Flamingo languages

Sydney is Australia’s oldest and largest city. Originating as a British colony just over 200 years ago, it has evolved to become a modern, multicultural metropolis of over 4 million inhabitants. Its warm, sunny climate, stunning harbour and lively nightlife help to make it the country’s most popular tourist destination.

Sydney amazed the world in the year 2000 when it hosted the Olympic Games, an event which showcased the city’s vibrant, youthful atmosphere and avant-garde architecture.

Sydney is a dream city for gay and lesbian travellers and students. It has a thriving gay and lesbian community, strong anti-discrimination laws and, of course, the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Sydneysiders are easy going, relaxed, open-minded and out-of-towners are welcome.

The heart of Sydney’s gay scene is Oxford Street. During the day, Oxford Street's cafés are perfect for people watching. By night, the action shifts to the street's clubs and bars, where drag queens mix with leather boys, suburban boys, party boys, butch dykes, glamour dykes, transsexuals, bisexuals … and just about anybody else you can think of. In Sydney’s inner-west lies another gay and lesbian centre, focused on the suburbs of Glebe, Newtown and Leichhardt. Here you’ll find the Imperial Hotel, home to the long-running Priscilla Queen of the Desert show.

After a night of partying, you can head to one of Sydney’s many beaches to cool off in the water or relax on the sand, enjoying the sunshine and watching the bronzed bods go by.