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 Is Coolum the new lesbian capital of Queensland? Local resident Ricki Menzies and Susie Beecroft find out.
With major events such as Girlfest at the Hyatt Regency Coolum and Citylickers Lesbian Beach Escape just up the road at Peregian, Coolum could be the new northern lesbian mecca. Not to mention the plethora of lesbians living and playing on its beautiful beaches and the local lesbian functions like Lemon Lounge Coffee Night and Lesbians on the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland (LOTSAH) picnics and barbecues.
The premier lesbian event in Australia is Girlfest, and we are lucky enough to have it here in Coolum – it’s music, comedy, golf, surfing, swimming, sunshine, dancing, and women, women and more women during the long weekend in January. Girlfest is the only national lesbian festival in this country, and in its fourth year founder Nicci Madden says the demographic has changed from 30 somethings to a broader range of women.
“We have women from 18 to 80,” Madden tells Cherrie. “We get somewhere between 1,000 to 1,500 women, we’ve capped it at 1200 this time as we don’t want to grow it too quickly.”
Madden started Girlfest after attending Mardi Gras with friends and despairing at how little there was for lesbians to do.
“After the Dykes on Bikes went through, I thought, ‘Well what do we do now?’ because the rest is all very boy orientated. A friend said why don’t you do something about it and quit your bitching and so I did.”
Originally held on the Gold Coast, Girlfest moved to Coolum after Madden walked into Coolum’s Hyatt Regency and realised it was the perfect place for a lesbian festival.
“The Hyatt is a real resort, not just a hotel, and it means that we can run four events every night. We have a saying at Girlfest and that is ‘Girlfest is whatever you want it to be’. If you want it to be a major party weekend, then that’s what it is; if you want it to be getting a pizza and a bottle of vino and sitting on the beach with your girl, then that’s what it is; if it’s about yoga and hiking, then we have that – or dance parties, you can have that too.”
Christine Anu, Deni Hines, Julia Morris and Mia Dyson are performing at Girlfest 09, and Madden says they have added a karaoke bar, jelly wresting and daytime podium dancers this year.
“We’ve sexied it up this year, we have some very hot looking women.”
Because of Girlfest, Coolum has played host to lesbians from California, New York, London, New Zealand, Canada, Norfolk Island, Sweden, Germany and Saudi Arabia. However, the town’s pristine beaches and beautiful weather attracts girls who are not so straight all year round.
In terms of the town’s history, the first permanent settlers of Coolum were William Perry-Keene and his family in 1905, however, the district was the traditional land of the Inabara or Yinneburra clan of the Undanbi tribe.
Today, Coolum is a cosmopolitan place. Gourmet food is not hard to find in Coolum: from award-winning meat pies to fine seafood, you will find an array of cafes and restaurants to meet your needs.
The beachside shopping precinct includes a range of quirky and stylish boutiques and if water sports are more your caper, snorkelling the point yields sea creatures galore.
Climbing Mount Coolum puts you in one of the most ecologically important square kilometres in Australia. Mount Coolum has a diversity of plant life in a confined area that is unequalled. Two recently discovered tree species are found nowhere else. And then there are the glorious Glasshouse Mountains only a short drive into the Hinterland. Bear this in mind, as you may need an escape after your long weekend at Girlfest.
Enjoy your stay in Paradise.
Girlfest January 23-26, 2009.
www.girlfest.org
www.gaysunshinecoast.com.au
www.qahc.org.au
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