When it comes to living life unapologetically bare, few do it with as much passion and purpose as NudistJeff. As a dedicated nudist advocate, the leader of Perth Nude Friends, and a social media voice with over 14,000 followers, Jeff has become a visible force in Australia’s growing nude community. In this interview, he opens up about his personal journey into nudism—how it started, what it means to him today, and the impact it’s had on his confidence, connections, and sense of freedom. Whether you're nudist-curious or already living that no-clothes life, Jeff’s story is an inspiring reminder of what’s possible when you show up exactly as you are—no filters, no fabric.
Q: How did you first get into nudism? What drew you to the lifestyle and made you say, “Yeah, this is for me”? What was the journey like.
I was pretty shy about nudity growing up. I was a bit insecure in general, and was never one of the cool kids. I tried to avoid showing vulnerability so I wouldn’t get picked on, and being naked seemed like the ultimate vulnerability. I had a hard time coming to terms with my sexuality in my early teens. It was just another thing that made me feel different, and vulnerable if people found out. For a long time I repressed it, which also fed into my fear of nudity. Seeing nudity just reminded me of what I was and wasn’t attracted to, which made it harder to deny what I most feared to admit.
Things changed when I came out at 19 years old, and received a huge amount of support from my friends and family. I finally felt like I could be myself and not fear other people’s judgement. I knew I’d built up a pretty dysfunctional view of nudity through my teens, and that was something I wanted to fix. I think being so repressed about nudity for so long made the freedom of getting naked feel all the more liberating. At that point I’d moved out of my parents’ house, and was living with my boyfriend at the time, so I had the privacy to be naked around my own home. That’s how I first started exploring nudism. For 10 years that was kind of it, but I’d always had a bit of a curiosity about being naked outside the privacy of my home. I finally took the chance to try that when I was on a camping trip at age 29, and saw that there was a nude beach near where we were staying. It was a life-changing experience, and I’ve never looked back.
Q: What is something that you wish someone had told you when you first delved into nudism?
For a long time it was something I just did on my own at home. I did know that there were other opportunities out there, but I think I was just too shy to take them. I wish there was someone who was maybe a bit more experienced in social nudism who could have helped me get over my hesitation sooner. I also wish someone had told me that my body was just fine as it was. I was pretty skinny back then, and that’s part of why I took so long to get into social nudity.
Q: How has nudism impacted your life, both personally and socially?
It’s made me a much more confident person. I’m naturally quite shy and introverted, yet I’ve created a social nudist group and been interviewed naked for TV. Things like this would have terrified me before, but now I don’t experience much anxiety at all.
Q: How do you navigate friendships and relationships whilst being a nudist?
Everyone knows I’m a nudist. I don’t make any apologies about that, so if someone thinks that’s immoral or wrong, we’re probably not going to be friends. Fortunately, all of my friends and family have been completely chill about it. My family has a farm, with me and my partner, my parents, my sister and her partner, and my grandfather living together (in separate houses fortunately XD.) No one really bats an eyelid at seeing me working naked on the farm, or being naked at my parents house. If the others have visitors and ask me to cover up I will, but otherwise it’s clothing optional. I’m the only one in the family who goes around naked, but that’s OK. It’s not about trying to make other people be naked, it’s about wanting acceptance for who I am.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being a part of the nudist community?
It gives everyone a sense of belonging. No matter what your cultural background or other interests, we share in common the fact that we’ve seen past society’s ridiculous views on the human body. I always feel comfortable and accepted in a group of naked people, because you know that to be there, everyone else has gone through the same process of open-mindedness and acceptance that you have.
Q: How do you see the nudist community evolving in the next few years?
Nudism has a reputation for being an old-person’s thing, and if you look at the landed clubs, it’s not hard to see why. But I see a lot of interest from younger people, especially within the LGBT+ community. Our group, Perth Nude Friends, has a pretty even spread of ages, which just goes to show that there is an interest from younger people, if the opportunities are structured in a way that fit with their lifestyle. A lot of the established nudist clubs have structures that make it harder for young people. There’s a lot of up-front investment with membership fees, and requirements around relationship status and gender quotas. Not so bad if you’re a retired heterosexual couple, but very off-putting for young, busy people who can only make it to the club a few times a year, or don’t yet have a partner, or aren’t straight. Fortunately, we are seeing a shift to more non-landed, informal groups, which remove a lot of this gate-keeping. Our group doesn’t have any requirements around relationship status or gender ratios, and the only money we charge is to cover the cost of events, such as venue hire and food. I think we’ll see more of this type of group structure emerge to cater for the next generation of nudists.
Q: What are some common misconceptions around nudism that you’d like to clear up?
