Gay Guide

Canberra

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Cairns

Australia is the perfect gay destination. There is a large gay scene particularly in Sydney and the country is friendly and welcoming towards gay and lesbian visitors. Every year Sydney holds the world famous Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

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The 8 States which form the Commonwealth of Australia each enact their own laws in most areas, including criminal laws, and anti-discrimination legislation. As a consequence the degree of legal discrimination against LGBT people, and the extent of anti-discrmination protection, varies from State to State. For example some States still maintain discriminatory provisions in the criminal law, while other States provide protection from discrimination, but to varying extents. The Commonwealth does not have either a Bill of Rights or a constitutional guarantee of equality. "Rights" at the federal level therefore have to be established separately.

In New South Wales the age of consent for gay men is 16. Homosexual acts between women are not mentioned in the criminal law. Consensual lesbian conduct have never been criminalised. NSW has progressive anti-discrimination legislation. The Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 prohibits discrimination on the ground of homosexuality in a number of areas including employment, accommodation, education, the provision of goods and services, and club membership or benefits. Australia currently recognizes same-sex partnerships in all but two of its states: Victoria and South Australia.though the later has legislation pending allowing the recognition of same-sex partnerships. In 2004 marriage laws were amended banning same-sex marriages but allowing current domestic partnerships to continue to be determined on a state and territorial level.

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Australia is in the southern hemisphere and is best visited during Europe's winter. From November to March Sydney and Melbourne are comfortable destinations much like Europe in the summer.

Generally, climatic conditions are characterised by warmth, little rain, clear skies and sunshine while temperature ranges are moderate with the absence of an intense cold winter. The continent has several climatic zones including an arid and semiarid interior, the monsoonal north and the sub-humid to humid east.

Australia experiences hurricanes and cyclones mainly on the northeast and northwest coats. The country is also prone to droughts. More than a third of the country has average annual rainfall of under 260mm. Average temperature ranges in Sydney are from 8c to 16c degrees in July and 18c to 26c degrees in January.