A Welcoming Itinerary for LGBT+ Travellers

LGBT+ Welcoming Travel Itinerary

CURATED BY | MICHAEL & CHARLIE FROM HUSBANDS THAT TRAVEL

When Charlie Douty and Michael Kabourakis set up their Instagram page @husbandsthattravel in 2021, it was based more on their own vigour for travel than an exercise in advocacy. But as their followers swelled in numbers to upwards of 40k people, the couple realised that there was an urgent need for LGBT+ visibility in travel media.

Charlie and Michael recently travelled through the Margaret River Region and were overwhelmed with the welcoming response they had from accommodation providers and tour operators. “In some places in rural Australia, we might not feel safe to hold hands in public, or one person might need to go and check into the accommodation while the other waits in the car,” says Charlie. “In the Margaret River Region, we never hesitated to be ourselves or felt anxious or nervous expressing our feelings.”

For many people, the freedom to be yourself in public is something taken for granted. Most travellers can kiss, hug or show affection to a loved one with ease. But for LGBT+ travellers, these are the rather unnerving but deeply real discussions that need to be had when choosing a travel destination.

Charlie and Michael are determined to change the score. To make LBGT+ travellers more visible, and to shine a light on their own positive experiences and the generous folks they have met along the way. Their advocacy is bold, brave, vulnerable – and absolutely necessary. We hope with Charlie and Michael’s guide, you can feel the same sense of freedom here, as they did.

DAY 1: Busselton

Busselton, a popular seaside holiday destination, is a good place to start your itinerary (in part due to the new Melbourne to Busselton Jetstar flights which might have you arriving here first). Michael and I recommend a morning stroll along the Busselton Jetty - which is a roughly 2km timber pile jetty that brings together local fishermen, families with kids, and marine enthusiasts.

We then ventured a little inland, where Busselton is also blessed geographically with the majestic Ludlow Tuart forest. Michael and I challenged ourselves with a ziplining adventure at Forest Adventures South West where some of the 300 year-old trees grow up to 33m in height with girths of 10m!

For lunch, we recommend a picnic on the Busselton Foreshore (you can pick up supplies from Origins Market in Busselton’s CBD). You could equally grab a pint and a meal at Shelter Brewing Co. The venue takes in the gorgeous bay and views of the jetty.

We had dinner at Tonic By the Bay, which is LGBT+ owned. It’s a beautiful spot to finish the day and watch the sun go down with a cocktail.

DAY 2 Yallingup

Like most mornings, Michael and I start our day with a walk. In Yallingup, the stretch of the Cape to Cape track from Smiths Beach to Canal Rocks was one of our most memorable hikes. We were lucky to have a flawless blue-sky morning and found rock pools to swim in along the way.

For lunch around Yallingup, our favourite place was Swings

Sugarloaf Rock is quite spectacular at sunset

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and Roundabouts. There seems to be a bit of an Italian bent throughout the menu and in the interactions we had with the staff. If not Italian – the pizza definitely had a style all of its own, with the woodfired crust, thin base and a raft of simple and delicious toppings.

To fill the afternoon, Michael and I recommend a stop past Gabriel’s Chocolate. Their artful, innovative and downright delicious creations leave Cadbury in the dust (sorry Cadbury). And we 100% need to mention the chocolate chip cookies here.

Sunset we spent at Sugarloaf Rock. It’s remarkably rugged landscape and unsurprisingly very popular with photographers so pack the camera.

DAY 3 Margaret River

We strongly suggest starting your day in Margaret River with a mountain bike tour. Brookesy, from Margaret River Mountain Bike Tours, knows the trails that traverse Margaret River intimately. You wouldn’t be able to see these hidden secrets without him. But the biking banter with Brookesy was also terrific. Everything from bike advice to life advice was covered. He felt like a very supportive ally on our travels.

Best place for lunch to follow the bike ride, is the Margaret River Brewhouse. Make sure you order the squid salad. We’d heard that people travel the 2.5 hour distance from Perth for this salad and we won’t lie – both of us will be coming back for this dish too. It was light and full of vegies and crispy squid, and with the perfect dressing. We met Brewhouse owner Ilya, who was very welcoming too.

In the afternoon, grab a coffee at the White Elephant Beach Café in Gnarabup before it closes (you could also go here for breakfast if you’re building your own itinerary), then check out Redgate beach. There are striking granite boulders here and a nice little walk to get from the carpark to the beach cove where you can spot black cockatoos and lizards (but watch out for snakes too). It’s a popular beach with surfers if you want to have a go at catching a wave.

For dinner we recommend La Scapetta, an Italian run and LGBT+ owned restaurant along Margaret River’s main street. It has a standout food and wine menu and feels special and secluded.

Suggested Accommodation

Bina Maya Yallingup Escape – Who would know that Scandinavian architecture surrounded by Western Australian bush would work so seamlessly. We highly recommend Bina Maya for guests travelling in groups. There’s a lot of room to spread out in this luxury setting, and our host Sarah made us feel very welcomed. She even added photos of us onto the Bina Maya Instagram account which we felt was a genuine act of inclusiveness.

Margaret River Guest House – The vibe at the Margaret River Guesthouse was like a big warm hug. With the simple act of gathering everyone together, our host Lisa created a very homely feeling. The accommodation itself is very much quintessential Margaret River in vibe – with farmhouse wrap around verandas. This article was originally published on margaretriver.com and has been adapted for print.

Top: Charlie and Michael enjoy a tasting paddle at Margaret River Brewhouse.