Adelaide showcases what's on for gay & lesbian visitors

The South Australian Tourism Commission has introduced a gay and lesbian guide which includes information on festivals and events, dining, shopping and accommodation catering specifically for the gay and lesbian visitor. Other State attractions are also listed such as art and culture, nature and ecotourism.

HISTORY
Adelaide, South Australia’s capital, has always been a progressive city. In 1895 South Australian women were the first in the world to be allowed to stand for parliament and when Don Dunstan became Premier of the State in 1970 his government introduced a programme of massive reform including decriminalising homosexuality.

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
Feast, one of Australia’s top gay and lesbian events, is an annual, three-weekend, two-week festival held in November featuring contemporary theatre, drag, comedy and literature. Feast.org.au

Other key events include: Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide Festival of Arts, Adelaide Film Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Tasting Australia and Tour Down Under.

DINING
Adelaide’s dedicated dining streets, or “Eat Streets” as they are known locally, are filled with some of the finest dining experiences in Australia, include Rundle Street home to over 50 cafes, restaurants, wine bars and pubs. Other key dining areas include Gouger Street, O’Connell Street and Melbourne Street. The local lesbian community favours Semaphore, a seaside suburb just a short drive from Adelaide which has a growing number of good cafes.

SHOPPING
Adelaide’s shopping backbone is Rundle Mall where department stores, boutiques, specialty shops, cafes, stalls and arcades make it a busy, diverse place to shop. Magill Road is for antiques, classics and funky retro design; Melbourne and O’Connell Streets are for designer; King William Road for fashion, or Glen Osmond Road and Harbour Town for vintage and consignment.

LATE NIGHTS
Adelaide’s most established gay and lesbian venues include The Edinburgh Castle Hotel, The Hampshire Hotel and The Mars Bar famous for its Friday and Saturday night drag shows.

ACCOMMODATION
The guide highlights 16 properties, six of which are GALTA members (Gay & Lesbian Tourism Australia) including: Rochdale Bed and Breakfast (the only exclusively gay and lesbian B&B in Adelaide), The Chifley on South Terrace (Adelaide), Thorn Park Country House (a gourmet retreat in the Clare Valley) and Linfield Cottage (Barossa).

For What’s On information: Blazemedia.com.au
For specific information: Southaustralia.com/gayand lesbian.aspx or Galta.com.au/sa.sap
For destination information: Southaustralia.com