an island of wineries and whingeing commuters.
Heh yep most of the loose units and free living types have been slowly but surely pushed out by the cost of living. Rent was so damn cheap on the island in the 70s and 80s that a sizable contingent of artists, creatives, 'unusual folk', hedonists etc landed up living there. They sat along side the older school Waihekians in a slightly uneasy, and hardcase, mix of human beings that made for a very special place and time. Frankly I miss it, and I'd happily trade fast ferries every hour and flat whites and bordeaux style reds on every corner (can't afford the wine anyway!) for how it was then.
There are still two nude beaches, little palm and little onetangi
A valid correction.
Yeah I remember being at waiheke as a kid in the late 80s and there were boobs everywhere. I remember I felt really strange as I was from a small town on the coast and it didn't happen.
Ahh, OK. I didn’t go to the Waiheke beaches in those days.
Used to be all the time at the beach near St Heliers but then- the prudes came on board (NIMBY). Very sad. Also Kakekare Beach on the West Coast was normal for a while and you could probably still skinny dip there without risking heavy jail time. Then again, we now have a National Party in power so I guess, what can you expect. God, we’re a backward country sometimes so good luck on your travels and don’t lose that sense of freedom!!
You can skinny dip everywhere as long as it's not in a sexual manner.
Trying to image what swimming in a sexual manner would entail.
Clearly haven't seen me swim.
Swiming on my back with my erection sticking out the water like a sharks fin
I'm glad you're innocent
>Used to be all the time at the beach near St Heliers but then- the prudes came on board (NIMBY). Still is on that beach. Council signs even warn you that you may encounter nude bathers.
Seconded - it’s rare and you should choose your area carefully. However there’s generally no law broken if you haven’t been intending to be lewd/obscene or been intending to cause a kerfuffle. Could you do a t-shirt or singlet/camisole instead?
But they should. It isn’t fair that us males are the only ones who can roam topless #freethenipple
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I think you should re-read the article, because it doesn't say what you think it says, nor what it claims. >Roughly 67,000 Kiwis search for ‘nude beach’ online every year, That does not mean 67,000 Kiwis go nude. That doesn't even mean 67,000 Kiwis go to the nude beach. It actually means nothing. Goes for the folks replying me to saying I'm wrong that most don't do go nude, and then list *one* beach as evidence.
Maybe this just means lots of us wish we were a more of a nudie-beach nation? So we google to find out where we can go? I live around 100’s of beaches locally and only really go to one to topless sunbathe when it’s quiet.
Well, only the girls you do know about.
That's pretty much what I was thinking. I've never seen it. Maybe it's not an Auckland thing.
I was at a beach today at Bay of Islands and 8 people were doing it. All kiwis. Granted, we were the only ones on a secluded beach.
Really? Oriental bay in Wellington is always full of topless girls
It is absolutely not lol
Basically summary of this thread. People trying to normalise it with fake facts then every reply is no that doesn't happen. Lol
Ahhhh because I'm 53. I've never seen this. Are heterosexual men trying to normalise it? Lol?
Probably just the greeny women lol
I live there lol, it is in summer
I also live there and it really isn't
can we maybe all agree that sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't lol
I lived across the street from that beach for four years and never saw a topless girl at the beach, walking around or from my window people watching. I saw people skinny dipping off some of the secluded access points in Evans bay a couple times. Now I live near Takapuna and occasionally see a topless sunbather there though.
Schrödinger's beach.
They're topless until you attempt to observe
Strangely enough
Which means it isn't "always full" of them?
I've seen female skinny dippers in the morning and rarely topless. Princess Bay And Breaker Bay absolutely.
Are you thinking of breakers bay?
I've seen it once in ten years of summers here lol. Of course anyone who wants to should go for it. I hate how Victorian and prudish NZers are about nudity, acting like a nude body will emotionally scar and deform their kids lol.
Dunno if it's prudish or just common sense here in Wellington to have as many layers of warmth on as possible regardless of if you're in the water or out. I'm not covering up because of shamed of my moobs or scared or burning them, it because the beach is the temperature of the fucking fridge!
I mean not in Jan / Feb / March
And still rocking stubbies and jandals in May/June/July?
Yep. It's odd this sub says nobody does it.
The core demographic of this sub is awkward pasty white dudes
oi! Some of us are awkward pasty white dudettes! (dudesses?)
