4/03
I've just returned to Wellington after a late summer trip to the northern tip of the North Island. Although I went with a different group of friends to the last trip, all of the women involved sunbathed topless several times during the trip.
Like on the East Coast, you can wear what you like at the northern beaches. We visited the Bay of Islands, Bayleys Beach, Ahipara, Tokerau, Cable bay and Ninety Mile Beach. This area is quite touristy, and most beach goers were wearing swimwear rather than shirt or shorts. For women this ranged from one pieces to bikinis to topless.
There is always lots of room to get some beach to yourself, but even on the smaller beaches like Paihia topless was fine. At one beach on an island in the Bay of Islands a mixed group of us swam from the boat to the beach, and three of us swam and sunbathed topless, ie, no tops on the beach. After a while a ferry arrived at the beach and several of the other visitors went topless when they saw us. Many tourists in this part of the country are Europeans who have traveled through Asia and Australia before coming to NZ, so its no big deal.
To emphasize a point I made in the previous report, no one has authority to impose special rules or dress codes on NZ beaches. Lifesavers are volunteer rescuers only and cannot tell people what to wear. Local authorities might be responsible for rubbish collection or erosion control but the cannot make laws about the beach. It is not even possible to own land on the beach or within 20m of the high tide mark anywhere in the country. No has the power to set dress codes or police beaches or impose fines. We don't know how lucky we are.
--Trudi, New Zealand
2/03
I have just returned from a trip with three girlfriends around the East Coast and Bay of Plenty in the North Island. All of us were able to sunbathe topless at every beach we camped at - Mahia, Gisborne, Tologa, Tokomaru, Hicks Bay, Waihau, Newdicks and Papamoa.
At every beach there was loads of space with perhaps 100 people on a kilometer long beach. No problems for anyone, everyone was relaxed and beachwear was anything from topless to t-shirt and boardies. The locals still fished, smiled and rode horses down the beach.
The concept of a topless beach seems so foreign here. A beach is a beach - wear what makes you comfortable, don't hassle anyone and no one will hassle you.
--Trudi, Wellington, New Zealand
4/02
My wife and I have just returned from a three-week trip around the South Island. Karen was happy to be able to sunbathe and swim topless at Tahuna beach in Nelson where many other women were doing the same thing. Tahuna is a popular beach with locals and with tourists from New Zealand, Australia and overseas. We also visited Karen's sister in Timaru and we spent several days at Caroline Bay. Karen and her sister were topless for hours at a time with no hassles from other visitors or the lifeguards. Toplessness is common at Caroline Bay, especially with the young and Karen's sister Jane says she doesn't even have a bikini top.
--Martin, Wellington, New Zealand
7/00
Topfree is absolutely legal in New Zealand. I live in Palmerston North and that's in the middle of the North Island and people sunbathe topfree at the beaches by the coast. Thongs are rarish for women and only a few men wear thongs and that's when the beaches are practically deserted. I wear a thong and am male and have had a few stares but no comments have walked down the beach and run down sand dunes with my girlfriend and she was topfree and people just took no notice apart from the male teenagers who are just curious.
--Ashley, New Zealand
6/00
Topless sunbathing is entirely legal in New Zealand. While it is not common, it is widespread. In summer it is not unusual to see women sunbathing topless, singly or in groups, on public beaches with families, life savers etc around. I have never heard of anyone being asked to cover up. Thongs are rare for women and almost unheard of for men. Toplessness is most common in the North Island which is warmer and has more popular beaches. It is also common in Nelson and the Abel Tasman National Park in the South Island.
--Moana, New Zealand