Wandering Bares

We first saw a "Wandering Bares" sticker on a Winnebago owned by some, now nudist friends. I asked where they got the sticker and they said they crossed path with a nudist who was selling the stickers.

Now about 12 months later we have tracked down the creator of these stickers, John & Joan Clarke and have bought and now proudly display our own Wandering Bares sticker on our car!

We asked John what was the history behind the creation of this sticker and here is the response:

John writes:

To begin with, I am a nudist from way back in the early seventies, When I ,with wife and 4 kids joined the old Woodlands, out of Liverpool, Sydney.

Unfortunately, My wife died from breast cancer at 35 years old, leaving me with 4 young children to raise.

Fast forward then to 1986, where with the kids now all with jobs, me up on the Gold Coast, where Joan and I met and became an item. Although Joan had always been textile, she very easily adapted to the nudist lifestyle with me.

In early 1994 we settled on the secluded 40 acre bush block, now called Teatree Park, just out of Agnes Water, Qld. We lived in a caravan while I built our little cottage. When we moved into the house, we kept the caravan area tidy, and made it available as a camp area for travelling nudists. We did a lot of travelling to nudist resorts and beaches. Agnes Water beaches at those time was very secluded then. That was the main reason I had purchased this block in this area.

In 2002 we set off in our little Nissan poptop to travel to Darwin. Along the way we encountered a lot of the "Grey Nomads", as we camped each night in free bush camps. We discovered that the "Campervan and Motorhome Club Australia, had held their Annual Convention at Barcaldine the previous week, and a lot of Motorhomers were also on the way to Darwin.

Quite often as we shared a drink or two with these nomads, I would eye off some of them and think, "look at that couples tan. I bet they're nudists." Politeness, and fear of offending would deter me from asking them straight out. It was because of this that I would think,"wouldn't it be good if they had a sticker on their vehicle that would identify them to other nudists". I decided I would apply myself to trying to make this happen.

Upon our return home, I immediately joined the C.M.C.A. As they instigated various "chapters" in different districts, as well as special interest groups, such as "The Solo's" (nomads travelling alone), and the "Hi-Fi" group for the radio enthusiasts , I wrote to them proposing a nudist special interest group. It didn't even rate a reply. On making inquiries, I was told there were too many old prudes in the executive to even consider it. I decided to "go it alone"

I experimented with a few different designs and caricatures, running them past other nudists at various clubs and resorts, as well as friends, but none seemed to have that "bling" that would really catch on.

Finally, I formed a picture in my mind of what I thought would be an attractive logo. I went to a local graphic artist and went through some design books until we came across the little bear. I had her fill in the changes I wanted, the staff and bundle and such, until the "Wandering Bares" was created.

I liked it so much I forwarded it on to a local sign printer to print 100 stickers to test the reaction.

They immediately struck a chord with all I showed it to, and so the "Wandering Bares" were born.



They took on very well with many single male nudists. They found that it didn't come over as being "in your face" with prudes who would judge them as deviates or such because it was easily explained away to the curious as just a funny sticker that didn't know how to spell "bear". At the same time it was immediately recognised by other nudists they may meet on the road.

They have now been sent to nudists, not only all over Australia, but have sent small orders to the U.S.A. as well as the U.K. and of course N.Z. One description of the sticker that amused me was from an American couple who sent an order for the little "Hobo Bear".

It had never occurred to me that it could be seen as a "Hobo" nudist.

During our trip around Australia in 06-07 we encountered the stickers in many strange places. Not surprising I guess, as we always sought out secluded places to camp along the road, just so we could be in "uniform" while camped. We rarely used caravan parks. It was either nudist places, or out in the bush.

Anyway, that is the story of the little nudist bear.

Thanks to John and Joan for taking the time to share your story.
 

If you would like your own Wandering Bares sticker to proudly tell "those in the know" of your clothes free preference then send John and Joan a cheque or money order for $5 plus a self addressed envelope to:
 

J & J Clarke

619 Murphy Road

Captain Creek

QLD 4677

 So keep an eye out you never know when you will spot a Wandering Bears sticker!

 



Nudist, Naturist or Skinny-Dipper?

Is there a difference between a Nudist, a Naturist or a Skinny-Dipper?

