Australia/S. Pacific

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Bursting Polynesian sunsets, the endless Outback, the snow-capped Southern Alps. The region of "Oceania," which includes Australia, New Zealand, and the nations of the Pacific, is an ideal destination for gay travel. Each country has its own identity. Australia has cosmopolitan Sydney, the magical Outback and the dramatic Ayer's Rock formation (now called Uluru) in the center of the country. New Zealand has active volcanoes, steep mountains on its South Island, and a polynesian-tinged culture. Each of the other Pacific nations, is characterized by its ethnic island grouping of Melanesia, Micronesia, or Polynesia, with coral atolls sprinkled throughout the region.

For gay travel Australia and New Zealand,know that both have cities with LGBT scenes that rival anything in Europe or North America.The laid-back islands of the Pacific don't have much of a scene for gay travel, but their cultures generally allow for some sexual diversity. For instance, Polynesia has a long legacy of the mahu or cross-dressing male, and places like Samoa have a somewhat bisexual culture where a form of gay sexuality is accepted, despite religious influences throughout the region. The American territory of Guam in Micronesia has a small gay scene, and in New Zealand and Australia, every city has some queer infrastructure -- usually well-developed and open. Civil unions are allowed in New Zealand, and while same-sex marriage is not recognized under Australian federal law, every state in Australia has some form of civil unions.

As in other parts of the world, LGBT rights are beginning to make their mark in the Pacific. Overall, Oceania has a fairly live- and- let- live attitude toward queer lifestyles, so it's a welcoming spot for gay travel.And you'll be hard-pressed to find more good-natured and friendlier cultures anywhere in the world.

Featured Australia/S. Pacific Destinations:

Sydney

Auckland

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• Auckland
• Gay Travel Homepage
• Sydney