Brookes Trust Launch New Zealand At Urge Bar Friday 7th May
“The Journey” Begins Sircuit Leatherman 2009
Auckland Saturday the 8th May
Today was the New Zealand launch of the Brookes Trust held at Urge Bar on K Road, Auckland. It was an early morning flight (very fucking early) so I met my fellow Brookes Trust committee members and chaperones Chris Driscoll and Malcolm Whitling at 5am at the international terminal.
We landed safely and were kindly met at the Auckland airport by the nicest of men, Paul Heard, the owner and manager of Urge Bar. After some lunch my chaperones and I wandered around the city for some site seeing then headed back to the hotel for a little nana nap (said in a deeper voice: "Ah-hum, I mean afternoon rest.")
A surreal thing that occurred was that the hotel was directly across the road from my old apartment where I lived 13 years ago (yes I was an Aussie living in enemy territory once a upon a time). My hotel room was in fact on the same floor as the apartment so I could look directly into my old sweet and innocent bed chamber and the scene where I perhaps lost my virginity (several times.)
Once I got over my little trip down memory lane, it was time to get dressed into the leathers and the three of us met Paul and his very lovely partner, Alan (Grrrr) for dinner at the Joy Bong (that's a restaurant, not an apparatus).
After dinner, Paul and Alan took us to another bar down the road where a monthly bear gathering was in progress. We were welcomed with open arms and met some fantastic locals and also some not so locals with a contingent of South Africans in the house also. From there we trotted ("Ah-hum, swaggered") up K Road to Urge Bar. Again another very warm welcome awaited us.
Urge Bar is not a big bar but it is a very sexy venue with a lot of warmth (especially when you have some of the owners special Jagermeisters). I cannot rave enough about the friendly and welcoming crowd but then I never met a Kiwi I didn't like. I did my thing with a formal speech to launch the Brookes Trust and encouraged the lads to have a go at the Mr Leather Urge Bar competition in August. I believe they have 4 contestants already and let me tell you, they have got it going on. Australia will need to step up if we want to keep the sash on our fair shores.
Chris did what ever he could to sell Belt clips and did very well..... Thank you very much to the men who purchased belt clips. Your support for the Brookes Trust goes along way to securing the future of the Brookes Trust and ultimately our leather community.
After the launch Paul Heard and myself auctioned off some donated leathers for charity and raised $2400 for the local Aids Council. What a terrific effort!! I encourage all you leather men and bears who are bored of your local waterhole, get off you arse, buy a flight to Auckland and visit the sexy boys at Urge Bar. It will be a cheap weekend for you and one you won't forget I promise.
From then on the night becomes a little hazy but I do vaguely remember being at the Family night club in my best Tom of Finland leather gear surrounded by Maori drag queens bigger than the land of the long white cloud itself. I have to particularly mention Zoe and Ribena. Lovely lovely girls. Thank you very kindly for taking me under your wings (wasn't hard, they are 8 foot tall) and making me feel like a celebrity in your bar. Also thank you to the very sexy Brazilian, Jefferson and the Argentinian, Hose and the other Brazilian, Gi. Your hospitality was most appreciated!!
And in case any of you are concerned as to how my chaperones could let me end up in such a compromising position with so many drag queens and sexy South Americans, well lets just say, "who was looking after who?" Too much fun. Thanks guys.
So it was a little bit of a sleep in Saturday after, ooh, lets say 47 beers the night before. A very obliging Brazilian called Jefferson showed me around the city for the afternoon then I kindly donated $50 to the Sky Casino and went back to the hotel in time to meet my hosts Paul Heard and his partner Alan.
The boys took me to a pub near New Market (forgotten the suburb - sorry boys) for a counter meal then across the road to a bar called "Dots." It was like a scene from a West Hollywood gay movie. There was literally more cross dressers and drag queens than a Mardi Gras float but they were all the sweetest and gentlest of ladies. 80's music bopped out of a sufficient sound system played from an i-tunes play list. The barman was camp and adorable, feathers floated through the air, sequins lay on the floor, the drinks were strong and the atmosphere absolutely priceless!!!!
The bar is owned and run by a couple called Ron and Peter aka Vera and Bertha. Vera wore suitably modest little black dress with a wig as high as the ceiling but flat sensible shoes. Vera, obviously the showier one of the two, also had a little black dress but a touch of sequence and the heals hinted to her taste for the more glamorous. Let me tell you about Bertha, his name is actually Peter Taylor, a famous equestrian Olympic champion and author of "Don't Postpone Joy" of which he gave me signed copy with a personal message. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1983 and has since overcome other so called fatal illnesses. The man is an inspiration to all and genuinely AMAZING!! Get the book where ever you can. I have already read it and feel so much more enriched.
Anyway I digress. Vera and Bertha performed a couple of numbers for the enthusiastic crowd and even introduced me as an international celebrity in their audience. If you do get to New Zealand, visit this bar. It reminds you what being gay is all about no matter your bent or genre of "gayness". Salt of the Earth people.
After Dot's the boys took me back to their bar "Urge" where I had a quiet couple of cold beverages, the a couple of warmer beverages and chatted to the regular lads. What a great community. I felt apart of it already. There was some fresh faces I didn't see the night before but was very glad to see. There must be an extra sexy gene in the kiwi DNA, it is subtle and overwhelming at the same time. Again I digress but they do ooze appeal.
Alan continued his duties as host with full spirit and we ended up at Family Bar again, then a few other venues that shall remain nameless.
I had a fantastic weekend. I met some incredible and amazing people. I was treated like a celebrity and found a country full of new friends.
I cannot wait to go back to judge the Mr Leather Urge Bar competition in August.
Thank you to Paul and Alan for your very kind hospitality.
