Nudity concerns at Hawke’s Bay’s Ocean Beach after naked man approaches woman

Concerns about nudity at Ocean Beach in Hawke’s Bay are back in the spotlight after a young woman filmed a naked older man who she claims approached her while holding his genitals.

The 21-year-old, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said she had visited the beach alone on Monday at 2pm and parked near the lifeguard tower.

She said she immediately noticed a man wearing a black bucket hat watching her from the dunes, and so decided to sit down in the view of other beachgoers.

“As a woman, you are always thinking, ‘am I in a good spot?’”

She then shifted around to find a more sheltered spot and moved an estimated 50 to 80 metres along the beach towards a bench in the dunes.

She had put her things down, and having forgotten about the man, went for a walk to beachcomb for treasures for her house.

“I turn to walk back when I notice him, 10 metres from me.”

Ocean Beach is thought to be the unofficial naturist beach.

She said she still felt safe enough after walking back towards the crowd at the beach, and so decided to start sunbathing.

She was lying on her stomach when, after 15 to 25 minutes, the man - who she estimated was in his 80s - came over to her, blocking out the sun.

“I had this shadow come up behind me and so I turned my head and there are just genitals, that I did not want to see, nor ask to see.”

She said he asked how she was, if she had been swimming and what the water was like.

“I felt frozen and powerless.”

The woman said the man continued to watch her after she got up and left, and she was frightened he might follow her, so started to video him from a safe distance.

She then texted her friends and mum and called the police, but the call cut out midway through because of a poor cellphone signal.

The woman said police arrived at the scene and told her they could not arrest the man due to an unofficial naturist area 400 metres north of the Lifesaving Club.

“I must have been in the nudist area and maybe he took this as an invitation to have a conversation with me ... and creep around and hide and watch me.”

A police constable later sent her a message saying they would not be able to prove an offence to the level that would satisfy the judiciary.

A spokesperson for the Hastings District Council said there were no nudist beaches in the district, including Ocean Beach.

Council bylaws specify that a person must not appear nude or insufficiently dressed on a beach, except for a beach which the council has designated as a “clothing optional” by publicly notified resolution.

“There are currently no beaches that are designated clothing optional.”

A police spokesperson said they were called to Ocean Beach where they found and spoke to a man who was fully clothed at the time they arrived.

“Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of what occurred.”

Hawke’s Bay Naturist Club members and husband and wife Joss and Mark Palmer said Ocean Beach was known as an unofficial nudist beach.

“You get random ones ... you always have ones we call meerkats popping out of the sand hills and preying on women on their own - you always get that problem,” Joss said.

“If anyone acted like that out in public or in our club they would get kicked out [of our club].”

Mark said Ocean Beach was one of many beaches where they could sunbathe naked, but did not approve of the man’s behaviour.

“Single men should not be approaching single women in that situation. It is highly inappropriate.”

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.