Beach Bum Bios: Brendan from Get Naked Australia!
Brendan Jones, a health professional from Australia, is redefining the way Aussies see nudity. What started as a cheeky calendar for his fiancé quickly turned into a movement with Get Naked Australia (GNA). It’s all about ditching the clothes, embracing body positivity, and enjoying nature in the nude. Brendan’s relaxed, no-pressure approach has resonated with thousands, making GNA one of the most engaging communities for nature-loving nudists in Australia. Name: Brendan Country: Australia Favourite Nude Beach: Cobblers Beach Website: GNA Instagram Where was your first nude beach experience? Back in 2014, my wife and I were traveling in Croatia when we stumbled upon a nude beach. Families, young people, and older folks were all together—it was refreshing and eye-opening! What advice would you give to someone trying it for the first time? I’d love to say jump straight in, but there are a few things to consider. At popular nude beaches or with organized groups, you’ll quickly realize no one cares what you look like, and you can relax. Once you break that mental barrier, it’s incredibly freeing. However, secluded beaches, especially on quieter days, can sometimes attract undesirable people. It’s important to be aware of this to avoid any uncomfortable experiences. Favourite nude beaches? Cobblers Beach in Sydney for its social vibe, and Maslin’s Beach in South Australia for its stunning beauty—though Maslin’s has a bit of a creep problem. Nudist, naturist, skinny dipper? Labels are silly. I just enjoy nudity in the right setting. What is ‘situational nudism’? I think labeling people as ‘nudists’ is one of the worst marketing moves ever. When I first discovered the nudist community in Australia, it was so black and white—you were either a nudist or not. I found it silly, especially when most nude events were things like indoor art gallery tours. Then I joined some naturist Facebook groups and saw the wrong vibe: a bunch of guys overly excited about posting photos and get particularly excited when women joined the conversation. That’s when I created the GNA Community with a ‘situational nudism’ approach. It’s simple: if you’re outside, it’s warm, and it’s safe, swim naked. If it’s cold, get dressed. No pressure. People responded well to the idea, and it grew because it was a more casual, less intense way to enjoy nudity in nature. It helped everyday people feel comfortable skinny dipping and view GNA got some heat from mainstream media for your naked cruise. How do you deal with the negative press and criticism? I laugh and say any publicity is good publicity. Most of the hate comes from fear, and fear comes from a lack of understanding. Case and point of the nonsense Bare Oaks had to defend themselves against this year. People made uneducated assumptions about what went on on the cruises and they condemned it from a religious point of view (which I find quite hypocritical). We actually had some running jokes in our community about how we were all condemned to hell for swimming naked. That article got a lot of traction and we had many people reach out keen to come after that post haha. Favourite nude beaches? Cobblers Beach in Sydney for its social vibe, and Maslin’s Beach in South Australia for its stunning beauty—though Maslin’s has a bit of a creep problem. Nudist, naturist, skinny dipper? Labels are silly. I just enjoy nudity in the right setting. What is ‘situational nudism’? I think labeling people as ‘nudists’ is one of the worst marketing moves ever. When I first discovered the nudist community in Australia, it was so black and white—you were either a nudist or not. I found it silly, especially when most nude events were things like indoor art gallery tours. Then I joined some naturist Facebook groups and saw the wrong vibe: a bunch of guys overly excited about posting photos and get particularly excited when women joined the conversation. That’s when I created the GNA Community with a ‘situational nudism’ approach. It’s simple: if you’re outside, it’s warm, and it’s safe, swim naked. If it’s cold, get dressed. No pressure. People responded well to the idea, and it grew because it was a more casual, less intense way to enjoy nudity in nature. It helped everyday people feel comfortable skinny dipping and view naturism differently. How do you see the role of traditional nudist organizations like AANR and ANF for younger nudists? Are they still relevant? I’m friends with Mick, the president of the ANF, and while he has great intentions, there are too many barriers. These organizations are dominated by an older demographic, and there’s no incentive for younger people to join. Why would a couple in their 20s want to attend events with mostly 60+ year-olds? Especially when they can join the GNA Community for free and connect directly with other young people. How is GNA changing stereotypes, especially for younger generations? We made it fun. GNA promotes nudity in a way that celebrates body positivity and breaks down the outdated image of nudism. Stop being so fearful of being naked and being seen naked. It’s normal. We all do it. We want you to know that there are places that exist where you can be naked, not be judged and learn to be a more confident human. Getting over this massive emotional hurdle has effects that translates into other areas of life such as interpersonal relationships and career prospects. What’s the future of GNA? Well, I couldn’t obtain insurance for events so we’re just more of a social group and an educational platform. If some super rich people want to come along and help turn GNA into something as big as British Naturism is then I’m all ears haha. I’ve got the formula and I’ve got the people, there’s just logistical roadblocks which have limited our growth and reach. How has GNA evolved since 2016? After gaining over 230k followers, Instagram shadow-banned us, and we had to rebuild. Now, our private community thrives with meetups, hikes, sauna days, and our famous Harbour Cruises. What does someone need to do if they want to join the GNA community? Reach out on Instagram to join and pass our screening process. We do grow our community with balance.