Boobs on Bikes is a mostly annual parade of topless men and women riding on motorcycles through large New Zealand cities (in the past, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Wanganui and most prominently Auckland).
It is organised by pornographer Steve Crow, and started in Auckland in 2003 after two local women were arrested for baring their breasts in a public protest. Crow considered this to be a breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, which specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and Crow argued that if it is legal in New Zealand for a male to bare his breast in public, the same must apply to women. Several legal attempts to stop the parade, most notably by Auckland City Council, have failed in court and the parade has been ruled legal under New Zealand legislation.
Crow has run his Boobs on Bikes parade a number of times since 2003. The event normally precedes Crow's Erotica Expo , [1] or as it is more correctly known, Erotica Lifestyles Expo, an adults-only adult lifestyles exhibition. International porn stars who travel to New Zealand for the expo are typically part of Boobs on Bikes.
In 2006, the parade, then much smaller and less known, made headlines in Auckland, when Steve Crow asked for permission from the city council, which was granted. Strong political opposition later materialized from parts of the public and some politicians, including mayor Dick Hubbard and most of the Auckland City Councillors. [2] Legal experts, however, concluded that the parade could not be denied by current laws (bare-breasted women not being an indecency in New Zealand in this age, as a police spokesman noted). Also, the organizers had asked only for assistance with traffic control for the parade and declared themselves determined to go ahead even in the face of opposition.
The acrimonious debate about the parade ensured that when the parade took place several weeks later, Queen Street was packed with spectators. Rough counts estimate around one hundred thousand people, [3] of which about one fifth were reported to be female. [4] The 2006 parade contained about fifteen to twenty female pornstars on 26 bikes and two decommissioned army tanks. [4]
The 2007 Christchurch "Boobs on Bikes" parade was held on 2 March. This parade received less national media attention than the Auckland parade the year before, as unlike in Auckland, there was no attempt by city councillors to prevent it. However, Christchurch City Council did release a press statement stating that they had "not approved or received an application to hold the proposed 'Boobs on Bikes' parade on Friday, 2 March, from Erotica event organisers." The press release stated that the council must be consulted for any procession that will interfere with traffic, or may require crowd management. Erotica Lifestyle Expo organiser Steve Crow has brushed this off, saying that it is a promotion, not a parade, and all rules of the road will be observed.
City council and organizers of the event say they had received numerous complaints about the parade; however, it isn't in the city's jurisdiction to act, as female toplessness is not illegal in New Zealand. Council transport and streets manager Michael Aitken told NZPA that the "standard of dress of participants is not a matter that the Council can control."
Police inspector Gary Knowles commented that it was a "moral not a criminal issue. We have taken legal advice and unless there is a breach of the peace, we cannot intervene." [5]
In March 2010, the Protect Our Youth Association began soliciting signatures for a petition against the parade, however, the petition effort was abandoned after then Whanganui Mayor Michael Laws stated to P.O.Y.A. representative Holly Dahya that he would ignore any petitions against the parade, and rejected any alternative recourse to council. Laws also rejected Wanganui City Councillor Allan Anderson's attempts to open discussion on the issue within Council itself, recognising that repeated attempts by Auckland City Council to prevent the event had failed.
Crow also angered Palmerston North RSA members when he announced his parades in Palmerston North, Whanganui and Levin would take place over ANZAC weekend, with the Erotica Lifestyle Expo in Palmerston North scheduled for ANZAC day itself. In response to critics, Crow stated that it was an 'unfortunate clash of date' outside his control as that weekend (ANZAC weekend) was the only weekend available for the use of the venue.
Whanganui, also spelt Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whanganui is the 19th most-populous urban area in New Zealand and the second-most-populous in Manawatū-Whanganui, with a population of 42,800 as of June 2023.
Manawatū-Whanganui is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, whose main population centres are the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Council, which operates under the name Horizons Regional Council.
