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From GayNZ.com Events
“In 2003 we had a fantastic time and the second trip was even better,” Daniel explains. “The mix of snow, sun, spectacular scenery and friendly locals makes Queenstown a perfect place for a ski holiday, add a stack of friendly gay guys, hot spas and cool parties and you know you are going to have a brilliant week. Sipping a cocktail in the bar after a hard day on the slopes with new friends is definitely the way to relax and while Queenstown may not have a gay bar as such, during Gay Ski Week, half the bars become gay for the week.” Daniel says the week is a great opportunity to meet a different group of gay people from the usual ‘Sydney scene queens' they normally see. “There are lots of Kiwi's and a handful of people from other countries. The week attracts people of all ages, from rural and regional areas and guys who do not normally visit gay bars and clubs – plus of course you always get a fair number of spunks!” The guys make a point of staying in the base hotel for the week. “The base hotels have all been excellent, the staff friendly and no one seems to mind when we take over the hotel spas, saunas and bars at the end of the day. Each morning the ‘Pink Bus' picks us up from our hotel and our friendly, hunky bus driver – straight, unfortunately! – takes us to the best snow area for the day in a coach full of queens.” Ski Week stories - on (and off) the slopes
“The biggest night in the first year was when we took over the Millennium Hotel for a fabulous drag show hosted by Buffy & Bimbo, an Australian Idol contestant, and glamorous young Aussie drag queen Courtney Act. Courtney later caused quite a stir on the slopes of Coronet Peak when she turned up in an amazing blue James Bond style ski outfit. It was hysterical to watch the straight snowboarders checking her out, and then looking a bit confused.” Daniel won a ‘Para-Bungy jump' in that first year. He was winched up on a parachute behind a boat on Lake Wakatipu to over 200M and then bungy jumped off – quite an experience! In 2005, veteran Australian Drag Queen ‘Polly Petrie' and performer Bob Downe (aka Mark Trevorrow) came to Gay Ski Week to ski and perform. “One night a whole group of us visited the ‘Ice Bar' [where it's below zero degrees] – there were 25 rugged up poofs and Polly wrapped in glamorous white furs and jewels. It was a fantastic sight!”
“A slightly familiar looking drag queen was having a fantastic time at the party and it took us a while to realise that this was the alter ego of the Concierge at our hotel!” Rather more sedate activities include the popular wine tasting in 2005 and this year will feature a Dinner cruise around Lake Whakatipu on the T.S.S. Earnslaw. Some people who go to Gay Ski Week never even get to the snow. “Two young ‘twinks' from Queensland came in 2005, and spent all of the first day shopping for ski gear. On the second day they did half of a one hour lesson and decided that skiing was not for them! They then spent the rest of the week shopping, visiting health spas and going to all the best bars and coffee shops – they were not wealthy, but they had the holiday of a lifetime,” laughs Daniel. “Most people ski about four to five days out of the week and of course Queenstown is 'Action Central' so there are loads of exciting activities on offer. We have been Jet Boating, Luging, Bowling, Hiking and visited scenery used in the Lord of the Rings.” Daniel remembers one of the funniest moments on any Gay Ski Week was during a show at the Millennium Hotel: “There were about fifeteen of us squeezed around a central table and the other 400 guests were the – mostly straight – Queenstown elite and cultural set who had come to support Gay Ski Week and see what kind of a show we would put on. “At one point in the show, Buffy asked everyone to raise their hand if they had ever had an injury during sex. Everyone on our table had their hands in the air – and I suddenly realised that not one of the other 400 guests had raised their hand. Buffy then went over to a very quiet guy in our group and asked him what injury he had sustained. The guy, who had scarcely said a word to anyone before, explained that he had been forced to go to hospital to have an item removed from his bottom! The room erupted into laughter and applause, everyone thinking the whole thing had been set-up – butour tablelaughed the hardest, and started exchanging injury stories!” Changing and Evolving Gay Ski Week is definitely changing and evolving with each passing year, concludes Daniel. “Organiser Mike Sanford has done great job in listening to people's ideas and deciding what works and what doesn't.” “Originally it was like a big gay family holiday but it is now developing into a major event on the Gay Calendar. This year we have ten friends coming from Sydney to Queenstown with us, none of whom have been to Gay Ski Week before. Unfortunately the event is bound to lose some of its original intimate feel, but on the other hand as more people attend the parties get bigger and the range of gay activities gets better and better.” Book now to be part of the 5th Annual 42BELOW Gay Ski Week NZ – 1st to 9th September 2007. All the details are on www.gayskiweeknz.com © Copyright GayNZ.com |
