Bye-bye to the Peka peckers?

Nudists on the the Nature Coast may have to cover up if a tough new beach bylaw is introduced.

Complaints about nude gay men on the dunes at Peka Peka have prompted Kapiti Coast District Council to include a clause in its draft 2008 bylaw that "no person shall remain on any part of the beach in deliberate view of others in such a state of undress as to cause concern".

Some Te Horo parents had complained to the council about the effect of "highly visible nude men" on their children at the beach.

But Mari Housiaux, of Te Hapua Rd, said she did not believe the nudists were a concern. "Their community is subtle about their informal activities - they do it out of sight in the dunes." She had also seen women, children and men bathing naked together at the beach.

 Owen Allison, managing editor of gay and lesbian newspaper Express, said Peka Peka beach had been a "beat" - a meeting place for gay men - for many years. He believed the beat served a purpose as there were no gay bars on the coast.

However, all is not totally lost for sun-worshippers.

Under the new regulations the council can, by public notice, pass a resolution declaring part of the beach a "defined area", which could be a nudist beach.

- © Fairfax NZ News