Bay of Plenty Naturists visit Bay of Plenty Sun Club

It was great weather for the BOP Sun Club's visitor weekend, to which BOP Naturists were invited. There was a huge turnout at the club grounds of BOP Sun Club members, BOP Naturists who didn't belong to the club and other visitors who had seen or heard the publicity in the media about the day. The pool was tepid and was well used by those present.
The organisation was great, starting with heaps of promotion on the local radio station. A couple of members put signs on the road to the club so that some (one) BOP Naturist (I won’t mention his name) could find the place after nearly giving up. Oh well, it was his birthday so I guess we can forgive him!

The BBQ at lunchtime cooked both days by the club's naked chef saved us making our own and the mystery auction was a different fundraising idea, instead of the usual raffle. Many of the goods auctioned were donated to the club by a member and all were sold at very reasonable prices. Mr (and Mrs) Whippy came along both days and supplied us all with ice creams. 

It was really great and a fantastic effort by the committee. Well done guys – you did the club proud. 

Christmas party at Bay of Plenty Sun Club

BOP Naturists were invited to attend the BOP Sun Club's Christmas party at the club's grounds near Matata last weekend. Activities included Christmas themed body painting, happy hour with bubbly and ham provided by the club followed by a sumptuous pot luck Christmas dinner. All agreed that the food at BOP Sun Club is, as always, the best ever!
After dinner, there was a present swap with a difference, where Col and I ended up with two similar 'lizards on a rock' which now grace our new rockery.

Phoenix Shield challenge

The weather was warm and sunny last weekend and the competition was fierce for this years annual Phoenix Shield challenge between the Bay of Plenty Sun Club and Waikato Outdoor Society at the BOP Sun Club's grounds. The competition was so close that neither club knew who had won until the presentation ceremony on the Sunday morning.
Over 25 naturists from both clubs and eight from BOP Naturists (who don't belong to either club) enjoyed the occasion and the games that were part of the challenge. Both team challenges and individual games were played in good spirit which is usual for the Phoenix Shield event. The games were very relaxed, simple and with team games included, most people took part.
Some of the team games are featured here. There was an egg and spoon race with real eggs followed by egg throwing. My partner for the games and myself threw our egg so far that everyone thought it was hard boiled - until it broke in my hands! Running with a balloon between the legs in a relay was very entertaining and a hoop relay with 2 hoops and 2 people having to get from one end of the course to the other without moving out of the hoop required a bit of lateral thinking.

Individual games were based on throwing things. Firstly we had to throw a petanque ball as a shot put, a gumboot, a frisbee and even the caber. One participant got the booby prize for throwing her gumboot straight up above her head while several others threw theirs into the pool! We also had to make a hole in one with a golf ball and upturned umbrella.

A few games of mini-golf, horseshoe throwing, volleyball, and petanque followed for individuals to compete in before happy hour and the hat competition.















There were some fun hat creations that would rival any at Ellerslie (and some that wouldn't)!


After a pot luck dinner provided by the BOP Sun Club members, a radio and TV personality from Rotorua hosted a quiz night. The teams from earlier in the day joined up again to answer some of the varied questions. The questions on the Renaissance left most of us stumped as did the themes from TV shows in the 70s and 80s. Just showed that we were all far too busy in those days to watch TV.


The winning team wasn't announced until the next day with the quiz being the deciding event that determined which club would hold the Phoenix Shield for the coming year.

Oh - I suppose you want to know which club won? Well once again Bay of Plenty reigned supreme by a slim margin, due to their knowledgeable teams who were placed (out of 7 teams), 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th in the quiz.

Beer fest at BOP Sun Club

Although not a Bay of Plenty Naturists event, members were invited to the Bay of Plenty Sun Club to join in with their Labour Weekend festivities. The weather was great when the sun was out, but the air was very cool when it disappeared behind a cloud. Still it didn’t stop many of us getting the start of a tan (some a little red tan!) and feeling the freedom of no clothes after the long winter.

On the Saturday night, we had a pot luck dinner followed by a beer tasting competition. With 13 different unlabelled beers to taste and identify, the results showed that we really don’t know a lot about beer! The winner got 2 right and I got 1½ right (the half for saying stout instead of Guinness)! The beer tasting, was followed by drinking the products (well we couldn’t waste it eh?) and then a few fun games. 

On Sunday, we lazed around in the sun then Col and I went for a bush walk taking some photos in the bush and around the creek.

That night we had a shared BBQ after happy hour then honed our quiz skills in preparation for the quiz night as part of the Phoenix Shield against Waikato Outdoor Society in a few weeks.
Another brilliant day dawned on Monday. Col and I went for a bike ride to Matata 5km away. It was a relatively easy ride to the beach, but coming back we had a head wind, so this tested our ‘not-used-much’ leg muscles. Still we made it back in time for lunch, before heading back to civilisation mid-afternoon.

Fun and games at the Bay of Plenty Sun Club

The weather was great, the turnout was great, there were a lot of visitors and the games were fun! What else can I say about the BOP Sun Club’s fun games weekend apart from fantastic! Many BOP Naturists (also members of BOPSC) were there and certainly got involved in the fun and games. We played horseshoes, petanque, croquet, mini-golf, pool golf (that’s swimming pool golf) and no-one got wet – take note Waikato! We also tried out a new game called fling golf. After a shared happy hour and BBQ, we finished the day with a darts competition.

Of course I must also mention the newly formed water volleyball team, which got in a lot of practice in the pool. It helped that the water was warm and someone brought a net and ball! Our visitors from Rotorua and Wellington enjoyed themselves, staying over the weekend and beyond. 

A fun weekend at Pyes Pa

The weather really turned it on for our annual weekend campout in the heart of Tauranga suburbia at Pyes Pa. By Friday night, there were already a dozen people there and this number grew to over 30 for Happy Hour on Saturday night. A large group based themselves and their campervans or tents at the park for the whole weekend.

A trip to the beach on Saturday was quite a blast – from the wind I mean. I think we all got more windburn than sunburn. Many of the group ventured into the surf, which with the windy conditions actually felt warmer than the air. Several young new couples were also there trying out the naturist lifestyle. We regrouped at Pyes Pa for Happy Hour and enjoyed a communal BBQ. This led to us all sitting around the fire till the full moon came up. With such a diverse and interesting group of people, the discussion was interesting – all topics from climate change to theoretical physics to astronomy! Which way the water goes down the plughole in the Northern Hemisphere vs the Southern was another topic.

On Sunday, after a breakfast cooked by our own naked chefs, Peter took us on another walk – this year up the same stream that we went down last year. A large group of us enjoyed the walk up the creek, except for me, who fell at the first post and twisted my knee. Some walked for an hour upstream while others went some distance in between.

On Monday, a large contingent visited the Bay of Plenty Sun Club and enjoyed a day at this lovely club. The pool got well used by many of those there. Some stayed on for a BBQ and we stayed on for the night.

BOP Sun Club Christmas party

BOP Naturist members are invited to attend the Bay of Plenty Sun Club's Christmas party this weekend at their club grounds near Matata.
BYO happy hour as usual before dinner then the committee are providing the meat for our Christmas meal. Just bring a salad, vege dish or dessert to share. If you wish to take part in the fun 'pressi swap', then bring a small wrapped gift (not more than $5) to join in the fun.
Normal camping and day fees apply. For more information contact me on bopnaturists@gmail.com.

A weekend in Rotorua with the Bay of Plenty Sun Club

It was a great weekend for the BOP Sun Club’s outing to Rotorua, which included a walk up Rainbow Mountain, a hot swim at the ‘hot and cold’ pools, camping at Lake Rerewhakaaitu, a walk around Blue Lake (Tikitapu), camping at Lake Okareka and finishing with a walk around Hamurana Springs. We started by meeting at Rainbow Mountain where sixteen members of the group (nine were also members of BOP Sun Club, three from Rotota, and a couple from NUDVAN) set off up the mountain on a foggy morning. But above the fog the sky was blue and those who got to the top said it was actually warm enough to get their gear off for a photo (and longer). The view from above the fog extended as far as the snow capped Mt Ruapehu! After their descent, a local BOP Naturist took us to the ‘hot and cold’ natural thermal pools, aptly named as the water was hot and cold! However Peter (also confirmed by some of the locals) said that the water was much colder than normal. Once we took possession of the pools from the locals (who were frightened off by a group of naturists, even though we wore togs – to start with anyhow), we settled in for a hot soak but every now and then, the water let us down and went cold. But by moving slightly, the hot water returned (as well as the local rat who decided that Peter’s lunch was quite tasty)! After warming up in the hot pool, eight of the group arrived at a campsite by Lake Rerewhakaaitu for the night. Happy hour was convened beside the picture perfect lake as the sun went down. The next day, we toured around Lake Rerewhakaaitu, stopping off at the DOC camps on the shores of the lake. After lunch at Blue Lake, six of us walked around the lake which took 1½ hours, then headed to our overnight camp on the shores of Lake Okareka. Here we watched the sun go down and the moon come up, making good use of the DOC shelter on the shores of the lake for happy hour. Monday dawned to a cloudless sky so after morning tea in the sunshine beside the lake, four of us headed off to Hamurana Springs for a walk around this very scenic location. Lunch beside Lake Rotorua ended this very successful trip to Rotorua by the BOP Sun Club. This was a trial for future events to be held by the club, to which all members of BOP Naturists are invited. Although not truly a naturist event (well at this time of year, who would want to get their gear off anyhow), it was totally successful in getting together people with similar interests for a great time of socialising and outdoor events. Many more are planned around the greater BOP area and I look forward to seeing more members of the group at these future outings.

Join Bay of Plenty Sun Club at Rainbow Mountain

The Bay of Plenty Sun Club is going to Rotorua this Saturday for a walk up Rainbow Mountain (or the shorter less strenuous Crater Lake), and have invited all members of BOP Naturists to come along as well. Meet at the Rainbow Mountain carpark (on SH5 just past the SH38 turnoff to Murupara) about 11am Saturday for an early lunch before doing the walks. We will stay at one of the DOC camps in Brett Road, Lake Rerewhakaaitu (the larger one) on Saturday night ($6pp), go for a hot swim at Kerosene Creek (bring your togs just in case) and maybe if the weather is suitable go for a walk at The Redwoods or Lake Okareka on Sunday. If the weather is unsuitable for walking, we may stay at Waikite where there are hot pools (togs needed for the main pool - if staying, unlimited use of the main pools is included in the overnight charge, although they do have private pools). http://www.hotpools.co.nz/. If the weather is really bad, we will still be going but will look at more indoor events in Rotorua, so the plans will be dependent on the weather. If you can't find us but would like to join in, phone me on the BOP Sun Club phone on 027 440 5157.