If you like the idea of a hippie orientated alternative festival where you can go around dressed or undressed where and how you wish, you might like to pay this one a visit if you ever plan a holiday in Australia: http://www.confest.com and http://www.confest.org.au It's an all ages event, although most of the people who attend are in their mid teens to late 30s.
^ +1 I have been going to Confest since 1984 and also highly recommend ConFest as the place to go nude and enjoy a nude lifestyle. I couldn't go at Easter due to photography/work commitments, but will rock up as usual this Christmas.
Went there last year, and found it disappointing. Expected everyone to be open and friendly but everyone was huddled in their little groups as you find practically everywhere else.
^ The dyed-in-the-dreadlocks hippies who don't feel hip enough when naked or don't have the social skills to mingle with "outsiders" are like that, often by choice. But ConFest is a big place; ConFest hugs abound even for strangers. Hippies welcome nudists, and nudists should welcome hippies — there are no "them" and "us" at ConFest, nor stereotypes or archetypes — just a big community of like-minded individuals. The best place to chow up to people is in the Holy Cow Chai Tent. While I've found that what you say can be true about small groups huddling amongst themselves (probably to choof pot...), I sat down and got my pinhole camera out in the Holy Cow to reload the film; suddenly, all eyes were on me and a lively discussion ensued amongst a fairly large group that had never seen a pinhole camera before. We continued conversing just about every day at some place as I put the pinhole camera to use photographing everything from a conga line of Mud Men to evening time exposures in the Tranquility Village. All nude. No matter that 2/3 of the audience were hippies! Keep going! Christmas should be a blast.
Dario mentions teens & adults up to late 30's attending ConFest do the majority of visitors go naked/nude at the ConFest event ? which age group goes around naked/nude the most at ConFest ? I'd enjoy it if it felt more like a nudist event than a clothed event
"ConFest is a clothing optional space, this means ConFesters can wear, or not wear anything they chose. Everywhere at ConFest is clothes optional. Don't be surprised to have a naked ticket collector when you arrive at the ConFest gate. Clothing can range from nothing, to body paint, a coat of mud, a sheet, a fairy costume, even a ball gown or dinner suit. At ConFest, clothing is not gender specific. There is just one simple rule, respect other ConFester's choices." (quote from http://www.confest.org.au/index.php/about ) So, it sounds tolerant enough of nudity, while not being an officially nudist event. And according to pictures one can see e.g. at Flickr, entering "Conffest" as a search term, you can see people of all age groups being nude, bodypainted or covered in mud there. Wiggling bare toes, ~*Ganesha*~
Well Jason, I have invited you to Confest quite a few times and you've declined. Why don't you find out for yourself what it is like rather than ruminating about it? Confest is clothing optional and a good 98% of the punters find it an enjoyable experience that they make it a custom of attending future ones. Nobody cares if you're nude or not, nobody judges you on the clothes you wear or the clothes you don't wear - it's anything goes. Respect is a two-way thing at Confest, you treat others the same way you want them to treat you. Most Confesters are very open, friendly and warm-hearted people who are pretty hard to offend unless you go out of your way to behave in a sexually inappropriate manner. Fortunately I have not encountered such behaviour at Confest, although I have heard of a few instances of some people who have and have been ejected from the place.
People of all ages go nude at Confest. I've seen children and young teens going nude at Confest, as well as a few senior citizens. Most Confesters tend to reserve their nudity for the massage tents, the Arts village, the hot tub and the sweat lodge. A few of them also take part in the nude bike rides. But everyone is treated with equal respect regardless of whether they are nude or dressed - now why can't the rest of the world be like that?
I find nude female people visually stimulating I might get an erection at the ConFest event they might think it's odd/strange that I had an erection when I see nude female teenagers
ConFest caters for textiles and nudists, in other words, everybody. ConFest does have designated nude-only areas (look for signs; normally close to the river), but you can have your own personal space anywhere totally naked. I think though Confest has been over-run by hippies that never feel "hip" enough if they're not wearing baggy threads, shirts, beads, bling and bongs on their hip. Get it all off, the bloody stuff is just passe! True hippies don't wear threads or carry bongs: they are naked 24/7. I'll be back at ConFest this Christmas after I finish my around-Australia travels (currently naked at Casuarina Nude Beach, Northern Territory). xx Biggles.
You're a male. You get erections and you worry about this at ConFest where sexual function is considered perfectly normal and harmonious. So what if you get a boner? We all do! Other bodies are visual treats that shouldn't be avoided from one's gaze: people will look at you, you at them, everybody at everything else. That's ConFest. See you there whether you're stiff or not! Howzabouts this: rather than ruminate continually about ConFest and nudity, why not just turn up like everybody else and enjoy it, whatever happens? Never know, you might even have a ConFest Moment, or better still, get a ConFest Hug!
I know that Jason is no longer a member of this community, but I'm going to send him another invite and see how he reacts this time.
Go ahead. He's probably no longer a nudist either. He just didn't make sense to me. For all the rest, see youse all in threadbare at the Chrismas ConFest! :sunny:
