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The love of naturism at Pineglades
Associated with a love of the sun, environment and community, naturism is an international cultural movement promoting social nudity. The Pineglades Naturist Club, located on Brookside Drive, Rolleston, is Te Waipounamu South Island’s largest naturist resort and has existed on its 18 acre (7.2 ha) property since 1955. The Club’s slogans are ‘Grin and Bare It,’ and ‘For Health and Well-Being,’ in reflection of the good-humoured and lifestyle-focused attitude of its members.
Two spectators at a volleyball match, Pineglades, c1970s. Image courtesy of Pineglades Naturist Club.
Social naturism is all about freedom to be yourself, to be totally at one with nature, and to have the forces of nature touching your body. “The feeling of the sun, wind or water against your body gives the feeling of exhilaration that relieves tension and stress” (Pineglades Naturist Club).
Aerial view of Pineglades, c1960s
Image courtesy of Pinglades Naturist Club.
Blue and white striped towel, mini-tennis (miniten) thug, and sunhat. On loan from Pineglades Naturist Club
Image courtesy of the Pineglades Naturist Club
The Canterbury Sun and Health Club started in Rolleston in 1951. Prior to the purchase and development of the land for the Club, members practiced social nudity on secluded beaches or in private homes. With hard work and a love of community, Pineglades has flourished into a vibrant centre for both Canterbury naturists and the wider Rolleston community. The club kaupapa (ethos) is of respect, wellbeing, and equality. This is promoted by the warm attitudes of the members and their ‘wonderful and accepting’ relationship with Rolleston locals, through club activities. Open to all, these include karaoke nights, a midwinter Christmas dinner, naturism rallies, and the annual Waitangi Day Volleyball Cup (established in 1979), held between club members, Rolleston Volunteer Fire Brigade, and the Police Force. The club also has a newsletter, ‘Pinecones,’ to keep everyone up to date.
Image: another aerial view of Pineglades, showing the remoteness of the site. Photographed by Paul Beauchamp Legg in 1964-65. Image courtesy of Pineglades Naturist Club.
Pineglades has a rich history. Since the first billy was boiled on the Pineglades site in July 1955, the club has witnessed the growth of Rolleston all around it, as remote farmland became a thriving town. The 55 baches which now exist at Pineglades vary in style and era, however the original cabins came from the Cashmere Sanatorium (1910–60), purchased by members for £15–50. Designed in the open-air style to benefit the health of patients, these cabins were perfectly fitted for the sun-loving naturists. In 2023, an identical open-air cabin in Christchurch was listed as a Category 1 Heritage Place by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.??
At the centre of the Pineglades lifestyle is a love of the environment. Naturists strive to live in harmony with nature through social nudity and sustainable living. This is reflected in the clubs’ peaceful surrounds and lifestyle. The Pineglades Club has a native arboretum, a rose garden, and bush walks around the property perimeter. These provide members, visitors, and native birds with a quiet, welcoming place. Pineglades is aware of the importance of native planting to support Rolleston’s biodiversity and has replaced sections of the original pine tree border with native trees. The communal naturist lifestyle also promotes sustainability by cutting down on laundry and travel, which reduces water and energy use.?
Image: The grounds team hard at work trimming the remaining pine shelterbelts that border Pineglades. Image courtesy of Pineglades Naturist Club.
Photographed by Sarah Davy, June 1923.
