Dogging in Taranaki

Taranaki mountainous and coastal region is located to the west of North Island in New Zealand. It’s named after the major geographical feature in this region, the strato-volcano of Mt. Taranaki. New Plymouth city happens to be the major centre in this region. Besides, the port in New Plymouth city is the hub of this region.

The district of New Plymouth is the home of over 65% of Taranaki’s total population. New Plymouth city is along with Waitara and Inglewood within North Taranaki. Some of the towns in South Taranaki include Eltham, Opunake, Stratford and Hawera. Mt Taranaki dominated the Taranaki region’s landscape and is located in the rainforested National Park of Egmont.

Dogging

This British slang refers to engaging in sexual activities, either public or semi-public while being watched by other people. This phrase is assumed to have been derived from the terms ‘walking a dog’ since dog walkers happened to be couples getting erotic outdoors. This practice mainly happens in woodland and car parks and regularly involves strangers either in a voyeuristic or active role.

The phrase ‘dogging’ emerged to prominence in 2003 after it was announced that the trend was sweeping across the web as exhibitionists utilized the internet to organize their meetups. There is currently evidence on the internet that dogging has spread to various parts of the world, such as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, Scandinavia, USA, and Barbados.

Dogging in Taranaki

With more than 110 thousand residents, the number of people engaging in dogging sex in Taranaki is continuously increasing. Dogging sex tends to be ideal for individuals who love engaging in an outdoor sex with strangers with similar motives. This has increased the number of dogging sites in Taranaki used by the registered members to find dogging locations and partners to have dogging sex with.

A report of a particular survey that involved 1000 residents of New Zealand stated that about 50% of this group had practised dogging sex on the beaches while about 15% had practised it in the public toilet. This clearly shows an increase in the number of people practising in dogging sex in New Zealand. The Taranaki region is no exception since it’s a region within New Zealand.

Popular dogging sites in Taranaki

Secluded car parks are not the only places that doggers in Taranaki have their dogging sex. The meet-ups occur at the hot-spots for tourists, churches as well as outside McDonald’s. The most notorious sites of dogging in Taranaki have been identified, with some being the most picturesque and cherished spots by Taranaki residents. A list of the popular dogging places that were leaked online implies that strangers tend to meet up to engage in sex while being watched by spectators in some of the biggest tourist attractions in the region.

These dogging spots include; public parks, underneath Tamar Bridge, church and Waterfront car park. Participants of this underground practise known as dogging in this region claim that it falls through the legal loophole since having sex in public isn’t an offence unless it results in outrage to the witness. Participants meet regularly and share their information online. Additionally, many sites have a list of the most popular dogging spots in the Taranaki region.

The dogging websites in Taranaki constantly update the list of the hot spots within this region. Simultaneously, some doggers are frustrated by losing the former car parks that were dogging-friendly that boy racers have currently taken over.

Police in this region claims that they’re attempting to handle this anti-social behaviour, although their powers of stopping dogging sex are limited. Other popular spots for dogging sex in Taranaki include; Central Park, Jennycliff car park, Devil’s point, Cadover bridge and Marsh Mills among other places.

Is dogging in Taranaki illegal?

Although dogging practice isn’t banned explicitly by a particular law, there’re many offences that participants caught having sex in the public areas can be charged with. Some of these charges might include; public lewdness, gross indecency and indecent exposure, among others. People that are caught dogging in Taranaki might face prosecution under the 2003 Act of Sexual Offences or the offence of common law on outraging public indecency. Additionally, in some situations, participants that are caught dogging in Taranaki have been recorded in the register of sex offenders.