The elephant in the room when this question comes up is the misconception that naturism is sexual. I’m not sure so many people honestly believe that naturism is about sex, but I think a lot of people want to believe this because it fits their narrative, so they project that view onto it. I think another misconception that nudists themselves sometimes promote to counter the sexual misconception is the image of nudism as this very old-fashioned, conservative, puritanical movement. Perhaps in some landed clubs that’s how it is, but mostly nudists are fun-loving, open-minded, and sex-positive. They just like to be naked outside of their sex lives too, and they maintain respectful boundaries around sex, the same as everyone else.
Q: What inspired you to start leading Perth Nude Friends?
The group actually formed quite organically. I’d been open as a nudist on social media for nearly a year, and had gained a bit of a following at that stage. I would sometimes put a call out on social media for anyone who wanted to come to the nude beach with me, and sort of developed a core group of people who would regularly join me. To make it easier to organise we made a discord group so I didn’t have to private message everyone individually, and that’s how the group was first born. The discord group grew as I added more people who wanted to come to the beach with us, we started doing some more different events, and I eventually made a website so that the group had a public face where people could discover us and join without needing to go through my social media accounts.
Q: What would you say to someone that is curious to try nudism, but is scared to?
Find a starting point that’s comfortable for you. It might just be being naked in your own house, or even just your own bedroom. Do that until you learn to feel comfortable with your nudity. Then look for those baby steps to broaden your horizons. Going to a nude beach is good early on, because there’s not the social pressure that you might feel in a group. You can just go there and mind your own business, but still get used to having other people around while you’re naked. If you’re not ready for that, maybe find a secluded spot in the woods or a deserted beach somewhere to get used to being naked outside without the people to begin with. Once you get into it, you’ll look back and see that there was never anything to be afraid of at all.
Q: What advice do you have for those starting out on their nudism journey? For example, how can they connect and meet new people within the community?
Firstly I’d say remember that your nudist journey is just that, a journey. Too often people say to me “oh, I could never be brave enough to share pictures like you do, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable being naked around my family like you are.” That’s fine. I was like that too when I started. We all start somewhere, and there’s no final goal that you have to achieve to be a “true” nudist. Nudism is something you do for you, so start where you’re comfortable, and expand when and if you feel like you want to take another step.
If you’re at a point where you do want to find more of a community, I’d start by digging around online. A lot of nudist groups have websites, so search for nudist groups or clubs in your area. Also check sites like meetup.com. Some smaller groups might not have a public presence online, so it can also be good to get on social media sites like X and Bluesky. There’s plenty of us nudists on there who you can ask around and track down someone in your local area who might know what’s going on. If you’re in a remote area like me, you might have to travel a bit, but it’s well worth it. If you just can’t find any groups, or the groups you find don’t quite seem your cup of tea, don’t lose hope. Try and connect with individuals, and see if you can get a few people together who are interested in meeting, and maybe you can create your own group.
Q: Is there any other advice or moments from your nudist journey that you would like to share?
I’d like to tell people that their body is perfect as it is for being a nudist. As I mentioned earlier, part of why I took so long to gain the courage to get out in the world as a nudist was body insecurity. I used to be very skinny, and I felt like I would feel more comfortable with people seeing my body with a bit more muscle on it. When I finally bulked up and got the courage to go to a nude beach, I realised that no-one there had a perfect body, and that I would have enjoyed myself just as much with my skinny body from 10 years ago. It’s kind of sad knowing how much enjoyment I missed out on because I put off exploring nudism until I’d reached some arbitrary body goals. Ironically, I’ve also had the best progress with my weight lifting since becoming a nudist and not caring so much about looks. When you’re not constantly switching your program and diet to try and get a six pack by summer, you can focus on long term goals and make slow, steady progress that sticks. Having fitness goals is great, but you don’t need to wait until you’ve achieved them to love your body and be proud of it. There’s no time like the present to get your clothes off and enjoy life the natural way.
In Conclusion
Jeff’s story is a heartfelt example of how naturism can be a deeply personal journey—one rooted in self-acceptance, courage, and community. From his early struggles with vulnerability and body confidence to becoming a visible advocate and the driving force behind Perth Nude Friends, Jeff has shown that embracing nudity is as much about emotional liberation as it is physical. His path hasn’t been without hesitation, but through each step—whether at home, on a beach, or leading others—he’s proven that being nude isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence. For anyone curious about taking their first step, Jeff’s journey is a reassuring reminder: you don’t need the ‘right’ body, the ‘right’ moment, or anyone’s permission. You just need to start—exactly as you are.
If you live in/around the Perth area and are interested in learning more about the Perth Nude Friends, you can visit their website here. You can also follow jeff on Bluesky by searching @NudistJeff, or by clicking here.
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NUDISH Writer & Editor
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