By JIMMY IM

The “tiny” town of Auckland is becoming a trendy
world-class city perfect for a visit from the GLBT
traveler. (Photo courtesy 11words.com)

I’m with my friend Justin at a bar called Family on the “gay” street of Auckland, New Zealand, and there’s been many times we’ve given each other the “WTF?” look as this is far from what we expected. The bar is crowded with locals, young and old, punk and bear, queens and hipsters. The local drag queen is larger than life (and not to mention, quite large in general), hosting the karaoke night as Kiwis take their turns singing bad pop tunes and/or bad pop tunes badly. We’ve somehow ended up meeting a random gay couple from Minneapolis, who are just as lost as us as the songs get louder, the crowd gets drunker and the atmosphere livelier. The bar is trashy, kitschy, divey with bright lights, and the drag queen is stripping a young, straight Kiwi (yes, there are also straight wanderers into the bar) as a 20-year-old model (he’s currently on the cover of Dazed & Confused magazine) sizes us up, befriends us, then runs to the bathroom after we make him do a round of tequila shots with us. It’s nearly 2 a.m., the DJ gets on, the dance floor gets busy and the Kiwis are out to make a statement in the gay bar that seems like it will never close.

And it’s just Wednesday night.

Auckland is full of surprises but nobody knows this because nobody comes here. Gay travelers head straight “down under” for their Australasia Pacific adventures, snubbing this “tiny” city (a little more than a million) that, as it turns out, is worth more than an overnight stay. In fact, the city is becoming aggressively progressive, as if it’s putting its foot down, no longer content with being a “stop over” destination. The culinary scene is becoming more demanding with top new restaurants (Coco’s Cantina), shopping is becoming trendier (The Department Store, Auckland’s answer to a boutique Barney’s), their flagship Air New Zealand is revolutionizing airplanes with the brand-new “cuddle” class and the city is getting an all-over facelift for next year’s Rugby World Cup (grrr.)

Not only are there myriad activities and attractions that can’t be duplicated elsewhere in the region but the gay scene (albeit, quite small) is growing, especially with the lesbians. Candy Bar is a new favorite and right on top of Navel & Family, the neighborhood gay bar downstairs for boys.

The mother load of gays can be found in Ponsonby, the trendy district that’s one of Auckland’s most historic neighborhoods. Century-old homes and mansions have been transformed into small boutiques, cafes, restaurants and several galleries, including OBJECTSPACE, a gay-owned gallery housed in an 1884 original Savings Banks that features some of the city’s best emerging talents. SPQR is the restaurant for scenesters, while the new Sidart restaurant is all about the cuisine. Top Auckland chef Sid Sawhrawat opened it up early this year, serving contemporary dishes in an intimate setting with commanding views of the skyline.

Speaking of skyline, there’s SkyCity, the tower that marks the city’s harbor, and the base of daredevil bungee jumpers (New Zealand is the founding country of the high-adrenaline recreation). Too high? Go the shorter route with Auckland Bridge Bungy off the Harbour Bridge. It’s only 40 meters (130 feet!) but well worth the experience (just bring your Xanax).

What makes Auckland extraordinarily unique is the variety of day trips that take you to a completely different environment. For instance, there’s Waiheke Island, a short 45-minute, terrific ferry ride away, producing some of the New Zealand’s (if not the world’s) best wines. There are more than thirty vineyards producing a variety of blends in charming boutique wineries. One of the more popular is Stony Ridge, a small, award-winning vineyard run by young Kiwi hipsters. Its organic, biodynamic wines are some of the country’s best (the signature LaRose is a high-ranker in the Wine Advocate). Just up the coast in the Waitakere region are gorgeous rain forests and black-sand beaches (the set for “The Piano.”)

But there’s nothing like getting back to your hotel, the Langham, Auckland’s only five-star that’s both stylish and opulent, with a new Chuan Spa that delivers some of the city’s best treatments and a heated, outdoor pool. The 410-room is centrally located with a buzzing lobby and cute staff to boot and, yes, fresh kiwis are served daily.

Jimmy Im is a freelance travel writer based in New York City. He is one of the hosts of “Confessions of a Travel Writer” on the Travel Channel and writes regularly for top publications around the world.