Although it may have escaped your attention, today is National Nude Gardening Day [NNGD] – an annual event that’s traditionally held on the Saturday of Labour Weekend and is intended as a celebration of “the therapeutic benefits of gardening without the confines of clothing”.
According to New Zealand Federation of Naturists’s Alice de Wet, NNGD is a global phenomenon that isn’t just the preserve of hardened nudists.
“We invite everyone to try it. Getting out in the sun, as nature intended, is very liberating and empowering. It promotes body positivity and a renewed appreciation for the environment,” she said.
Although the federation has around 1200 members nationwide, an officially affiliated group has yet to break cover in Wairarapa.
However, in case any of the region’s residents feel inspired to take part in NNGD, the Times-Age checked in with Wairarapa’s councils to ensure it doesn’t result in any sticky situations.
South Wairarapa District Council [SWDC] planning and environment group manager Russell O’Leary confirmed there is no bylaw covering public nudity in South Wairarapa, and nor are there any council-designated naturist areas in the district.
A spokesperson for Masterton District Council [MDC] also confirmed that “the current Wairarapa Combined District Plan nor the Proposed Plan [currently out for consultation] require a resource consent for nude gardening”.
However, although MDC has no bylaw or designated areas for naturists, the spokesperson was at pains to “to nip in the bud any idea that nude gardening would be appropriate in any council parks or gardens”.
“These are public places and any offence taken by passers-by would in all likelihood swiftly bloom into a matter for the police,” the spokesperson said.
“In terms of advice for anyone considering naked gardening, the council strongly encourages any such activity to be carried out within the privacy of people’s own properties, with close attention paid to health and safety considerations. People should be aware at all times of exactly what they are trimming.
“Consideration should also be given to who may observe the activity. Not everyone is keen to see nature in all its glory, or otherwise.”
Carterton District Council planning and regulatory manager Solitaire Robertson echoed that sentiment, noting that participants are advised to “make sure their garden is out of public view” because, although there isn’t a bylaw governing the activity, “Section 27 of the Summary Offences Act 1981 states that ‘every person is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or a fine not exceeding $2,000 who, in or within view of any public place, intentionally and obscenely exposes any part of his or her genitals’.”
Robertson was also keen to emphasise that NNGD doesn’t have anything to do with CDC’s cheeky annual Trim Your Bush campaign, even though “Labour Weekend may be a great time to ensure your garden is neat and tidy” and to encourage any participants to consider using sunblock to ensure there’s only the potential for red faces.
