A Paradox in Paradise

For a jurisdiction the combined size of Italy, Spain and France, Australia's Northern Territory offers all manner of gay & lesbian excitement across a variety of adventures.

The wondrous scenery and places of interest are abundant and provide a range of unique outback experiences that will leave you with the fondest of memories - and maybe even some new found friends or acquaintances.

The gay and lesbian communities of 'the Territory' warmly welcome 'family' visitors to come and share some of the diverse experiences this region has to offer.

From gay fishing trips in Gulf country to Seven Spirit Bay in Arnhem Land to cosmopolitan Darwin through Katherine & Tennant Creek to the Heart of The Country found in Alice Springs and Central Australia, you'll find a series of adventures that will leave you wanting to come back for more. Aboriginal Art tours and yoga tours, too!

Paradoxically, far from the legendary 'redneck' attitudes of the past, you'll experience a wealth of gay and lesbian owned/operated of friendly businesses ready to host you and help your travel dreams come true. They also offer you safe and friendly environments from which you can explore the regions of this vast space.

Alice Springs has the only gay and lesbian hosted accommodation in the region (The Rainbow Connection accommodation is hosted by Phil and partner Glenn) where you can base your Central Australian adventure in the comfort of a gay owned and operated establishment.

THE Rock

The highways are excellent so road travelling takes less time than in other parts of the country. Road-trains (a caravan of semitrailers about 50 metres in length) are frequent consumers of the highways, and negotiating them requires patience and skill. If you are travelling by road, aim to drive through the day where possible as this reduces the possible misadventure to people, animals and birds. Avoid driving at dawn or dusk for the same reason. If you're driving a 4WD tour vehicle, remember that they have a different centre of gravity to a conventional car so be careful with the speed that you travel.

About 500 km north of Alice Springs is Tennant Creek, a real Territory-style town with a small population of around 3,000. On the way to Tennant from Alice, stop at the remarkable Devil's Marbles (about 300m north) and watch out for little green aliens at Aileron! Just 20km north of Tennant is Three Ways, the major road gateway into the Territory from Queensland.

About 700km beyond Tennant Creek heading north is the vibrant and spectacular Katherine district with its beautiful gorges and spectacular scenery. Katherine also has a small gay and lesbian community and email contacts are available.

The 'dry' season in the Top End (March - October) is probably the best time of year to visit Darwin and its environs. As the capital, Darwin boasts a tremendous array of gay & lesbian places, including excellent restaurants and a popular gay/mixed nightspot (Throb Nightclub). Casuarina Beach has a nude section and you are welcome to 'visit' Vesty's Beach for cruising activity.

So, in the WC Fields vernacular... 'come on up and see us sometime'. You'll be made very welcome in this special place where one discovers that a human 'being' is so much more than a human 'doing'.

Phil Walcott, The Rainbow Connection