These Tasmanians Aren't Devils

Naturists to shed their gear and inhibitions on Coast

THEY'RE naked, they love it and they're coming to a town near you.

A new nudist group members prefer "naturist" plans to operate along the North-West Coast.

"If we can get as far as Circular Head, it could be good," spokesman "Gordon" said yesterday.

"Gordon", from the Devonport area, said the North-West Naturist Group Tasmania was trying to get 20 to 30 members, which he described as a "nice, comfortable little number".

He said the group, which had been advertising, already had nine people interested.

It will hold its first function swimming at a heated pool in the Devonport area this Sunday.

Gordon said it was hoped to assemble at beaches in summer.

He said the group would talk to councils and the State Government about assigning beaches which could be used for nude swimming.

"At this stage there are no legal beaches we can actually have as a group."

He stressed the group was not sexual in nature.

"We do get some weird phone calls, mainly because you get these single guys who think we're a swingers' group or a sex thing they can come along and perv at.

"We've got to be very careful who we're letting into the group.

"We're people who enjoy the freedom of being in control of our own bodies and enjoy the sun and fun."

He said Tasmania was great for nudity, at least in the summer.

He said the group had four women and five men, aged from their late 30s to about 60.