Cairns nudist beach: Buchan Point missing from best skinny-dipping spots list
The Far North’s home of white pointers and dangling sea cucumbers has failed to make a list of the world’s best skinny-dipping spots. Is it the crocodiles?
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THE Far North’s home of white pointers and dangling sea cucumbers has failed to make a list of the world’s best skinny-dipping spots.
Buchan Point has been an unofficial (and technically illegal) nudist beach for yonks – stretching like so many gravity-drawn appendages throughout the decades.
Newspaper archives show a bronze, bearded and buck naked Cairns man Clemens Vermeulen stretching out in the sand alongside then-councillor Lesley Clarke back in 1989.
A fortnight before the article was published, 11 nude sunbathers were arrested at Buchans Point and charged with indecent exposure.
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“I have met many of the people who support dress-optional beaches, tourists and locals, and many of them are nice people who are being treated like criminals,” then-mayor Tom Pyne said at the time.
“The State Government has a great opportunity to implement something that has the support of a majority of Queenslanders.”
The Cairns Post tracked Mr Vermeulen down in 2019 to discover he was still a committed nudist with a “very well screened” backyard.
However the law had not changed and, in many ways, Queensland society’s attitude towards public nudity had become even more conservative.
Not so in plenty of other seaside locations around the world, where bare bums get a much more hearty welcome.
Dating reviews website MyDatingAdviser.com has just released a map of the best skinny dipping spots in the world – and Buchans Point does not get even a cheeky mention.
The website compared 100 nude beaches across the globe then ranked the top 25 skinny dipping locations using seven metrics including pollution, blue flag status, weather, air temperature, water temperature, safety and hotel cost.
Top 25 Skinny Dipping Spots in the World:
1. Lokrum Island, Dubrovnik, Croatia – index score: 84.5
2. Spiaggia della Lecciona, Tuscany, Italy – index score: 79
3. Maslin Beach, Adelaide, Australia – index score: 72.75
4. English Garden, Munich, Germany – index score: 68.75
5. Barreta Island, Faro, Portugal – index score: 67.5
6. Red Beach, Crete, Greece – index score: 66.75
7. Washougal River, Washington State, USA – index score: 65
8. Plage de Tahiti, St Tropez, France – index score: 64.25
9. Praia de Galheta, Santa Catarina, Brazil – index score: 64
10. Pihlajasaari Beach, Helsinki, Finland – index score: 62
11. Green Lake, Styria, Austria – index score: 61.25
12. Vecaki Beach, Riga, Latvia – index score: 61
13. Bellevue Beach, Klampenborg, Denmark Score: 59.5
14. Huk Beach, Oslo, Norway – index score: 59.5
15. Playa Levante, Formentera, Spain – index score: 59.5
16. Mpenjati Nature Reserve, Port Edward, South Africa – index score: 59
17. Viti Lake, Askja Caldera, Iceland – index score: 54.75
18. Banyan Tree Lijiang, Yunnan, China – index score: 54
19. Little Palm Beach, Auckland, New Zealand – index score: 53.25
20. Arambol Beach, Goa India – index score: 52.75
21. Semuc Champey, Lanquín, Guatemala – index score: 51.5
22. UK – Lady Falls, Neath, United Kingdom – index score: 51.5
23. Wreck Beach, Vancouver, Canada Index: Score: 48.5
24. Orient Bay, St. Martin, Caribbean – index score: 47.7
25. Neve Midbar Beach, Dead Sea, Israel – index score: 47.25
Skinny dipping tips
The website has also published some helpful tips – from using sunscreen to avoiding leeches latching on to one’s most intimate clefts.
■ Be respectful and have discretion. Try not to traumatise any small kids. We agree the human body is a beautiful thing but give people the opportunity not to look at you if they don’t want to.
■ Don’t forget sunscreen and bug spray. You don’t want to get a sunburn in that spot that usually doesn’t see the light of day.
■ Don’t skinny dip drunk. A little liquid courage could help you get naked. But if you are completely drunk, it isn’t safe to swim and could land you in a dangerous situation.
■ Beware of leeches. With a bathing suit, they are one thing, and when you are stark naked it’s another.
■ Make sure your friends are comfortable. If everyone is happy to strip down, then go for it.
■ Keep your eyes on people’s faces. Interact as you normally would and keep physical contact to a minimum.
■ No photos. If only celebrities and politicians could learn this too.
■ It’s not a big deal. Get over yourself and have fun. Remember that not even swimsuit models look like that in real life. So, relax and enjoy being naked.
Originally published as Cairns nudist beach: Buchan Point missing from best skinny-dipping spots list
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