Auckland will be bustling in mid February as thousands of gay men arrive from around the world to join the very first NZ cruise to Sydney Mardi Gras.
The all-gay cruise departs from Auckland, Wednesday 17 February, with stopovers in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin before setting sail across the Tasman to Melbourne, then arriving in Sydney on Saturday 27 February, just in time for Mardi Gras.
It's hoped that many cruise passengers will arrive in Auckland the weekend before, in time for New Zealand's biggest annual LGBT event - the Get it On! Big Gay Out in Coyle Park.
K' Road's Urge bar will open in the evenings of Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 February for drinks to welcome cruisers arriving in Auckland. Gay-owned bars Family on K' Road and Dot's on Symonds Street will also be open as usual.
Event organiser Wayne Nicholas is also planning to welcome them. "We are working with the hotels accommodating the visitors to produce a program of events, as well as promoting retail outlets and other activities, which may be of interest during their stay," he tells GayNZ.com.
"Passengers are expected to start arriving in Auckland two to four days prior to departure, and we are preparing a special pack to be made available to cruise patrons on checking into their respective hotels. We anticipate arrivals from Saturday 13 February.
"This is a great opportunity to make them welcome and promote New Zealand's vibrant gay community and businesses, so if you are an interested party and would like to promote your event or business in Auckland or any of the stopover points, please email chaples@xtra.co.nz."
