10 Year Birthday Bash

KZNNA’S 10th Anniversary Bash

By Graeme Mackenzie
KZNNA is a regional naturist association, a shorthand description for a “non-landed”, travel club for like-minded people. Essentially a bunch of people from a broad cross-section of society who all enjoy socializing in the nude.
KZN stretches from a sandy coast, through the sleepy midlands to the mighty Drakensberg, but prior to 2014 no organized attempt had been made to exploit the many nudist opportunities offered by the region. Although a group of pioneers sometimes played hide and seek with Municipal Police at the uMhlanga lagoon, the venue was unsuitable, increasingly overlooked and the weather unpredictable.
Organized naturism came to SA with the formation of the Western Cape Naturist Association in 2012, followed in short order by the Gauteng Naturist Association. At the time, Gauteng alone hosted a well-established full-time naturist resort, SunEden and Lofty Lutge then GNA chairman and SunEden resident persuaded two KZN couples, who were regular visitors to set-up a regional naturist association in KZN.
Christo, Lana, Bertus and Marietjie accepted the challenge and organized the inaugural event at the Hooting Owl Resort in Marina Beach, on 14 February 2014, followed by the first AGM on 10 May at the same venue.

At the initial AGM, which was attended by 17 members the focus was very much on securing the legal status of the nearby Mpenjathi Beach. At the time the local authorities and residents were smarting from the decline in tourism caused by the relocation of the nearby international airport from the South Coast to the North Coast and were said to be open to the idea of hosting SA’s first legal nude beach.

Unfortunately, this initial confidence proved misplaced as the opposition soon emerged, attracted by the inevitable publicity. Thankfully, the story of Mpenjathi nude beach did not end with the withdrawal of its official status and the beach is still visited regularly by local nudists including at least one KZNNA group visit, each year.

Over the first decade, KZNNA concentrated on developing new and varied venues for group visits and growing the membership. Whilst several different venues, from both ends of the coast, through the midlands, and even in the Drakensberg have been identified and visited, some have proved more suitable than others. Size matters as most resorts insist that we book them out fully, rather than risking the sighting of skin, by their regular guests.

Given that some members are reluctant to go nude in front of staff, there is little doubt that venues that can be used without staff or with minimal staff have proved more suitable. Over the next decade, the aim is to build closer business partnerships with the resorts/venues that have proved most popular with members.

As for growing the membership, registered fee-paying members have increased from 17 at the first AGM to 72 on the tenth anniversary. The publicity and excitement generated through social media, by the committed events and marketing staff who contribute their time and talents voluntarily, deserve much of the credit for this.
Numbers growth is one thing, but what’s even more impressive is the increase in diversity. While, the original membership was essentially older, white, and straight, the group of 36 who turned out at the Bash was not as white and not as straight and included two twenty-something couples. Happily, despite the presence of some singles, gender balance didn’t get noticeably out of whack.
The 10th Anniversary Bash, complete with cake and champagne, was held at the Hatchery in Amatigulu. This coastal backpacker’s lodge ticks all the boxes as it allows camping, but has more than enough affordable accommodation, complete with a rustic charm. It also operates with a single nocturnal staff member, who is responsible for security and tidiness.
Apart from the relative isolation and wide view of coastal bush that is fronted by an accessible river entry, the resort has several different shallow pools. These once served a functional role when the facility was a prawn hatchery, but they now work as mini-party venues, ideal for naturist get-togethers.
The 10th Anniversary Bash is now history, but KZNNA members can look forward to the next decade confident of meeting new like-minded friends and discovering new venues in which to experience the unique fellowship of the clothes-free lifestyle.

KZNNA’S 10th Anniversary Bash

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