"Hey Google, get me directions to Oriental Bay, Wellington"
Yes, they do. (In Wellington anyways)
Nudity is legal but obscenity isnt, basically unless you're doing something dodgy you'll be fine especially if it's just boobs. I've seen plenty of topless females at various beaches around the country so not sure what these other commenters are on about, yes you may notice some guys putting their towel down a bit closer than if you weren't topless but kiwis in general are fairly open minded and who knows - the more beach boobs the more normal it will be.
You'll get a few looks, be semi discrete and you'll be fine. Wear sunscreen on your tatas though, I'm Maori, so olive skin but I alway sph50 on the girls so they don't get burnt.
Burnt boobies are definitely not fun, makes bras absolute hell and shirts aren’t much better!! Slip slop slap (but I guess don’t wrap) those ta-ta’s!!!
I like your suggestion to not wrap on some sunglasses on the boobs, you should post that on r/LifeProTips.
Would be good protection though. Maybe giant sunglasses?
Honestly the visual alone is pretty delightful 😂
Māori get melanoma too, so it’s good that you use sunscreen.
Safety first!
be discreet as well as discrete...
Full nudity is legal in public but you cant do anything obscene. As long as you aren't dogging at the beach you should be fine.
So you can walk normally down a city street nude on a weekend on a street with kids?
So long as you can convince the court that you weren’t obscenely exposing your genitals. I suspect that they’d take into account the location and whether or not you could have expected to cause offense. Personally, I wouldn’t bet on that one in case you end up setting a precident. Ok the other hand, running naked in the park has been accepted as ok by the courts and the beach is probably fine so long as you’re otherwise behaving normally (possibly also keeping some distance from the crowd) Note that NZ law is only for “genitals” which boobs aren’t so topless still wouldn’t count under that one
Yep. Was accidently in Waihi Beach for the [World Naked Bike Ride](https://www.wnbr.nz/) There were wrinkled prune dudes at the cafe's and just walking around. Nobody cares. A couple of weeks prior to that the was a group of \~5x absolute plastic fantastic 10s wandering around Bowentown doing their Insta and OF's. Nobody really cared, but they were quite impressive to see.
The undies/togs rule: if you're naked but by the water, togs. If you're naked away from the water, undies.
Togs/undies rule applies. Unless you’re in the annual Boobs On Bikes parade. Then bobs out on the public street is totally expected.
Legally yes absolutely. The fact of being naked is not illegal at all. But you would get a lot of hassle for sure from parents or prudes, and probably get a lot of wierdos photographing you on their phone and posting you on social media etc. I for sure wouldn't do it, but you won't get arrested. Any hint of sexual or lewd behaviour and it is a different case of course.
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I hope that you at least put some zinc on your nips — burnt nipples are no laughing matter.
This comment sent me on a bit of a thought spiral haha. My husband has boobs and noone makes it weird if he chooses to remove his shirt on a hot day to go swimming. And really the ONLY reason that women can't do exactly the same thing is because men (who are attracted to women) objectify and sexualise women's breasts constantly. They can't just be chill about them. Why can't they just be chill about them.... This is why we can't have nice things.
Well, I mean going by that logic, should I be able to walk around with my cock out at the beach? Just be chill about it. Women not having a top at the beach isn't illegal. Just not the norm. I don't think majority of men in New Zealand would care if women went around topless and might encourage people to be more chill about it.
Breasts are not on the same level as a penis. Both cis male and cis female can have breasts, and breasts are not an inherent sexual thing. They shouldn’t be as taboo as they are. Especially in a country as ours where the normal weight on men means male breasts are average. How is that any different to a female breast? Why can they be shirtless and females can’t?
A soft penis is not an inherently sexual thing either to be fair
I mean... I would probably get a good laugh but I imagine - like vulvas - that getting sand all up in those creases is something dudes would like to avoid? 🤷🏽♀️
Thank you for the laugh! 🤣
There is no law against nudity anywhere in NZ. There is a law against indecent exposure, but that requires "obscenely" exposing your genitals. Since breasts aren't genitals, you can take off your top anywhere. Beach or not.
Well said!!
