Whether you’re into climbing, hiking, or cycling, if you’re LGBTQIA+ and have been looking for an outdoor community, we’ve got you covered. Here’s nine LGBTQIA+ outdoor groups across Australia that support queer Explorers.

Interstate Groups

1. Climbing QTs

Locations: QLD, NSW, VIC, SA
Key events: Monthly meetups, day trips, and LGBT rock climbing courses

ClimbingQTs is an LGBTQIA+ social club that welcomes climbers of all backgrounds and abilities. They aim to hold a space for all humans, regardless of their gender, sexuality or identity, to feel comfortable, welcome, and safe to be themselves. They operate within the climbing community at the crag, at the gym and everywhere in between. They hold events across QLD, NSW, VIC, SA including monthly meetups at local climbing gyms.

Read more: Why LGBTQIA+ Visibility Is So Important In The Outdoors

2.  Gals and Pals Outdoors NSW & ACT

Locations: NSW, ACT
Key events: Hiking events

Gals and Pals Outdoors NSW and ACT is a collective that works on creating safe spaces outdoors focusing on community. It’s inclusive of female, queer, non-binary, trans and gender diverse people only, and creates an online space for women and queer folk to chat about the outdoors, find hiking buddies, and organise events in their areas.

Regional Groups

3. Bent Kranks Mountain Bike Club

Location: VIC
Key events: Regular outdoor bike rides

Bent Kranks is a bike club created for the gay and lesbian community of Melbourne and open to all. Whether you’re a once-a-year rider or a weekend warrior who hits the trails in and around Melbourne, they have a ride for you.

4. WA Wanderers Bushwalkers

Location: WA
Key events: Regular bushwalks

WA Wanderers Men’s Bushwalking Incorporated is a social walking group for gay guys and their friends, who are keen to get outside and enjoy Western Australia’s countryside with an easygoing and friendly group. Most members live in Perth, however, visitors from interstate or overseas are welcome to join their walks.

5. Bush Lemons

Location: NSW
Key events: Weekly bushwalk, overnight hikes, and camping weekends

Bush Lemons is a Blue Mountains based lesbian bushwalking and outdoors group. They usually have a bushwalk every weekend, mostly on the lands of the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples, as well as occasional overnight and extended walks, and camping weekends. Bush Lemons aims to encourage lesbians to enjoy bushwalking, discover more of the beautiful area they live in, have fun and get fit, all in the company of other lesbians.

 

 

6. The Nomads Outdoors Group Inc.

Location: VIC
Key events: Regular hikes and meetups

The Nomads is a social outdoors group for gay and gay-friendly men of all ages. They have regular meetups in the outdoors, doing any activities from hiking to climbing, biking, and kayaking, however, they also hold social get togethers like movie nights.

7. Southern Cross Outdoors Group

Location: NSW
Key events: Regular hikes and bushwalks

Southern Cross Outdoors Group, or SCOG, organises a wide range of outdoor activities for the queer, lesbian, and gay community. They’re based in Sydney and surrounds, and often hold events such as bushwalks, hikes and camping trips for LGBTQIA+ folk.

8. Adelaide Happy Wanderers

Location: SA
Key events: Monthly meetups, city walks, social catchups

Adelaide Happy Wanderers is a social walking group for gay guys and their friends who are keen to enjoy South Australia’s outdoors with like-minded company. The group meets monthly, on the first Sunday, and takes part in walks, usually in the Adelaide environs. Adelaide Happy Wanderers continues to be one of the longest operating gay social groups in Adelaide with Walkers ranging in age between their 20s and 60s.

9. OutTrekkers

Location: QLD
Key events: Fortnightly bushwalks, camping trips

OutTrekkers is a queer bushwalking group located in Queensland. They aim to create a sense of community amongst queer Queensland bushwalkers, and host events for gay and lesbian people and their friends. Made up of members from a wide age range, they regularly go bushwalking every two weeks and camp occasionally. 

 

Photos thanks to Bush Lemons