Mardi Gras - Sydney Pride

While on the couch surfers website I saw an event in Sydney called “Mardi Gras”.  Out of curiosity I clicked on the event and as it turns out Sydney’s Pride is called Mardi Gras and goes for an entire month leading up to the parade.  If there’s one thing Australians know how to do it’s party.  Let the planning begin!  I didn’t attend any of the events leading up to the parade (mainly because I was jobless and broke), but definitely wanted to make it to the parade especially since Sydney has the largest Pride parade in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Conveniently, there was another girl form the Newcastle area going.  We met for a drink with a couple of her friends the day before the parade then took a morning train from Newcastle to Sydney on parade day.  This put us in town around 12:30pm.  Then it was time to find our fellow couch surfers attending the event.

It was here I met a group of amazing people all of whom were also travelers which magnified the already awesome vibe of Pride.  The entire group was pretty big so I didn’t meet everyone, but a small group of us hung out together leading up to the parade, during the parade and then went out dancing afterwards.

The entire experience of Mardi Gras was unbelievably! Had I have experienced it alone it would have been fun, but the group I was with was amazing which made the day/night unforgettable!  

A pub showing their Pride.

Hungry Jacks (aka Burger King) with rainbow flags in the window.

Sarah, the friend from Newcastle I went with, said I needed
something festive to wear so we got me a purple, glitter hat.

Another business with rainbow flags.

Starbucks Pride.

Twinsies

Just so happened to stumble upon the
Nevada Lounge so I had to stop and
represent (with a backwards LV…oops!).
Holla for your hometown!

Our meet up group.

I had a glitter hat, but my ensemble wasn't complete yet.
Rainbow face paint was a must and also one more thing.

Real ATM machines bedazzled!  Faaabulous!

Me and Lauren with rainbow bow ties completing my ensemble.

Volunteers blocking off the road preparing for the parade.

Eric and me.

Sarah rockin her awesome stach glasses.

And let the parade begin.

Coolest glasses I've ever seen.

I lied, after I got Mardi Gras beads my ensemble was complete.

Me and Cynthia.

Sarah, me and Cynthia.  Also, I'm obsessed with that bow tie.

A few of the people in our group.

Dykes on bikes.

Eric and Amy.

Karim and me.

I lied… again.  After decorating myself
with a couple glow stick bracelets my
ensemble was complete.

A shot of the parade… so. many. people!

One of the floats.

Another amazing float.

He's got the whoooole world, on his head.
He's got the whoooole world, on his head.
He's got the whole world on hiiis head.
That's a pretty spectacular head piece.

Lauren

Cynthia and Lauren.

Breezy and Lauren.

Eric, Shontelle and Sarah.  It started raining hence the
umbrella,  but that certainly didn't mean the party was over.
We were off to dance the night away.

Group shot, minus a couple people.