A man went jogging wearing nothing but running shoes at McLaren Falls park yesterday afternoon - shocking onlookers and resulting in police arresting him.
A nearby resident saw the naked man run along McLaren Falls Rd and into the park about 2.30pm.
Others, including children, saw him and he waved at them before "jogging off happily".
Police were alerted and also called park ranger Gary Borman, who immediately began searching McLaren Falls Park for the naked runner.
The man jogged around the park for about 45 minutes before Mr Borman found him sitting naked in his vehicle.
A police spokesperson said the man described himself as a naturist and did not think he was doing anything wrong by running around naked.
"He didn't think exposing himself was an issue. He felt the park was secluded enough for him to run around naked ... but this is a public place and it's not allowed."
The officer said the man had indecently exposed himself and had offended the people who saw him.
"It was concerning because there was a bus-load of children here who were talking with the park ranger earlier [in the day] and it was lucky they didn't see him but they could have."
The officer said the school group had left about 10 minutes before the man entered the park and went for his run.
The man was seen running along the walking tracks and along the road throughout the middle section of the park before he was seen by Mr Borman.
"I've never seen anything like this before," Mr Borman said.
"I've been here 10 years and this is the first nudist runner I've seen. And I don't particularly want it to happen again."
One witness said the man waved at him before "jogging off happily".
"I was having lunch when I heard the boys call out to me and I looked around and saw him then I had to do a double take because I didn't believe it."
"There were a lot of kids up here today ... and I think it was a stupid thing to do, to go running around naked."
The man, in his 40s, was arrested by Tauranga police.
He was charged with obscenely exposing himself in public.
The man was clothed by the time police took him away.
Glenne Findon, communications officer for New Zealand Naturist Federation, told the Bay of Plenty Times: "It's not the nakedness that's the issue, it's generally the behaviour that goes with the nakedness."
Mrs Findon said naturists were not exhibitionists.
