| Often called the San Francisco of New Zealand, Wellington is the southern end of the North Island and is about an eight-hour drive south of Auckland. It’s an easy and inexpensive hour flight on Air New Zealand. | |
| Like San Francisco, Wellington is very hilly. Many homes are built with private phone booth-like cable cars that hoist residents from the street to their hillside homes. It also boasts a San Francisco-sized cable car that is open to the public. A quick ten-minute ride will take you from downtown to the lush Victoria Park, complete with walking trails and spectacular gardens. |
A Wellington cablecar overlooking the city. |
As the country’s capital city, Wellington is home to
New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa. Even if you’re
not into museums, you’ll be hard-pressed not to find
something inside that won’t fascinate or entertain you
there. Admission is free and its modern history
department includes a section that documents the
struggle for gay rights in New Zealand.
BARS & CLUBBINGS & M's Cocktail Bar & Lounge - that's Scotty and Mal's, on Cuba Street is an intimate, two-level gay cocktail lounge. Themed evenings include pool table events and Karaoke. Regular shows, camp bongo every Wednesday and there's a DJ every weekend.Ivy Bar is a large underground lounge bar & club and a focal point of the Wellington gay scene. Ivy Bar hosts regular cabaret-themed events and is known for delicious cocktails and tapas. The Ivy is now playing host to comedy acts on a regular basis from some of NZ's best comedians. The Fringe Bar is a Gay-friendly entertainment venue in downtown Wellington. The Fringe hosts everything, from live music, comedy shows, cabaret, to poetry recitals and the like. Every evening, the bar features karaoke, so warm up your vocal chords and get ready to sing into the early hours! Food is also available and it's a fun and upbeat venue, which is a great place to take or make new friends! The Gay Salon in Eva Street, Te Aro, Wellington has everything you need from a bar. They can host dinner parties, and have readings of literature, some theatre shows, art exhibitions, and what they claim is unbridled queer joy. BED & BOARDGay friendly accommodations include the Kauri Trees B&B, in a beautifully restored 1890 home. It’s owned by a delightful gay couple from Belfast, retired designer, Daniel McKeown, and his partner, Gerard Walsh, a doctor. High in the hills above Wellington, is the Koromiko Homestay. It bills itself as a B&B for gay men and their friends. The three men who own the home also run occasional adventure excursions. Its funky mattress-on-the-floor guest rooms are not for everyone, but it boasts a great view of Wellington, a unique outdoor bathtub with a view, and a penthouse skylight room where you can sleep under the stars.
The new and upmarket Youth Hostel Association New
Zealand in Wellington is steps from the Te Papa
museum. It’s managed by an openly gay man, Hamish
Allardice, and very gay friendly. A private room is
about 30 GBP and if you want to do the dorm thing,
you can stay for less than half that.
CHRISTCHURCHChristchurch is New Zealand’s third-largest city, after Auckland and Wellington. With about 330,000 people, it has the largest population on the country’s South Island. Christchurch is best known for its English colonial architecture.As for bars in the city, we'd start in Victoria Street. The Dirty Land is a gay-friendly cocktail bar which offers an intimate space where you can sip on classy cocktails under the glimmer of a candlelight ambience. Ideal for a first date, friends night out or time with your partner. Excitingly, order some Mexican grub from one of the best nachos places next door to make your night more satisfying. Further along the road the award-winning Boo Radley’s Food & Liquor is a Southern USA-inspired eatery that's gay-friendly. Grab a quiet booth, listen to the band playing and release your worries. Opt to share platters like spiced chicken and kidney bean enchiladas, bourbon glazed pork, and more. If you’re not drinking, treat yourself to a large milkshake or a dessert such as s’mores. Be sure to take advantage of their occasional burlesque shows for top entertainment. Without setting out to be, it's one of the greatest gay hangouts in Christchurch. Known for producing an awesome variety of live shows from comedy and drag to burlesque, poetry and more, Darkroom is the perfect space to hangout with beer and have a laugh with your mates. It's a welcoming space on Saint Asaph Street. Christchurch’s sauna/cruise club is Menfriends on Lichfield Street. Its a drug free no-alcohol two floor venue exclusively for guys who present as male and possess male genetalia. Facilities include Spa Pool; Sauna Room; Steam Room; altsexcafe.com shop; Tuck Shop for cold drinks and snacks; Satellite TV Lounge; Pool Table; BDSM Room and Dungeon incl Stocks, Sling, St Andrews Cross, Wall Mounted Blindfold with Cuffs, Bed with Ropes and Spare Ropes; Sucktorium; Glory Holes; Sling Room; Orgy Room (Total Black-Out); Public Porn Lounge Wanking Room; 3 Level Porn Theatre and Heated Outdoor Garden (and Smoking Space). Gay-friendly accommodation in the area include Dorothy's Boutique Hotel and Restaurant which is a landmark in Christchurch. Built in 1916, this Edwardian Mansion has been lovingly restored to provide six ensuite guestrooms including the Queen's Suite with its private lounge. Dorothy's Boutique Hotel still features the original Gothic-style doorways, red brick and Banks Peninsula volcanic rock. If you can afford the luxury it is worth checking out, or even checking in! |
NELSONAlthough it has no gay-specific venues, Nelson, on the north end of the South Island, boasts the sunniest weather in all of New Zealand and is known for its liberal, bohemian ambiance and countless art galleries. Nelson is just a 25-minute plane ride from Wellington. Just outside Nelson, Happy Valley Adventures features something for all adventure-seekers including a thrilling chair lift ride through spectacular scenery. | 
Go east from Nelson. |
| For gay men who want to get away from it all in a country setting, the Autumn Farm is scenic 90-minute drive from Nelson. It’s clothing optional, and yes, it’s really a farm. It is a very popular camping spot and has some rustic cabin-like accommodations. |
QUEENSTOWNQueenstown is New Zealand’s tourist Mecca and is a must-see stop. It’s on the South Island, south of Christchurch. It is set on Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by the Southern Alps and 310 meters above sea level. Queenstown is a thrill-seeker’s paradise, with countless adrenaline-inducing activities from bungee jumping to speed boat racing. |
The stunning view from Queenstown of the Southern Alps. |
| There are a few bars with a mixed gay/lesbian and straight crowd in Queenstown. The Bathhouse has some upscale drinks at the bar and Bardeaux has wine, whisky, a huge open fire, and tons of snow bunnies sipping cocktails having a good time. | |
| Be sure to take the Skyline Gondola ride to the top of Bob’s Peak for a spectacular view of the city. You can also take a luge ride around the peak. Gay friendly hotels include The Mountvista Boutique on a quiet hill but just a five-minute walk from downtown. At the other end of the spectrum, you can get a private room for two at the Backpackers Downtown Lodge for aboiut 30 GBP. That includes breakfast and the free use of one of its Internet terminals, but the accomodation is very basic. |
The Skyline Gondola overlooking Bob's Peak. Bungee jumping was invented in New Zealand and you can a see a spectacular jump platform here. |
| Photography by Ed Walsh except Sky Tower courtesy Tourism New Zealand. | |
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Revised January 2024. | |