As a woman traveling on my own, my status is not something I advertise. I may be single or very much attached, and whichever I am is very much my own business. A woman alone can be a target for unpleasantness from certain quarters, and keeping people guessing is a good method for warding off unwanted advances.
Not that all advances are. Unwanted, that is. There have been times when I’ve found myself in foreign cities with romance on my mind, but most often if I’m looking to blow off steam between flights and meetings I’d rather not have to be fending off clumsy passes from strangers in the process.
So, where does a girl go when room service … again … just won’t do; when she is looking for a party, but not a partner? Some head for the cinema in hopes of vicarious thrills while others lurk in dark corners of hotel bars hoping to find someone unthreatening, yet amusing, to pass the time with.
Catching a movie can fill an evening, but if I have an itch to boogie the night away with no worries over misunderstood intentions or disappointed longings I head for a walk on the Gay Side.
Sydney Gay Nightlife
Gay Sydney is a great place for a straight Sheila to let her hair down, and Oxford Street – the Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Paddington areas – offers many venues in a easily navigable area. From Gilligans in the Oxford Hotel (134 Oxford St.) to the Rainbow Room (77 Oxford St.) and Stonewall (175 Oxford St.) right down the road, you can find cold beer and hot music, and plenty of pretty people who won’t mind sharing the dance floor with you.
Sightseeing around Sydney and Bondi Beach
If you have a hankering for “look but don’t touch” beautiful bodies of the male gender, a day trip to nearby Bondi Beach offers an eyeful. Around “Lady Bay” you can get more than a glimpse of beautiful naked men … they call them “Barbies” down under, although most make Ken look like a scrawny wimp … from the sidewalk, so no bare venturing of your own is required, not that anyone would notice.
These pretty boys are there to see and be seen, so gawk away, Girls. You’re not the intended audience, but an appreciation for the bronze and brawny will not be unwelcome.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Of course, if your stay in Sydney happens to coincide with the city’s version of Mardi Gras, you are guaranteed a fabulous time. It’s a massive party in one of the friendliest, most welcoming atmospheres imaginable.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has been taking place in some form since it started out in 1978 as a protest march for gay pride. People of all sexual persuasions come from all over the world to join this citywide party celebrating diversity and tolerance.
Yes, women finding themselves on their own in strange towns can carouse at will, let their hair down and paint the town red, then go home happily de-stressed and without company … or guilt … especially if the town is Sydney.
Warm, friendly, and without a care for your tastes or preferences, gay Sydney is just the place for a straight Sheila traveling alone to shake off the bored blues and party the night away.
Photo of the Sydney Opera House originally posted by jimmyharris.
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