Darwin is Australia's new 'gay and lesbian mecca'
:: Forget Sydney ... Darwin is the new 'gay mecca' ::
DARWIN is becoming a mecca for gays and lesbians, according to an Australian gay travel website.
The Fellow Traveller site challenges Darwin's reputation as a rowdy frontier town and champions the emerging metropolitan and tolerant life style.
"While the streets are not exactly lined with rainbow flags or feather boas, the legendary Northern Territory friendliness now seems to extend to the complete range of human beings, regardless of sexual orientation," journalist Robert La Bua wrote.
"With all the Paul Hogan wannabes running around in Outback drag, gaysbians are hardly remarkable on the streetscape. It's hard not to arouse a johnson for the easy styles of living in Australia's north."
A dessert at Pee Wee's restaurant gets special mention - it's called the chocolate slut.
And the author was obviously excited by Mick's Whips at Mindil markets - he wrote that the performance was "enough to make you twitch right there and then".
For La Bua, Darwin is not a city that falls in to the lap of visitors, although swingers seemingly abound.
"There is no 'gay' gay nightspot in Darwin, which makes the cruising that much more of a challenge - or pleasure - at Throb, where the drop-dead gorgeous bloke with the square jaw and winning smile may or may not drop his girlfriend home before coming back for you."
The nightclub's co-owner, Mark Marcelis, said Darwin was not on par with Australia's "unofficial gay capital" of Alice Springs, but the "community" was active and friendly.
"The spirited gay and lesbian traveller always research friendly businesses when travelling and we enjoy providing a space for them to mix with the locals," he said.
Since February 4, 2006