All queer parties it seems, have to have a theme, and tonight's is the ever popular Roman Toga Party. I suppose having the odd available sheet to drape around your body is a practical reason for this choice, but it's perhaps more the decadence that is associated with the idea of the Roman Empire and its excesses that is more pertinent here tonight, where sex is foremost on the agenda for many. Underwear, of course, is superfluous, so that makes things even easier as the night flows on. I wonder how many of our very butch lesbian sisters will grace the stage tonight? I think not too many, and it won't be the weather which is the reason. Dresses, after all, are really a girl's thing.
Again another quite violent thunderstorm precedes the event, just giving more time to prepare, so all is ship-shape. The caravans and Kombies are continuing to arrive, and it seems like the population of the camp doubles for the New Year's Eve party, which includes, at the very end, the announcing and crowning of the next Queen of the Hill for the coming year. This is a full-time job I am told, so much goes into this constantly increasing social phenomenon in Kiwi Land.
Preparing for the Toga party
You will see from the above three photos some of the preparation for the Toga party, but what followed was something not to be expected...some magic occurred and our 'mob', L, H, K and I set off to visit a few of the other tents in the camp. We got ready early so had ample time to stroll, all four of us, the kilometre length of the camp area and say Hi! and have photos taken with various unsuspecting campers. K, quite high on several G and Ts, was instrumental in getting half the visitors at Vinegar Hill to be part of our long tour. We finally, having done the length and breath of the site, and a good hour later, arrived at the Toga venue, in full and blushing colour, to see the other early arrivals in total white, sipping their cocktails.
Needless to say we were warmly welcomed and soon the party numbers swelled to about a hundred. All were decked out, some fantastically original, in various modes of Roman dress. It was worth it to see the relaxing of all barriers - sex, class and nationality disappear in this dress-up party under the now clear sky, accompanying it an amazing presentation of a light show projected onto the giant bush background.
So many different nationalities were there, and I feel many ex-pat Kiwis come home for this event. I spoke to one of them, now living in Sydney, who told me he couldn't compare the fun he had here to the somewhat artificial sophistication of last year's top Sydney NYE party (at $300 a head) held on the roof of the fashionable MCA on Circular Quay. I couldn't have agreed more. This was a great party and I stayed later than I normally do, getting back to my bed by eleven, (?) leaving my friends to burn the midnight oil.
Two wandering revellers
Nero and his concubine
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