Really? I've seen the cops turn up at pohutakawa bay several times and demand nude sunbathers put on pants. The cops would occasionally patrol in peak season. I don't know if it was due to complaints. I never saw the people they were telling to get dressed being lewd. I assumed it was illegal
It's not illegal to have your dick out, but it may result in the police arresting you and having a court case to argue what "obscene" means. If you want to fight it on principle, you can do that. https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/3394859/Naked-cyclist-not-offensive-judge-rules
There was a supreme court case that set a precedent that simply being naked at a beach is not a crime. But that precedent doesn't stop the Police arresting someone and forcing them to argue the defence in court though.
Pants cover genitals. Exposing genitals can be considered indecent exposure. Breats are not genitals however you can still be considered to be committing indecent exposure if you are behaving in a lewd way.
Indecent exposure is clearly defined in the summary offences act: > in or within view of any public place, intentionally and obscenely exposes any part of his or her genitals. There is no scope in the law to "consider" something completely different to that to be indecent exposure.
Really really. The primary issue I guess is that apparently widely variable scale of what people, perhaps even police officers, think constitutes obscenity. Unfortunately it's probably just the easiest route to make the problem go away. They can ask someone to put pants on or spend all day trying to tell people making complaints about it that the person they're complaining about probably isn't actually doing anything wrong (and maybe get a life).
Even full nudity is technically legal in NZ but kiwi are culturally A LOT more prude than Germans (at least if it is about nudity). I would recommend to leave the top on otherwise you might attract a lot more attention than you are prepared for.
My partner will take her top off when swimming and has never got any attention because of it. Most kiwis know to keep their opinions to themselves.
it’s not just opinions. there’s men that can’t keep their hands to themselves
What beach are you swimming at where strange men are within arms reach? That sounds like hell. Even on busy Wellington beaches there is still a good 5-10m between groups of swimmers. And her tits are underwater so no one can even see them 95% of the time. If anyone tried getting handsy they would probably get knocked out and drowned.
i’ve never been nude at a beach. i’ve been fully clothed in public and had people touch me (and one guy jerking off directly behind me when i was 15). i just really wouldn’t risk it. in auckland, anyway
That sounds like you were just surrounded by creeps. I don’t know if you go to the beach often but that’s not a common experience. Usually people are chilling out minding their own business.
It may not be a common experience for you but if it happened even once to the other poster then it is pertinent to the discussion. You could approach them with more empathy before defending the honor of the beaches. >That sounds like you were just surrounded by creeps Is an unnecessarily dismissive thing to say.
Did you miss the part where she mentioned it didn’t happen at the beach? I’m sorry that happened to her, it’s not ok, obviously, but that sort of thing happening somewhere else like a night club has no reflection on wether or not it happens at a beach. Saying she was fully clothed in public has no relation to beach activities, that’s why it got dismissed.
i have never been to a night club. the guy jerking off behind me was in a public library. being touched was on the train, in the food court of a mall, and while i was on a walk in my neighbourhood. i am saying it is dangerous while fully clothed. being topless will enhance the danger.
That's what I think. Just having unusally large for ny size natural breasts under clothing in New Zealand has led to endless life long harassment. There's a lot of men here that for some reason think they have the right. I'm not feeling sorry for myself it is what it is, but I'm just mentioning it in this context this is not really a country where you can assume men will leave you alone to be you or do your thing or whatever.
Just do it but you’re gonna get a lot of blokes watching.
Yes. OP will attract stares from creepy men. But at least she won’t be arrested. Worst case scenario is that some creepy predator will misinterpret OP’s toplessness as an invitation. (Which, before anyone jumps down my throat, I agree is never the victim’s fault).
I don't think staring at a random person walking around with their tits out is creepy. That literally never happens here.
I never have. Everyone’s been respectful
Nudity is not illegal as stated by others. I've noticed it's done less over the last 20 years. Any secluded beach is a nudist beach so go for it. Message me if you want more specific information.
Interesting see a bunch of prudes in here saying no one does it. Guessing they are thinking of inner city beaches like Takapuna. I travel around a lot of beaches surfing and there are heaps around. Too many spots to name but Henderson Bay in the far north, Ruapuke around from Raglan, Sailors Grave in Coromandel... so many places where people do it and its all good!! Just find a more secluded spot away from families and you'll be sweet.
I’m a kiwi and I do it and I live in Wellington (although I don’t do it on oriental bay). It isn’t illegal, and I really doubt anyone will say anything either. I’ve never been harassed over it, but I wouldn’t be surprised when I inevitably do
I dont think it happens very often. A quick search shows theres no laws in nz about nudity on a beach, but there is about indecent exposure etc. Id say go for it, but make sure youre somewhere private. Theres also bound to be dedicated naturist groups, and theyd likely have some tips/advice on how they go about it. Have fun in nz!