Michael Laws is a New Zealand politician, broadcaster and writer. Laws was a Member of Parliament for six years, starting in 1990, initially for the National Party. In Parliament he voted against his party on multiple occasions and in 1996 defected to the newly founded New Zealand First party, but resigned from Parliament the same year following a scandal in which he selected a company part-owned by his wife for a government contract.
The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the country's third-longest river, and has special status owing to its importance to the region's Māori people. In March 2017 it became the world's second natural resource to be given its own legal identity, with the rights, duties and liabilities of a legal person. The Whanganui Treaty settlement brought the longest-running litigation in New Zealand history to an end.
Trams in New Zealand were a major form of transport from the 19th century into the mid-20th century. New Zealand's first (horse) tramway was established in 1862 (Nelson), followed by a steam tramway in 1871 (Thames), and the first electric tramway in 1900. In New Zealand railway terminology a bush tramway is an industrial tramway, which usually did not carry passengers.
The mayor of Whanganui is the head of the Whanganui District Council. Since 1872, there have been 29 mayors. Andrew Tripe is the current mayor.
The Erotica Lifestyles Expo, informally known as "Erotica", is an adult entertainment convention held annually in Auckland, New Zealand and in a number of New Zealand regional cities semi-annually.
John Lancelot Lithgow was a New Zealand National Party politician. He was the member of Parliament for Palmerston North from 1975 to 1978 and, later, a member of Wanganui District Council.
The Wanganui Branch is a 5.00 km branch line railway in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It links Wanganui with the Marton - New Plymouth Line (MNPL) at Aramoho and has been open since 21 January 1878, although solely for freight traffic since 7 September 1959. Another branch line diverged from the Wanganui Branch near its terminus, the Castlecliff Branch.
Lake Alice is an area located in the southwestern part of Rangitikei District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. According to the 2013 census, it had a population of 2,724 inhabitants.
Philippa June Baker, now known by her married name Philippa Baker-Hogan, is a former New Zealand rower and politician. She was the first New Zealand woman to win a gold medal at World Rowing Championships and won gold at world championships on two more occasions. She has twice represented New Zealand at the Olympics. She has received numerous awards for her rowing success and in 2012, she and fellow double sculler Brenda Lawson were inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. A trained radiographer, she manages her husband's medical practice. She has been a Whanganui District Health Board and Wanganui District Council member since 2004 and 2006, respectively, and was a mayoral candidate in 2010. She is a member of the New Zealand Labour Party.
The Durie Hill Elevator is a public elevator in Whanganui, on the North Island of New Zealand. It connects Anzac Parade beside the Whanganui River with the suburb of Durie Hill. It is ranked by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 Historic Place, and is New Zealand's only public underground elevator.
Andrew Geoffrey Watson is the Mayor of Rangitikei District in Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand. He was elected as Mayor of Rangitikei on 12 October 2013, defeating incumbent mayor Chalky Leary. Watson was re-elected in 2016, 2019, and 2022.
Naturism refers to a lifestyle of practising non-sexual social nudity in private and in public, and to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both are also known as "nudism". Naturist organisations have existed in New Zealand since the 1930s. Although not a daily feature of public life, social nudity is practised in a variety of other contexts in New Zealand culture.
The 1978 New Year Honours in New Zealand were appointments by Elizabeth II on the advice of the New Zealand government to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. The awards celebrated the passing of 1977 and the beginning of 1978, and were announced on 31 December 1977.
Durie Hill is a suburb of Whanganui, in the Whanganui District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.
The 1985 New Year Honours in New Zealand were appointments by Elizabeth II on the advice of the New Zealand government to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. The awards celebrated the passing of 1984 and the beginning of 1985, and were announced on 31 December 1984.
The 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours in New Zealand, celebrating the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, were appointments made by the Queen in her right as Queen of New Zealand, on the advice of the New Zealand government, to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. They were announced on 2 June 1997.