Brisbane & the Great Sunshine Way

The Sportsman Hotel in Spring Hill is the city's only gay and lesbian accommodation offering basic, motel-style rooms above a gay and lesbian pub.
You'll find West End, Woolloongabba, Spring Hill, Fortitude Valley and New Farm are Brisbane's most popular gay and lesbian hangouts and much of the scene focuses on these areas. Head to Spring Hill and The Valley for bars and clubs.

Spring Hill's venues are the stylish Alliance Tavern and The Sportsman Hotel, a pub offering drag shows, serious pool comps and on alternate Saturday nights the downstairs Mineshaft bar hosts either the BrisBears or the Boot Co leather men.

The Valley's gay and lesbian clubs are The Wickham, drag shows mid-week, huge crowds weekends, a cruisy place for the Sunday Session from 4pm-and The Beat Megaclub, a great people-watching street bar and dance floor downstairs and The Cockatoo Club upstairs, where you'll find wall to wall lipstick lesbians, gay boys and groovy types.

The Valley’s gay and lesbian friendly venues include Fluffy at Family on Sunday nights, the Empire Hotel, The Zoo (great live music), Sunday nights at upmarket GPO hotel, The Fringe Bar, The Bowery, and Ric's Bar in Brunswick Street Mall.

The Gold Coast

The Gold Coast, an hour's drive south of Brisbane (or fly direct into Coolangatta), stretches from Southport to Coolangatta and is Australia's best known beach holiday, and with good reason.

Basking in more than 300 days of sunshine each year, the Coast offers golden surf beaches, a rainforest-clad mountain hinterland and chic shopping and dining, making it a atop spot for gay and lesbian travellers.

There's a mind-boggling array of gay and lesbian friendly places to stay on the Coast. Beachfront high-rise hotels and apartments along the Coast's 42kms of surf beaches will allow the best view of the pumping waves.

If you'd rather stunning mountain views, walks and galleries, head to the cooler hinterland about 30 minutes from the Coast. Bush House, on the edge of he hinterland in Tallebudgera Valley, is a gay men's retreat while Tambaride Bed and Breakfast is a gay-run guesthouse at beautiful Mount Tamborine.

The Meeting Place in Surfers Paradise is the Coast's only gay and lesbian club. The Capitol Bar and Lounge attracts a groovy gay, lesbian and alternative crowd.

Gold Coast Breakers gay and lesbian social group welcomes visitors to their regular get-togethers. Feathers is a lesbian social group with runs regular events.

The Sunshine Coast

If life's a beach, then the Sunshine Coast's the life. Surf beaches, top restaurants, a charming hinterland and access to World Heritage Fraser Island make it the perfect place to unwind.

From Caloundra to Fraser Island, through the surfside towns of Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Coolum and Noosa, and the villages of the Glass House Mountains, the Blackall Ranges and Eumundi, it's the coast with the most!

Beach resorts, apartments or houses at Noosa, Coolum or Fraser Island are popular with gay and lesbian singles and couples. Horizon's at Peregian, near Noosa is a popular gay-run gay and lesbian friendly apartment resort. Also at Peregian are Manyana and The Hideaway, both catering exclusively to gay men.

Noosa Cove Apartments are gay-run and close to the beach apartments suiting gay and lesbian families and offer easy access to themed attractions.

On Fraser Island you can choose from the five stay, award winning eco-experience of Kingfisher Bay Resort or sleeping out under the stars at your own beach camp.

Over the last five years, the Coast and particularly Noosa has become the recovery spot after the rigours of Sydney's Mardi Gras. Although, there's no real gay and lesbian nucleus, the friendly bars and restaurants of Noosa and Peregian are noticeably well-patronised by locals and travellers.

There's only one gay and lesbian club, Crush that happens on the second Saturday of the month at Maroochydore. There's plenty else to do if you're inclined.

And the boys will be particularly keen to get to Alexandria Bay-the gorgeous, unofficial gay beach, a brisk 30 minute coastal walk from Noosa National Park's entrance.

South East Queensland Country

Just two and a half hour's drive from Brisbane, this region takes in deep secluded valleys, jagged mountain ranges, wineries, country markets, waterfalls and pristine wilderness.

Set your course for the Southern Downs and Granite Belt, Toowoomba and the Darling Downs and The South Burnett and Bunya Mountains. Rustic cabins, B&Bs, country drives, four distinct seasons and warm hospitality await.

In the Southern Downs, Girraween Environmental Lodge is managed by Jenny and John, who are only too happy to pass on their local knowledge and suggest great walks in adjoining Girraween National Park, or which cafes and restaurants to put on your ‘must indulge at' list.

Toowoomba offers a great range of quality motel stays while the Bunya Mountains offer exclusive holiday homes for rent, many with breathtaking mountain views and some with capacity for three couples.

If you're into food, join one of Geoff Metcalf's cooking classes at The New England Larder and pop in for a coffee and tasty morsel in his café, The Espresso Bar, at the Stanthorpe Tourist Information Centre.

Drop into The Bramble Patch for freshly picked raspberries, boysenberries and strawberries in season and indulge in an extensive range of specialty jams, sauces and vinegars. After all the walking and eating, seek out massage and spa treatments at The Cottage Clinic at Ballandean.