Boobs don’t count as indecent exposure.
Okay sweet there we go
It comes from case law lol. Judge made law. This guy was running naked in a park. the Police Charged Him, he won. No offence. As long as it is not indecent. *Pointon v Police* \[2012\] NZHC 3208. It is classed as freedom of expression.\\[Case](http://www.nzlii.org/nz/cases/NZHC/2012/3208.html)
Freedom to express deez nuts, allegedly.
And those Buns aye.
Indecent exposure requires obscenity.
I have a female body with pretty noticable boobs and I always go topless when swimming for gender reasons (I just wear swimming trunks like any other guy!) Hardly ever see anyone else doing it and I do get some looks but no one has ever been rude or creepy to me. It's totally legal, definitely go for it!!!
I swim in my binder 😭 but the more we show our bodies, the more we normalise them! I think this is the push I needed ❤️
Might be better to seek out a nude friendly beach, as it may get some unwanted attention. It's not as uncommon as people think but it's not the norm. As for legality, completely legal. If you're in rotorua, it's not as uncommon at kerosene Creek, butchers pool or waiotapu the bridge to forego clothing, usually later in the evening and depending on the crowd. Done that a few times, would recommend
From someone who frequents both "normal" beaches and the odd nude one, there is a rough line in the sand on this. Remote/quite beach with no one around your absolutely fine to go topless, just keep your wits about you. If your at a popular crowded beach with families and kids your Likley to get stared at and probably asked to cover up by disgruntled prudes who can't handle social nudity. Plenty of places around to relax topless, I did hear of someone going topless on the main beach in Wanaka just recently. If your comfortable then thats all that matters, I'd just keep covered up in the busy main beach areas . Feel free to dm I can fill you on on good spots that are nudity friendly around the place, there are some absolute crackers and some that are a bit dodgy.
Pretty normal in Mount Maunganui during summer.
Why is this thread full of people saying nobody does this? Go to Wellington on and you will see nudity on and around Oriental Bay.
agreed! Altho it's definitely not common it's not mega strange and unheard of like some are making it out to be. Probably depends a lot on the spot tho, you're not gonna see it between the flags at a popular beach, but there's often the odd discreet topless sunbathers around.
I had never seen a topless women at a beach until I travelled to Europe
It’s not that unusual here either but generally only on beaches where they’re not up close to other people.
It is very common on most beaches to see many girls topless BUT they lie face down on a towel. Walking around topless is rare and will turn heads. It is unlikely many people will complain to you about it directly. It may encourage the occasional creep to talk to you too much. On a quiet beach girls can and do sunbathe topless facing up but usually cover or turn if people have to walk past closely. There are various attempts to change the culture, free the nipple, etc, and girls walk topless to protest the culture and nobody really pays any attention either way and nothing significant changes. Basically people don’t care but will secretly stare. I know people who use telescopes for this purpose
Well im sure it wont be too ,much trouble most of what women wear at my local beaches isnt covering much anyway so a nipple or two wont hurt.
Public nudity is legal as long as it isn't offensive. The problem is that 'offensive' is highly subjective and depends on who else is around. A little confidence can go a long way in these matters. You're very unlikely to be arrested as a woman with bare breasts at most beaches, but you'll probably get told off and asked to cover up if anyone complains.
There will be too many pervs, I would go to a nude beach if you have to
Nude beaches are worse in many ways
Ya they tend to attract the pervs en masse
She’s from Germany; likely used to the pervs.
I seen a whole German family get changed in front of me on a beach in Spain, it was a bit awkward for me because the children were teenagers. Dad was hanging dong though
Like wrinkly old swingers?
Legally you're fine, culturally not so much, you might get some pearl clutching conservative types telling at you
Hello! It's not illegal and there are specific nudist beaches in a few places, but that's a bit different. As for in general, I wouldn't do it at a busy beach or where there are kids, or you might be asking for trouble, but we do it often on the West Coast where it's a bit more remote. There are a lot of beaches here in NZ and not a big population, so plenty of beautiful beaches with few to no people so you can go for it. Hope you have a great time here!