All enjoy the freedom from clothes or coverings and quite often in a social setting so from an outsiders view there appears little if any difference.

There is also a cultural aspect to this discussion, here in Australia the terms Nudist and Naturist are commonly used interchangeably where elsewhere the two terms refer to specific differences in lifestyle choices. Even here in Australia in the past the Naturist was seen to be a vegetarian, with no smoking or drinking and who practiced calisthenics every morning.

In our experience the difference is as much in the mind of the practitioner as it is in the observer.

From our conversations with others who enjoy going clothes-free we would propose the following in today's Australian context:

The Naturist - will seek to be clothes free at every appropriate opportunity and holds to a philosophy that provides a framework of meaning for enjoying the naked activity.

The Nudist - will also seek to be clothes free at every appropriate opportunity but purely because they enjoy the experience and that is enough to meet their needs.

Finally the Skinny-Dipper -this person just enjoys to swim and sun bathe clothes-free. They confine their clothes free activity to the beach or pool and spa.

And all of the above are valid and share an important aspect, that is the clothes free lifestyle is enjoyable!

So where do we stand on this topic?

Well as can be seen from the title of this blog we think that Naturist best describes our lifestyle choice. As such we can fully align ourselves with the International Naturist Federation definition of what Naturism is:

"Respect for self, respect for others, respect for the environment through the practice of communal nudity."

However whether you are a Naturist, Nudist or a Skinny-Dipper revel in the enjoyment of your clothes-free time and be proud of your pastime or lifestyle choice.

Hopefully there will be plenty of opportunity this year to enjoy a clothes free Summer!

Sexploitation films

In listening to Stéphane Deschenes’ Naturist Living Show on the topic of the sexploitation films of the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's he had an informative interview with Mark Storey author of Cinema au Naturel a comprehensive genre study analyzes both the good and the bad in nudist film and video from the 1930's to the present. 

I decided to try and track down Mark's book on the subject. Unfortunately it is out of print however there are a number of websites out there that talk about the era of the Nudist films.
 

In the 1938 film “The Nudist Racket”, some excerpts appear in  right margin of this blog, the commentary is so politically incorrect that it makes a modern viewer cringe as the voice-over makes fun of a larger woman with low brow, school boy humour. The antithesis of the Naturist view of body acceptance.


There is no doubt that the majority of these films were simply "skin flicks" dressed up as documentaries on the nudist lifestyle.

In the 50’s and 60’s the “nudist camp” was the excuse to show large amounts of attractive female flesh woven around a weak and predictable storyline.

Today they are a cultural curiosity and a window into a bygone age. Particularly looking at the club facilities that were in use at the time. 

The characteristics of these films are that more often than not they are shot on location at an exotic nudist facility, usually Florida or Miami, with overcast skies. This is due to the fact that they were almost always shot in winter.

The other interesting observation is that the "nudists" almost all have strong tan lines and it is obvious that they are have not been exposed to "all over" tanning.

The volley ball matches in the earlier films are always interesting to watch due to the fact that they could not show the hint of genitals so the team facing the camera would be wearing shorts!

Likewise around the pool everyone  would carry something, a magazine, a hat or a strategically placed towel.  

As anyone knows who have visited a naturist/nudist resort towels are often carried but to sit on rather than for any other purpose but in these films although carried they are rarely used for this purpose.

It has been an interesting diversion to look into this period of film making and I wonder how many converts to nudism these films produced. I would guess very few for while they carried a pro-nudist lifestyle message they were obviously voyeuristic in nature. 

1st Nude Anniversary!

Well it is hard to believe that it has only been 12 months on the 29th August since our first tentative steps into the Naturist world because it feels like we have been living this lifestyle for ever!

This is especially so as we have been visiting the beautiful Cobblers Beach in Sydney right through this past year and have made some wonderful friends on this little piece of paradise.

We have also had the opportunity to visits some wonderful Naturists Resorts and again meet people that we now call friends.

We have now become advocates for the Naturist lifestyle through this Blog and, as appropriate, we have made our discovery known to our textile friends and family members. The more people who try this lifestyle, the more that will appreciate the freedom that is the Naturist life.

Anyone who takes the plunge will benefit physically (it is such a pain to wear a swimming costume and it is great to feel the sun all over), emotionally (stress drops with your clothes and you can truly relax) and we have also found a spiritual aspect (a sense of Unity) that we have written about just recently.

