Australia Gay and Lesbian Travel Guide

Airfares to Australia are lowest from mid-April to late August. This is also the best time to visit the country's hotter regions in the north, since it overlaps the Southern Hemisphere winter.
Don’t use Honolulu as a gateway. Although it goes against reason, starting your trip to the Pacific from Hawaii will actually cost more than from West Coast cities.
Aussies and New Zealanders take their summer holidays from Christmas to the end of January, so be sure to book early during these times. Although prices may be higher, it's also a fun time to visit, with beach parties and a jolly outdoor atmosphere for the holidays.
Beachy Sydney, artsy Melbourne, and bustling Auckland are best for gay travel. If you're looking for big gay and lesbian scenes, you'll find large queer populations in Wellington (New Zealand), Adelaide (South Australia), Brisbane (Queensland), and Perth (Western Australia) as well.
Watch for widely differing gay laws. For gay travel to the Pacific, know that most of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and America Samoa have no laws against homosexuality, but the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Nauru, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Tonga, and Western Samoa do. The Cook Islands, despite being part of New Zealand, also have laws against homosexuality. But keep in mind laws on the books may not necessarily translate into unfriendly locals.

Gay and Lesbian Travel Overview: Australia and Pacific

Bursting Polynesian sunsets, the endless Outback, the snow-capped Southern Alps. The region of “Oceania,” which includes Australia, New Zealand, and the nations of the Pacific, is an ideal destination for gay travel. Each country has its own identity. Australia has cosmopolitan Sydney, the magical Outback, and the dramatic Ayer’s Rock formation (now called Uluru) in the center of the country. New Zealand has active volcanoes, steep mountains on its South Island, and a Polynesian-tinged culture. Each of the other Pacific nations is characterized by its ethnic island grouping of Melanesia, Micronesia, or Polynesia, with coral atolls sprinkled throughout the region. Read More

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Australia Gay and Lesbian Travel Guide