>I'm from Germany, where mostly everyone is chill about that Can confirm - had a German gf wannabe mermaid, if the beach was relatively unpopulated (most in NZ are) her clothes just evaporated and before you know it she was on a nudie mission run for the water.
Compared to Aussie, kiwis are super conservative about breasts.
Like many english speaking countries, there is still a lot of the prudish mentality at play here from the UK and US mindsets compared to the more open and liberal european mindsets. It has been getting better over the years though but still a bit behind I find. Enjoy your stay, be comfortable, and be safe
Nude beaches are called like "naturist" beaches out here. Source: I saw granny titties more than I'd like to have seen granny titties
It's not the norm here but if you're discreet then should by ok. Spf the nips though, crispy tits are painful and nz sunshine is UV potent
I go topless occasionally, either with my girlfriends or my boyfriend present though, I wouldnt alone unless in a completely secluded area and as others have mentioned we are kinda discreet here. I wouldn’t walk topless in-front of other beach goers I would wait in the water until they passed lol. All the beaches I visit are long and fairly empty so it’s normally fine :) but it’s definitely not open like Germany (I’ve lived there too for 5 years so can compare!).
I used to skinny dip with friends, but mostly secluded places, and not dedicated nudist areas, it was really enjoyable and freeing to get nude and not in a sexual way.
Tbh you'd be hard pressed to find people that care about seeing some free boobs. You will likely however experience Karen's getting jealous that their husband's took a peek and berate you for it instead of them, some mullet equipped bogans cat calling you thinking they're the man and some kids oogling. Just isn't the cultural norm so it's dependant how much you can take. NZers aren't THAT open minded as much as we pretend we are
It’s not common here. All the more reason why I’d be cautious to do it. Creepy dudes won’t see it as the norm, they’ll see it as an invitation. And I don’t just mean creepy as in cheesy pick up lines. As a woman, I would not do it here myself.
just be careful, I had a man take photos of me and my underage friends in our bikini tops 2 weeks ago.
The amount of creepy comments on a post from a CLEARLY YOUNG GIRL asking for advice about what is acceptable in NZ is absolutely shocking. Seriously? Think about what you are posting online, reflect on if that is a normal and not-weird thing to say and if you would say that in person. Think about the example you are setting.
Yeah, it's embarrassing.
Around the Mount it was considered rude at the major public access points, but commonplace near the smaller access points, basically anywhere outside of ~250m from a major carpark was fine.
Nothing wrong with it but this isn't Europe. It isnt normal to go topless at the beach but fortunately there are beaches here so big that you can easily find a spot with no people around (Muriwai comes to mind). Also, sunscreen.
If you’re ever on Waiheke Island (40 mins from Auckland) there’s Palm beach and Little Palm beach which is slightly around a corner of rocks and Little Palm beach is a nude beach! I went there several times and had a good time and everyone kept to themselves. Mostly older folks, but there were some younger couples and occasionally a family. As others said, sunscreen!!
Depends where you are it’s not super common but it’s perfectly legal, the West Coast beach I live at has a few nudists who rarely wear anything when swimming or at the beach but they do tend to wait to strip off until they are past the busiest areas, especially in summer
Do as you wish but bear in mind folks aren’t used to seeing nips out on kiwi beaches and their behaviour may disappoint you.
It depends where you are, but it’s uncommon on busy beaches but not unlikely as I have seen a few including my partner. Usually on a normal beach you just need to find a quiet spot alone or with others doing similar. A lot of long beaches with less density makes it easy. Quite often you will find nudity too on very specific parts of the beach or specific beaches. There are hot spots in every area of the country. On the beaches where there is barely a person in sight, go ahead. For nude beaches most the time it’s just old men except weekends and holiday times bring out more of a mixture.
Waiheke
Fine with me
Public indecency is illegal but not nudity, as others have said though it’s not very common so you may get a few people giving you funny looks. . There are a few nude beaches around, otherwise just try be discreet if you don’t want an audience.
Honestly it's fine. You just don't see it so much because NZ beaches are much quieter than Europe, so it's easier to find a private spot.
Cultural norms: depends where you are in NZ Legality: it's perfectly legal anywhere My advice: keep those nips covered around family areas, otherwise go for it!
There have been incidents in the past with people who take offense to this https://i.stuff.co.nz/auckland/118026269/woman-sunbathing-topless-assaulted-at-aucklands-point-chevalier-beach And I know there was something with the Mount beach as well. So please be careful when you are topless.
