Campaigners for the closure cite ‘lewd’ behaviour in nearby dunes but naked bathers say they’re just ‘embracing the beach as Mother Nature intended’

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It’s a Tuesday morning, the infinite blue sky of Byron Bay has opened up and the six naturists – four men, two women – have stripped down to their birthday suits for a quick dip in the buff.

This section of beach – an 800-metre stretch along the vast coastline – forms the only legal clothing-optional beach in the shire. Among those taking advantage of the opportunity to be out in the open is Duncan James, vice-president of Northern Rivers Naturists, who is something of an evangelist for “embracing the beach as Mother Nature intended.”

Exclusive: Rohan Bandil says ‘this was not the intention’ after hallucinations and unexpected toxicity leads to health warnings and nationwide recall

• Mushroom gummies recalled Australia-wide after customers hospitalised
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The sole director of an Australian company that distributed mushroom gummies from the US that resulted in people being taken to hospital with symptoms including “disturbing hallucinations” has apologised and declared “this was not the intention”.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand on Wednesday issued a recall of two flavours of Uncle Frog’s Mushroom Gummies after reports of hospitalisations in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.

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Authorities say products contain ‘unapproved novel food ingredients’ as company Uncle Frog states ‘consuming the whole bag could … make people feel weird’

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People have been hospitalised across Australia with symptoms including “disturbing” hallucinations, dizziness and involuntary twitching after ingesting mushroom gummies made by a Byron Bay business.

A South Australian teenage boy was found unresponsive earlier this month after consuming several of the Uncle Frog’s Mushroom Gummies, the state health department said on Thursday. He was treated and has since recovered.

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