Brisbane, or Bris Vegas as the locals affectionately call it, is a vibrant place blessed with good weather, friendly people and an optimism bigger cities often manage to quash. Here’s the ultimate guide to Brisbane’s gay and lesbian scene.

Since the early 90’s Brisbane’s scene has flourished with a variety of lesbian and gay (and L & G friendly) clubs, cafes, and bars. Like any city, ‘where the girls and boys are’, may not jump out at you as soon as you hit town, but scratch the surface and you’ll find places to go and people to meet.

A copy of local street press Queensland Pride or Q News will set you in the right direction, but there’s nothing like advice from a local. So here’s a few hints on where it’s at.

Where to Play
Generally West End, Woolloongabba, Spring Hill, Fortitude Valley and New Farm are Brisbane’s most popular gay and lesbian haunts.

The best place to start is by pulling up a stool at the bar of West End’s ultra chic Lychee Lounge, the cities newest bar and café run by Jacqueline Bega and Jessica Firouz-Abadi. Chill out with a long, cool lychee cocktail, a plate of tapas and live music or dj grooves on Friday and Saturday nights. At midnight the Lychee turns into a pumpkin so head to Spring Hill and Fortitude Valley.
Women only venues are The Birdcage upstairs at Options every Friday night, and Grrrl Bar Sunday nights at the Departure Lounge upstairs at the Wickham Hotel.

Spring Hill’s mixed venues are Options which has a café, bar and mixed club downstairs, the stylish Alliance Hotel bar, or the Sportsman Hotel for drag shows and serious pool comps. In the Valley check out the Wickham Hotel and The Cockatoo Club, upstairs at The Beat, where you’ll find wall to wall lipsticks, gay boys and groovy types.

Gay and lesbian friendly venues include the Empire Hotel with indie club Super Deluxe upstairs; and Ric’s Bar in Brunswick Street Mall - a layed back live music / dj venue. There are pool tables downstairs and dance floor upstairs at the Pandanus Lounge.
Held at various locations at irregular intervals is Abigails - a moveable feast of cabaret , comedy and djs spinning everything from 70’s oddball to dance. It attracts an alternative crowd of groovy straights, drag queens, and cool queer boys and girls.

An alternative café /live music warehouse style venue is The Zoo in the Valley. It draws a layed back gay, lesbian and straight crowd and offers free pool on week nights.

Where to Eat:

You will eat well in the Vegas. There is much choice and it’s of a high standard. Restaurants and cafes are plentiful around Boundary Street and Hargrave Road at West End, and Brunswick Street running from the Valley to New Farm. Here’s just a few suggestions.

Getting over the night before is best done with a strong long black at Espressohead in Boundary Street - also run by dynamic duo Jacqueline and Jessica. It’s a hang-out for girls like us and undoubtedly the best service and coffee in town. They also do mean fresh juices, an all day breakfast menu and a lunch range including filled panini, pastas and salads and a great vegetarian selection.
Side by side in West End are bohemian style cafes, The Jazzy Cat and the Three Monkeys - both offering great atmosphere, coffee, cakes and light meals. Across the street it’s hard to get a table at West End’s newest hip café The Gun Shop.
Recommended for casual dining are the New Farm Deli, Gerties (especially for people watching) and Moray Café corner moray St & Merthyr Rd New Farm. In the Valley Mall try Fat Boys for great value alfresco breakfast and The Cosmopolitan for its coffee and pizzas. For speedy, fresh sushi head to the Sushi Train in Brunswick Street. The Grape is an award winning up-market wine bar and restaurant on Merthyr Road. A must is the 1998 Gourmet Traveller restaurant of the year, Ecco Bistro in Boundary Street the City, and also worth a nosh is Arc in Brunswick Street set up by a former Ecco chef.

Where to Shop:
Interesting shopping is to be had in the Valley - Brunswick Street and Ann Street. Check out Honor Lulu, Ultra Suite, Blonde Venus, Tarmac 1 and Tred for clothes and Trash Video for cult movies. Don’t go past Absolutely Fabulous for retro furnishings and collectables.

The Saturday Brunswick Mall Markets are the cities best- no raffia hats here just a mix of colourful people (many with hang overs!) lounging around the cafes, listening to live music and milling around stalls of original ceramics, lead lighting, second hand books, clothes and bric-a-brac. You can have your tarot read or give in to massage aficionados.

In the City wander down Elizabeth Street to check out The Piercing Shop, Indigo Cactus original jewellery and Skinny’s Music and for hip threads try Chi Chi Deluxe and Oxygen.
For literature and novelties you wouldn’t want your mother to see wander around The Den in Fortitude Valley.