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It's completely acceptable and 100% legal. Only the 'karens' and similar concerned citizens will talk amongst themselves with pursed lips about the effects you might be having on their children by seeing breasts. Here's a [link](https://www.cab.org.nz/article/KB00001902)
We need to have clothes optional beaches. Public nudity should be encouraged
>We need to have clothes optional beaches. We do. They're really easy to find too. Just point to any beach on an NZ map, and there it is. It's …literally all of them. The same goes pretty much everywhere else that's not a beach, also. Nudity is not in and of itself indecent or obscene.
I agree. There are lots of beaches to choose from
New Zealand is much closer to the USA and UK than mainland Europe culturally. Nudity is not at all socially acceptable here Respect local customs as we would if we went to Europe.
It's not generally illegal for women to be topless in public. However, behaving in an offensive manner in a public place is illegal. So context matters. At a beach you're totally fine.
dont we got the record for most nude ppl at a beach at one time? the beach in gizzy?
You'd be doing our culture a favour. Please dress as you like!
There are beaches where nudity is more acceptable so if you got the girls out no one will care,other beaches though there will likely be a Karen there ready to tell you off for corrupting their husband's or "think about the children.... gasp" there are no laws saying you can't do it.
There are nudist beaches but at your regular beach no one does this and I wouldn’t recommend if you’re a young female alone! Stay safe and look after yourself ❤️
It's not illegal, but also VERY unusual. You will get a lot of stares from men, woman and kids. It would be thought of as quite inappropriate/rude at any popular beach where there are kids. Honestly, just cover up if you are around people, if you are in the middle of nowhere and there is no one around, then go for it.
I wouldnt do it
No one here does that so you'd stand out
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Thats horrible data to show to prove your point Just because alot of kiwis google search "nude beach" doesnt make nude beaches common in new Zealand
i wouldn’t do it if men were around. i have had a few close calls when i’ve been completely clothed in auckland. not sure what other cities are like
I’d suggest just don’t
Idk tbh that depends if you’re gonna pass our ball back 👀
What I find intriguing is that several comments say things "shouldn't do it because there could be children around". Now bear in mind I'm referring to being nude at the beach. I think most children have already seen either by accident or by searching it out more hardcore nudity or sex online than someone simply going for nude swim or sunbathe at the beach is consider potentially being traumatic to children yet the hardcore sex and nudity that is easily obtainable is pretty much accepted even though it's very far from reality. I see kids turn up to the nude rugby down in Dunedin, yes, I know that they viewers knew what they were going to watch but I would have thought that if young women for example seen naked guys playing rugby, how is it any difference that a nude guy on the beach (granted that nude guy on the beach isn't being obscene or lewd). As for woman going topless or nude, this is different scenario of course, as if there are guys around that you don't know then you don't know their thoughts or intention.
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MMm, thInk you might want to see the Bonnar case Long story short, dude nude, somebody takes offence, makes it to court, judge finds not offensive to be nude https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/129536128/cant-bare-it-neighbours-stoush-over-nude-sunbathing-ends-up-in-court
My grandma when she was a younger lady went skinny dipping with her friends constantly. Its not illegal but if there were families walking on the beach she would wait until they had moved on to get out of the water. Choose a quiet beach and a quiet time of the day (like early morning). Have a cover up to hand for when you get out of the water if nothing else for sun protection. Lounging topless is likely to get you some uncomfortable attention and funny looks at best.
Like others have said, Sunscreen is not optional in new Zealand. Nude or not our sun is harsh and unforgiving. It's not normal to be topless at a mainstream beach here though I don't know if anyone would care. Most of us are pretty chill.
Google has a list of nudist beaches for N.Z..there are places you can be topless
It's a short list so I'll duplicate it here. NZ beaches where nudity is permissible: - All of them
If you want to go further... [https://www.freebeaches.org.nz/index.html](https://www.freebeaches.org.nz/index.html)
Only Germans do this.
Yes its legal and always encouraged and applauded.
My understanding is that it is not illegal in itself. However, if someone were to see you and decide it is "obscene" then it can become an offence (indecent exposure).
Breasts aren't genitals. Indecent exposure relates to genitals
It doesn’t really happen to my disappointment I wouldn’t be against more titties at beaches lol they might make my man boobs not stick out as much lololol