Mardi Gras

Me and my friends having a grand time during the parade

Mardi Gras is HUGE in Sydney and is especially big in my neighborhood, Darlinghurst, which is Sydney's main gay neighborhood. Decorations were put out weeks before the day.  Oxford Street was a sea of rainbow with more flags, colorful signs and elaborate displays. Tens of thousands of people come to see the two and a half hour long parade and attend the after party.  People starting lining up along Oxford Street near my apartment at 2pm in order to reserve prime parade-watching real estate.  Oxford and Flinder Street (the streets that the floats go along) closed by 6 pm in preparation for the parade at 8pm. My flatmate and I just barely made it across Oxford Street before it closed to go to our friend's house.  We all dressed up and glittered up and got into the Mardi Gras spirit at my friend Hodgo's house and then went to a house party on Flinder's Street.  It was an amazing location for viewing the parade because it was a little less crowded and we could watch from the porch. The parade was unlike any I have ever witnessed.  It was jam-packed with everything from men in tight pants, drag queens to elaborate and risque costumes and each float had dancers with choreographed routines.  Definitely worth coming to see if any of you are ever in Sydney around Mardi Gras. It was just a great night.

A view of part of the parade (This was one of the tamer floats)

I got a picture with a drag queen angel who had better makeup and hair than I did.

One of the Mardi Gras displays on Oxford Street