In West End check out Avid Reader and Bent Books in Boundary Street and down the road in Gladstone Road, Highgate Hill is the camp row of The Women’s Bookshop, Dorothy’s Place, Blue Tongue Kiss Café and Chop Haircutters.

Where to Stay
While Brisbane has no exclusively lesbian accommodation, the Allender Apartments in central New Farm are gay and lesbian friendly. Air conditioned units with full kitchen facilities, close to venues and the city are priced from $60 per double. 3 Moreton Street New Farm. ph (07) 3358 5832

Central Brunswick Apartment Hotel in the Valley offers gay and lesbian friendly accommodation in self contained, air conditioned apartments from $95 a double. The hotel has a gym, spa and sauna and easy access to restaurants, venues and the Brunswick St Mall. 455 Brunswick Street ph (07) 3852 1411

Thornbury House at Spring Hill is a stylish, well appointed gay & lesbian friendly bed and breakfast in a beautifully restored Queenslander colonial house. It’s close to venues and a minute’s walk from the city heart. Singles are $55 and doubles $90 including continental breakfast. 1 Thornbury Street Spring Hill ph (07) 3832 5985

Helpful contacts:

Brisbane Pride Festival – highlights Pride Rally, March and Fair Day June 22, 2002 Musgrave Park www.pridebrisbane.org.au - full events program online mid-April for June Festival hotline 0418 152 801

Lesbian Line - counselling and information, 7 -10pm nightly (07) 3891 7388 or freecall 1800 249 377

Gay & Lesbian Welfare Association - web http//glwa@queer.org.au

Gay & Lesbian Health Service 38 Gladstone Rd Highgate Hill (07) 3844 9599

Qld Aids Council - ph 32 Peel Street South Bris (07) 3844 1990

Queensland Pride Newspaper - monthly. Ph 07 3392 2922 Email:
qldpride@ribbon.net.au

Brother Sister Newspaper - fortnightly 210 Constance St Fortitude Valley (07) 3852 2155.

Dykewise - magazine on local events / issues. Ph 0413 071 648

Radio 4zzz 102.2FM - Dykes on Mikes - every Wednesday 7-9pm

Team Brisbane - organise and promote lesbian & gay sporting events in Brisbane ph Heather (07) 3207 1746

Rainbow Bootscooters - social bootscooting every Sunday 6-8.30pm East Brisbane Bowls club ph 07 3357 3205

The Rainbow Centre, upstairs at 719a Stanley Street Woolloongabba - home of Queensland Pride (the state’s first gay & lesbian paper ) and a community centre offering a library of information on the state’s gay and lesbian friendly tourism operators, a pool table, coffee and tea facilities and a drop in centre a couple of days a week.

Clubs & Bars
The Lychee Lounge, open 7 days 10.30am - midnight. Shop 2 , 94 Boundary St West End. Email: lychee@zip.com.au ph (07) 3846 0544
The Birdcage women only Friday nights upstairs at Options, 18 Little Edward St, Spring Hill ph (07) 3831 4214

Xena’s -Broadway Hotel 93 Logan Rd Woolloongabba
Alliance Hotel, 300 Boundary St Spring Hill - ph (07) 3832 7355
Sportsman Hotel 130 Leichhardt St, Spring Hill ph (07) 3831 2892
The Cockatoo Club - upstairs at The Beat, 667 Ann St Fortitude Valley ph (07) 3852 2661
Wickham Hotel 308 Wickham St ph (07) 3852 1301
The Empire Hotel Cnr Brunswick & Ann Sts Fortitude Valley
Ric’s Bar Brunswick Street Mall, Fortitude Valley ph (07) 3854 1772
The Zoo, Ann St Fortitude Valley (07) 3854 1381

Getting There

Ex Sydney / Melbourne

By Air
The best deals are generally available on a 21 day advance purchase fare (Melbourne to Brisbane & , Sydney – Brisbane) To book contact the Queensland Travel Centre on ph 13 88 33.

By Rail / Bus
A daily Melbourne to Brisbane service takes 26 hours by train and bus .
A daily direct train service from Sydney to Brisbane takes 14 hours . Advance purchase discounts available - contact Queensland Rail ph 132 332

By Bus
Greyhound buses operate two direct 15 hour services daily from Melbourne to Brisbane.
Greyhound operates five standard services from Sydney to Brisbane daily taking 15-16 hours and a 12-hour express Sydney to Brisbane service.
Contact: Greyhound ph 13 20 30