Bay of Plenty Times Weekend.
"I've never had anybody confront me yet. Some people look away, some people will just smile back. Some people will stop and have a conversation."
Mr Pointon, who works as a caregiver, was let off with a warning. The former bodybuilder and keen runner and cyclist is also a naturist, and he wants to combine the two passions in what he calls "fitness naturism".
"I want to start a ... I wouldn't like to use the word revolution, but this is a lifestyle of fitness that people could do, with it being known that this is a place [where people exercise nude]. If people don't like it, then they don't go there. We've got to find a designated area with signage."
Mr Pointon has approached both Tauranga City Council and Western Bay District Council with his idea.
Although he enjoys visiting the nude beach at Papamoa, he said it was "old hat" and he was now "out visiting other beaches and parks and just pushing boundaries".
"In summer I biked through Matapihi to the railway bridge in the nude on my bike.
"I have done that three times and no one complained."
Mr Pointon - who is a member of Free Beaches (New Zealand) and the New Zealand Naturist Federation - has visited nudist beaches all over the North Island and also tramped nude.
In February he tramped the Tongariro Crossing with a group of naturists and says there is nothing in the Reserves Act to ban nakedness.
"There were thousands and thousands of people on the track that day, and everyone was so enthusiastic about what we were doing as a group. People were stopping to take photos with us.
His brush with the law at McLaren Falls Park hasn't put Mr Pointon off fitness naturism and he's planning another venture at the Oropi cycle track.
"I'm going out there with a g-string on, to see see if there are people out there at that time of the day. I will do that first, see if I can make myself known and if the people out there have any objections to me running or biking in the nude."
Mr Pointon is open about his naturist lifestyle and said last week's incident was the first time he'd struck a problem.
"All my neighbours know that I do my lawns and gardening in the nude," he said.
"I've approached all my neighbours and and told them 'this is me, this is what I do', and they are fine with it."
One of his neighbours told the
Bay of Plenty Times Weekend
Mr Pointon was a "lovely neighbour".
"He did tell us he likes to do a bit of nude sunbathing in his garden and that's his business. It's not my cup of tea but I would rather live next door to a naturist than a P lab," the neighbour said.
"I don't think it's a big deal. It gave me a bit of a giggle. People get in a stew over it and say 'oh what if children see', but in my opinion there are more pressing worries about the kids, like bullying or teen drinking."
Peter Watson, reserves and facilities manager for Western Bay District Council, said the council was unable to provide areas for "nude recreation" in the district's parks and reserves.
"The issue of running or cycling nude in a public place like a park can cause offence to other members of the public, in particular children, as they also have access to the same place," he wrote in an email to Mr Pointon.
He suggested Mr Pointon join a private naturist group or visit a privately run camp/park in Katikati.
