Nude bathers wary of ‘creeps’ patrolling Sunnyside North beach

Rosanna Dunne used to visit Mount Eliza’s ‘clothing optional’ beach to get an all-over tan, warm her bare skin and get back in touch with Mother Nature.

But after being hassled, hit on and followed to her car, Ms Dunne says she’ll never return to the beach again.

“I was creeped out and all alone,” said the 27-year-old from Princes Hill, who is new to the nudist community.

This is just one of many incidences at the Sunnyside North Beach, according to regular bathers, who say the strip of bayside coast is known to attract ‘swingers’ and ‘creeps’ unknown to the nudist community.

They say offenders have been seen publicly masturbating, accosting beachgoers and having sex in nearby scrubland.

Tony Leigh, a keen naturist and regular to the beach, says lewd behaviour has become a real issue, estimating that during three of every 10 visits he’ll witness vulgar acts. He says most offenders, usually heterosexual males, are members of the public who are unknown to nudist organisations in Victoria.

Mr Leigh explains the predatory behaviour on nude beaches is a result of people conflating nudity with sex and promiscuity — “two very different things.”

“The beach is legalised for nudity,” he said. “It’s not legalised for sex.”

He added: “Our conservative culture reduces nakedness to one thing: the erotic . . . The only time we see nakedness is either during sex or when watching porn.”

The predatory behaviour has outraged the naturist community, who claim it’s hard enough already to get nude beaches legalised.

“These offenders have ruined the purpose of the beach by stigmatising it and preventing people who are new to the nudist community from enjoying the once-safe space,” Mr Leigh said.

The vice-president of the Australian Nudist Federation, Caryn Kettle, experienced predatory behaviour first-hand when she was assaulted on Sunnyside beach earlier this year.

She believes the government views nude beaches as the poor cousin of mainstream Victorian beaches, and their safety issues are due to their isolated location and lack of police presence.

“If the Victorian Government put nude beaches right in the public’s view, perpetrators wouldn’t feel they could get away with this disgusting behaviour.”

Cr Rosie Clark, who represents Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Briars Ward, in which the Sunnyside North beach is located, says she is aware of talk in the local community of predatory behaviour on the beach, describing the issue as delicate.

“Being a resident in the area, I’ve definitely heard reports of people misbehaving but we haven’t received any formal complaints registered through the Shire,” she said.

Cr Clark adds that, like any beach or public place, Sunnyside is bound to attract its share of oddballs and that beachgoers should be aware of their surroundings.

“Safety is a big thing in the council’s policy . . . but this issue isn’t the council’s responsibility. If people feel unsafe, they should ring triple zero.”

Victoria Police claim to have no knowledge of any increase in incidences in the area.

But nudist spokeswoman Ms Kettle explains this is because many incidences go unreported out of fear police will close down the beach permanently.

While the beach is unpatrolled by police, the nudist community is left to monitor activities, keeping in touch through the Facebook pages of various nudist organisations.

“These offenders have ruined the purpose of the beach by stigmatising it and preventing people who are new to the nudist community from enjoying the once-safe space.” — Tony Leigh, naturist

A co-founder of Victoria-based Young Nudists Australia, Rebekah Lee, explains that if users act inappropriately and breach behaviour guidelines they are removed from Facebook groups.

As this is the only monitoring system that exists among the nudist community, and with many of the beachgoers not joining Facebook groups, the system is essentially ineffective.

Instead, regular beachgoers who are part of nudist organisations are left to ask those acting inappropriately to leave the beach. But as Ms Lee explains, doing so can place people in a dangerous position.

“If that person turns aggressive, and other people on the beach don’t support you, then you’ve got a real problem and the police won’t be there to help,” Ms Lee explained.

Despite this, Ms Lee says the naturist community must maintain a zero-tolerance attitude to such offenders.

“These people are exhibitionist creeps with an agenda, not nudists with genuine interests.”

She added: “Society often teaches us that if someone makes you uncomfortable, you should leave the situation, but this behaviour cannot be ignored or tolerated.”

Glenn Donnelly, the founder of the Nude Movement, echoes her comemnts, calling the behaviour gross and offensive. He says women should be able to go wherever they like, at any time of the day, and dress how ever they choose.

“Perverts shouldn’t be protected, and their behaviour shouldn’t be excused,” he said.

Despite these safety concerns, the popularity of nudism is on the rise, with more and more Australians choosing to go au naturel.

Instagram page ‘Get Naked Australia’ recently topped 180,000 followers, while nude dating shows, nude tourism and nude events continue to boom across Australia.

Ms Lee emphasises that “nudism is not a hobby but a lifestyle that is natural, uncomplicated and pleasurable.”

She urges the protection of Victoria’s nude beaches and the lifestyle that she and thousands of other naturists around Australia enjoy.

Regulars to the Sunnyside North Beach say it’s up to nudist organisations and Victoria Police to work together to ensure a safe future for nude beaches and their patrons.