Baring it all at Le Château Naturiste
Why would anyone want to bare their all in the company of others? Well Stuart & Lucia Whelan the owners and operators of Le Château Naturiste a clothing optional B&B in Port Stephens maintain that the benefits are psychological, physical, moral and even spiritual.
If asked a few short years ago about the idea of going naked in a social setting their response would have been a nervous laugh and a definite “No Way!”.
But how things have changed, Stuart discovered a clothing optional beach when looking for walking tracks around Middle Head in Sydney on the National Parks website. This started him thinking that a visit to experience the clothing optional beach and swimming naked should be on his bucket list.
The resulting visit was transformational as he discovered that by removing his clothes it also freed his mind and he could even feel the physical environment in a different way. Like most city workers Stuart carried stress around in his body and what he found during his first nude experience there was a sense of total freedom and liberation. A few weeks later Lucia also visited the beach with Stuart and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
That lead them to plan a nude vacation or “Nakation” and it was on that trip that they discovered Le Château Naturiste. Being just 2 ½ hours north of Sydney by road they visited many times over the next few years and when the property was put on the market they decided to purchase it and continue to operate as a Naturist B&B.
One of the things that they are passionate about is to encourage others to experience the freedom of the Naturist lifestyle and to dispel the common misconceptions that are associated when people hear the word Naturist or Nudist.
First they are not talking about a sexual experience, it is unfortunate that our society has been conditioned to think of the naked body as a sexual commodity , which has led to the objectification of the body of both sexes but particularly women.
Second is the inherent “shame” that is taught about certain parts of our body – the “Naughty” bits as they are erroneously called by some. If you can be identified as a gender then you have either a penis or a vagina and breasts we all know the rough anatomy of each of these body parts and while there may be slight variations on a theme all follow the same pattern. So fundamentally we are all the same. What is there to be ashamed about?
Third is the mistaken belief that there is an “ideal body”, as dictated to by society. The ideal body is the one you were born with, anything else is just a whim of fashion that changes through the years.
They maintain that Naturism breaks through all these falsehoods and many more as it seeks to engender respect for self, respect for others and respect for the environment through the practice of social nudity.
Stuart explained that “Occasionally people who have not experienced Naturism will make a comment along the lines of “who wants to see all those fat, old, wrinkly…. people naked!”
In that one comment they have missed the whole point of Naturism – we do not take our clothes off for others, we take them off for ourselves!
That is why it is such an affirming experience, it is not what others think, it is what we feel that is the pivotal thing.”
They maintain that once this is experienced, one’s attitude changes, Lucia used the example of seeing a woman who has had a breast surgically removed and yet is comfortable enough with her body to be naked in social setting. One can have nothing but admiration and it is a privilege to meet such a person. The human body is the most miraculous instrument, (and we all have one!!) so what does it matter if it’s a different shape, size or colour.
Stuart and Lucia’s Naturist experience has shown that freeing our body that allows us to free our mind, and through that we can connect with our environment. Because our body is always in the “Present Moment” it grounds us and allows our Spirit to be refreshed as well.
At Le Château Naturiste the facilities provide guests with a delightful and safe environment to experience the joys of Naturism and the opportunity to find relaxation through activity, stillness or perhaps a little of both. Also being a true Naturist setting it provides a rare opportunity to be oneself in a non-judgmental environment and of course to provide that same accepting environment for those around you also.
With views out to Port Stephens from many parts of the property, the facilities include a beautiful pool set in the private gardens, a full size tennis court for the opportunity to play nude tennis and quiet spots to relax in the shade and read a book or to just engage in some quiet contemplation. Inside the house the guests have access to a library, lounge room, kitchen, billiard room with full-size table and a gym with workout equipment, spa and sauna.
In the area around Le Château there are Whale and Dolphin cruises available leaving from nearby Nelson Bay marina, plus local vineyards, restaurants and beaches.
Stuart and Lucia welcome visitors wishing to experience Naturism for the first time as well as those who have already discovered the joy of the experience. A visit to Le Château Naturiste will – Free Your Body, Free Your Mind and Refresh Your Spirit!
For further information call Stuart on 0411 663 983 or visit the website www.LeChateau.com.au where you can download a free ebooklet on Discovering Naturism.
