Atralia has long had a gay beach subculture but they haven't always been safe spac | Gary Nunn | The Guardian

Contents:

• ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC
• CULTURALLY AND HISTORILLY SIGNIFINT PLACE FOR GAY MUNY
• ANGER SWELLS OVER BID TO GAY-PROOF BEACH

ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC

Dpe the name, women are the mory a lot of the time: gay men particular have been splashg about at Lady Bay for s, sce long before laws and attus beme more open beyond this sandy ve.

In easygog, morn-day Sydney, gay and ternatnal visors share the blue waters wh straight upl and their children whout a re the world. SydneyThe New South Wal pal has long been regnised as one of the top statns the world for LGBTQI travellers, and around Mardi Gras time, you’ll feel like the whole cy has turned gay. We probably don’t need to tell you that much of the party actn Sydney occurs around Oxford Street Darlghurst and Kg Street Newtown, or that the most popular gay cy beach are at North Bondi and Tamarama.

For a lbian-iendly bar Sydney try the Sly Fox Enmore on a Wednday night.My favoure gay gut hoe Sydney is Governors on Fzroy Surry Hills, a place that feels a b like stayg at your super-posh uncle’s hoe – but book ahead bee this place is popular (if you haven’t already booked for Mardi Gras – good luck). Photograph: Hamid Moa/suppliedKgs Beach, northern NSWNtled about 20km south of Byron Bay Broken Head Natnal Park, along a dirt road (all-vehicle accs), down a steep but manageable 1km walkg track, awas a whe sandy surf beach amid betiful tre and rocky outcrops that may well be the most betiful “gay” beach the world.

CULTURALLY AND HISTORILLY SIGNIFINT PLACE FOR GAY MUNY

Photograph: Teasy Ian Grey/Supplied.MelbourneOften lled Atralia’s cultural pal, Melbourne draws much more fluence om Europe s archecture, fashn and food – and for the gay traveller may feel like a more chilled out and refed experience after the glz of Sydney. Better still, do an art tour of Melbourne – check out the Centre for Contemporary Photography Fzroy, vis the NGV and ACMI at Feratn square, and take a drk overlookg the Yarra at Riverland.The gay scene Melbourne is basilly divid between the north si and south si of the cy. Photograph: /flickrDaylfordJt unr two hours north of Melbourne, the Swiss-Italian found town of Daylford (often affectnately known as Gaylford) is an oasis of crystal-clear sprgs, betiful lak, massage and healg retreats, and a surprisgly smopolan ma street wh Melbourne-qualy ffee.

Daylford is popular at this time of year, so book early and check you and your squeeze at one of the gay-iendly gutho such as Laki at Daylford or the Green Door and spend a rejuvenatg weekend havg a long bnch at Breakfast and Beer fe, pesg the book and antique stor, walkg and swimmg at the lak, dulgg yourself wh a massage or tantric healg ssn, or visg one of Daylford’s many galleri such as the betifully renovated Convent Gallery.

Photograph: /flickrTasmaniaTasmania has e a long way sce beme the last Atralian state to pass gay law reform 1997. Today boasts a small but visible gay scene Hobart and Lncton, and offers many good optns for gay travellers. Hobart even has s own LGBTQI dance bar at Flamgos, but tth one wouldn’t travel to Tasmania to vis gay night clubs.

ANGER SWELLS OVER BID TO GAY-PROOF BEACH

My advice is to spend the night Hobart at the charmg gay-owned Corda’s Cottag takg the f and galleri around the betiful sandstone buildgs at Salaman Place, then hire a vehicle and h the road.Outsi Hobart, make your own adventure. Tasmania also now has more acknowledgement of s same sex history tourism rmatn cludg early gay explorers, nvict love and “psdo-mal”.

“Surfers go to south Bondi, backpackers, fai and people om wtern Sydney go the middle, then gays go to north Bondi. Before homosexualy was crimalised (1984 New South Wal all the way through to 1997 Tasmania), some beach areas beme “beats” – venu where gay men uld discreetly hook up bee society offered few spac for them to meet and be timate. But there’s a dark history – the plac beme the scen of vlent homophobic hate attacks.

In September 2018, the Liberal MP Shayne Mallard announced a parliamentary quiry to homophobic hate crim mted between 1970 and 2010. This clus 30 outstandg s of at least 88 murrs rulted gay men beg found ad at the bottom or on top of beach clifftops. Police are now offerg a $1m reward for rmatn leadg to nvictn – after ially, accurately, nyg the area was a October 2018, Waverley uncil announced a memorial monument will be built at the cliffsi Marks Park, south of Bondi, followg the homophobic attacks and murrs of men at this Atralian beach culture, Murphy says, remas more nservative than beach like Sg Spa, “where there are cktails, DJs and parti right on the sand”.

You’ll get homophobia bee you somehow have to draw a le – as this nnot be seen as homoerotic.