Gay time in the provinces

To most of us, rural New Zealand towns are simple places of black and white with few shades of grey.

But in a small Wairarapa town those sterile perceptions are being shattered. In Greytown it's not just black and white - there are shades of pink as well.

The town of 2000 people was a paragon of all that was good from Anglican England. But now it's colloquially known as Gaytown.

"There's notably more gay people in Greytown than in other Wairarapa towns," said Mike Shale, a gay man and former owner of the Greytown Hotel. "And the people who are there are more prominent."

Just over the Rimutakas from the capital, the town has become a getaway spot for wealthy Wellingtonians. Along a rural backwater, its beautiful old architecture has drawn visitors and immigrants from all walks of life. Their money has brought great cafes, shops, arts and quality restaurants. And those charms have drawn a vibrant gay community.

"It attracts a lot of creative people. It's a little Parnell and that's probably good," said Annabel Cowdery of Emporos antique shop, who said the pink dollar has been beneficial. "It's great for visitors - we have lots of gay visitors shopping and going to restaurants."

Not everyone prefers pink. Chris Jackson, owner of River East Gallery, said the name Gaytown was pretty derogatory. "I don't like it personally - there's young people, there's elderly people, there's a huge cross section of the population," he said.

"When people call it Gaytown I think, 'hello, gay men aren't the only people in the world'."

Even some of the prominent gay business owners dispute the name.

Michael Nalder was one of the pioneers of the new Greytown - he established the first trendy cafe in Main St. He believes the nickname comes from the procession of homosexual business leaders.

"Anyone coming here and thinking it's like Ponsonby Rd is going to be disappointed."

Admittedly Greytown doesn't seem the best place to go cruising - the GayNZ website has no knowledge of any gathering places.

But it almost wasn't that way. When Mr Shale bought the Greytown Borough Council chambers the town was delighted.

He gave some serious consideration to setting up a gay brothel in the buildings - something to spice the town up a bit. But as word got around he realised he might be pushing the tolerance of Greytown - a homosexual harem smack bang on Main St may not have gone down too well.

He still backs the Gaytown name and reckons there's money to be made. He's setting up a gay-themed cafe called the Egyptian Tearooms, named after a cafe owned by Wellington's best known madam, Carmen.

Malcolm Brodie is the head of the Wairarapa Blokes - a club of gay men.

He said Greytown was home to a strong gay community, with a lot visit-ing over weekends or overnight. "The Gaytown theme seems to be getting there a bit."

Named after colonial Governor George Grey, Greytown was intended as a support-town for the developing farming community.

Its resurrection as a vibrant village with a small town feel but big city amenities is bringing plenty of money into the town. And the Gaytown name could simply be a gripe from neighbouring Featherston and other local towns.

"I get a lot of gyp from my mates - you're another gay bloke from Gaytown," said Nathan Williams, current owner of Greytown Hotel.

But Mr Williams doesn't really mind the jibes. Every Sunday members of the gay community gather at the pub and have a good laugh. "There's one or two people that feel funny about it. But they're all nice guys - they're pretty cheeky but they're good fun."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY