Keen to find out what has changed, Cameron Watt revisits Auckland’s gay scene and encounters a few surprises.

As the plane descends into Auckland after the quick hop across the ditch, I look out the right hand side and see Mount Taranaki peeking above the haze like a welcome beacon ushering us down from the skies.

It’s been nearly eight years since I lived in Auckland and almost five since I visited, so I’m keen to find out what’s changed.

The gay scene’s small and somewhat subdued when you compare it to Sydney, but half the fun is finding out. Start the night off on Ponsonby Road where you’ll find a variety of dining and drinking spots to sate your appetite. The most popular of all would have to be SPQR.

It’s been an institution on the Auckland scene since the early nineties and is still going strong. It’s dark but welcoming and the staff are outrageous in their efforts to ensure your enjoyment.

Try to nab a table outside if you can – that way you can enjoy the view of passersby while you sip on your cocktail and gear up for the night ahead.

Leaving SPQR after midnight we head to Kiss on Karangahape Road (‘K’ Road as the locals call it). Friday nights here are known as ‘Fluffy’ and I’m told by my local friends it always attracts a good mix of hot men. It used to be a monthly event but proved so popular that it now happens weekly.

Sliding up to the bar we’re greeted by a decently buffed Asian bartender scantily clad in a pair of rainbow Speedos. An untouched fruit plate sits in front of us and we wonder if anyone would be game enough to try any.

Later on the dance floor the same bartender circulates with a tray of sushi to whoever is brave enough to indulge. We decline the offer, agreeing there’s something about nightclub sushi that just spells nasty. The music is pumping and everyone seems to be having a good time. This is definitely the place to be on a Friday night.

The first thing I notice when we enter Club 4:20 is that they have opened up the back wall to reveal a view down the hill onto the harbour. I remember coming to this club when it was called Sinners, a predominantly gay nightspot. Now it’s more of an alternative venue. Tonight is ‘Sohomo’, a gay party that’s part of February’s Hero Festival.

The turnout is disappointing to say the least and we sit back and watch a group of about fifteen young guys dressed in fluoro shaking their arses to the offensive tunes. It seems we’re the only ones here who are older than twenty, and in trying to classify the music the best we can come up with is ‘electro-pop-crap-rap’. When an accordion version of ‘Toxic’ comes on, we look at one another in a mixture of shock and amusement, relinquishing that our exit must be imminent.

If the weather is kind to you while you’re here then a visit to the beach will be high on the cards. There are several options close to town, with St. Heliers and Mission Bay offering a variety of restaurants and cafes to add to the experience.

If you have the whole day to spare then a drive out to Piha is recommended to enjoy some spectacular scenery and get a feeling for what the locals do when they want to get away. The drive only takes about forty minutes and winds through the Waitakere Ranges before offering sweeping views across the west coast onto the iron-sand beaches and Tasman Sea.

The sand will be scorching on a sunny day so grab a pair of thongs for the walk. There’s very little to do at Piha other than enjoy the beach since much of it is protected, but a few Aucklanders have recently gotten the go-ahead to build a cafe which will allow visitors to grab a bite to eat and a coffee while they enjoy what it has to offer.

South of Piha is KareKare, which the film buffs among you might recognise from the opening and closing scenes of The Piano.

Accommodation options are many and depending on the length of your stay you might opt for a self-contained apartment or a full-service hotel. The Westin is Auckland’s newest five star property and has all the trappings you’d expect with a central position on Auckland’s waterfront.

The Ascott Metropolis Apartments are located right in the centre of the city’s upmarket shopping precinct. For a romantic getaway enjoying the utmost in luxury, Mollies is a must. It’s an old villa that has been converted into a luxury boutique hotel with painstaking attention to detail. With a day spa, library and cottage garden to name a few of its amenities, this is the kind of place you’ll never want to leave.