Thank you to all the people who have made our journey so welcoming and we look forward to many more years of  enjoying the benefits of the Naturist life.

Fitness

Not sure if others have found this but since adopting the Naturist lifestyle I have got more in touch with my body. I have a better respect for it and I am not over eating as much as before, selecting my foods with an eye to healthy alternatives (like apples when the mid morning munchies strike) and getting back into doing my exercises in the morning.


These exercises are called The Five Tibetans that “stimulate full energy flow through the chakras and enliven corresponding nerves, organs, and glands. They also tone and strengthen the major muscle groups, contributing to a strong, resilient physique.”  No, I don't look like Charles Atlas and I am still carrying some weight but I know that I feel better and fitter when I do these as opposed to when I don't.


Once you are familiar with the exercises, practice of the Five Tibetans will take about 10-15 minutes daily and are best done in the nude of course.


The Five Tibetans are ideally practiced 21 times each. Oddly enough, there is no need to exceed 21 repetitions, as the desired energetic effect of the Five Tibetans is achieved at that number. There is no harm performing a greater number, but it simply isn't necessary.


Most people need to work up to that number of repetitions, so don't be concerned if it is difficult to practice the full complement from the start. It takes nearly every beginner a month or longer to work up to the full 21 repetitions.


In the beginning, start out with 10 or 12 repetitions of each exercise. Build your practice at your own pace. You will be doing yourself a great deal of good by practicing any number, and there is a lot of satisfaction to be gained from working your way up to 21 times each.


Take your time, practicing daily and with as much precision as possible. Even as you are building up to 21 repetitions of each exercise, you will start to feel stronger and more energetic.


Enjoy and remember to take them nice and easy this is not a bone crunching workout it is a gentle morning wake up call for your body. No aches and pains afterwards: if you do have any pain, reduce the repetitions. After doing these for 2 months I definitely felt a positive difference.

PRECAUTIONS: Seek your doctor's advice before beginning if you have any of the following

conditions - pregnancy, recent abdominal surgery, unmeditated high blood pressure, hiatal

hernia, hernia, hyperthyroidism, vertigo, seizure disorder, severe arthritis of the spine, lower

back pain, neck pain, weak abdominal muscles, shoulder or leg stiffness or weakness, multiple

sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, fibromyositis, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome.

You will find full instructions for

The 5 Tibetans

as a separate page at the top the this blog.

The experience of Unity through Nudity.

According to the Judaeo - Christian Scriptures:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Gen 1:1)

According to the book of Genesis, God then created animals, fish, etc and the pinnacle of creation, mankind, formed in the image of God. Adam & Eve the archetype humans are conversing with their Creator in a state of pure unity, naked and at one with their environment.

Painting by Titan, titled 'Adam and Eve'

We then move to what is known as “the fall” when they were then tempted to eat from the tree “of knowledge of good and evil” against the Creator's instruction. The outcome was a loss of unity and a state of separation not only from God, but also from each other and the environment.

This loss of unity was symbolised by the invention of coverings to hide what was different between the male and female body.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. (Gen 3:6)

The practice of Naturism can restore that original condition, even within a now imperfect framework.

By the removal of clothing we have the opportunity to see each other without that level of separateness and we soon realise that we are more similar than different and that the human body comes in multiple variations of the ONE theme.


Clothing hides the similarity and brings about undue attention to parts of the body that become tantalisingly hidden. Thus rather than providing “modesty” clothes provide a socialisation of the erotic, which is the ultimate separation.

For eroticism to exist there needs to be an observer and the observed, which in this case becomes an "object" to be played with in the mind of the observer.


Therefore the observer sees nothing in the way of sameness or unity only the desire to possess the "object".

It is not only Judaeo-Christian Scriptures that carries this message of Unity lost. There is also an Indian philosophy that we study called Advaita Vedanta. This philosophy has at its essence that all of creation is one, that in truth, we and all creation are manifestations of the one single Absolute. According to this philosophy one of the tasks in life is to recognise the unity and live accordingly.

We find that Naturism teaches respect for self, respect for others and respect for the environment and as such moves us to reclaim an appreciation of Unity.