It's been an awesome 2011... now for 2012!!

As we rush headlong to 2011, thanks to all of our guests and readers for making this a great year for us. Not as awesome as 2010 with the World Cup Football in South Africa but we met loads of new friends from across the globe and now look forward to 2012 and the new opportunities and friends we will meet.

Tonight we are having a braai with guests at the guesthouse and will continue the party on the roof and jacuzzi till 2012.

Happy Durban Christmas

Here's a Christmas wish to you all... thanks to all you awesome guys for visiting this year... you've made it special for us; and for those intending to visit in the New Year.. don't wait too long.. come and have some of this summer sun Durban is famous for. Have an incredible 2012!!

The Prince and Princesses

Our COP17 guests Peter (left) and Bernado (right) were delighted to meet a real Prince - Albert of Monaco - whilst helping organise the Climate Change Conference in Durban. Self-styled as "Exquisiteness Highness Prince(ss) Peter James 111 of Melbourne, and Bedazzlement Highness Princess Bernado 1 of Montejumbura" meeting with His Serene Highness Prince Albert 11 of Monaco. Nice one guys, although Bernado you could have cleaned up your face for the meeting :-) 

Dave visits the COP17 Expo

Bumping into guests of the Guesthouse at the Expo

Guest Nicolas de Klerk designed and built this stand at the Expo - crafts made of recycled materials

Taking time out to visit the Climate Change Expo where his guests have been hard at work for 2 weeks, guesthouse co-owner Dave meets up with our Dutch guests Jeroen and Lennard. In the 2nd photo the Siemens motorbike is a fully electric model going for 120kms before needing recharging and with a top speed of 160kmh. Dave adds his "green pledge" to the Tree of Pledges at the Conference. And in the last place, the "font of all knowledge" Dave hams it up at the information kiosk.

More Cop17 Fun in Durban

Peter (Melbourne) , Jose (Buenos Aires), Ian (Durban) and Bernado (Uruguay)

Jeroen and Lennard from Netherlands now live in Hungary, with Llewellyn and Dave

Conference organiser Peter from Melboune now living in Germany

 It's Llewellyn and my 7th Anniversary together and what better way to celebrate than to enjoy a few drinks with our guests from around the world for the Cop17 Conference in Durban - here from Australia, Uruguay, Equador, Hungary, United States, Netherlands, Germany and South Africa.

Thanks Llewellyn for 7 fabulous years, proving that all things really are possible.. and we met on the internet, so never discount that as possible guys!  Check us out on facebook

Tony and Ray

The Anniversary boys Dave (left) and Llewellyn (right) with Tony

It was Monday and the beer and burger special at Billy the Bums, so we took the COP17 Climate Change Conference guests with us for an evening out. Also joining us were Adrian and Richard from Scotland and Gerhard from Pretoria.

Guesthouse co-owner Dave (left) with Raul (right) from Equador

COP17 guests arrive

Hard at work for a few days already preparing for the COP17 delegates are conference organiser Bernado (right), and Nicolas (left) setting up a recycling exhibition stand for the conference which kicked off today in Durban. Welcome too to the delegates arriving at the guesthouse today. We hope you have an awesome conference and enjoy our hospitality in Durban.

Durban Welcome

Durban is under a flood of guests for the Cop 17 Climate Change Conference. Slipping inbetween are guests here for a holiday weekend in Durban, Matt (left) and Raiel (right) with guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn (centre). Unfortunately "climate change" already appears to be having some effect and Durban has been under a mist and rain blanket the whole weekend...hopefully clearing back to our usual November beach weather this week.

Rainbow Cruise Sail-away Party

Mr Gay Sa 2011 Finalists at Durban View Guesthouse

Barman Ian and fiends meet the Mr Gay SA finalists

Llewellyn (Durban View Guesthouse co-owner) with Gavin Deale

Durban View Guesthouse co-owner Dave (left) with Rainbow Cruise organiser Leon Nel (centre) and former Mr Gay SA Finalist Gavin Deale (right)

Coenie Kukkuk, organiser of the Mr Gay South Africa pageant with his Finalists

The November Rainbow Cruise which sails from Durban to Mocambique is the most festive with the finalists of the Mr Gay South Africa competition on board. The sail-away party at Durban View Guesthouse gives us a chance to meet the finalists and the other rainbow passengers the night before the ship sails.

Adult Panto "Alice in Wonderland" - now on in Durban

Dave with Thomie (rabbit, right)

If you guys get a chance, please book to see our Durban gay boys in drag for the performance of "Alice in Wonderland" now on at SunCoast Casino until January. Anthony Stonier as the Queen (naturally) and our part-time Guesthouse Manager Thomie (as Rabbit) were hilarious. We made up a table on a bring-your-own supper theatre basis, and the gay boys brought a feast. Wonderful evening. Poor Lee got dragged up onto stage as well.

Lee, Mark, Jeremy, Llewellyn and Ian

Gay Film Fest Now On

The Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is in full swing at the KZNSA gallery, 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, Durban. R35 for features and R20 for documentaries/shorts; an inexpensive bar is open during the evenings (R10 beers, R10-R20 spirits, R10-R15 wines) along with great Pride memorabilia, flags and books of interest.

All major credit/debit cards are accepted for reasonable transactions & purchases.

THU 03 NOV 10:00AM - Milk (screening of film for afternoon discussion)
THU 03 NOV 1:00PM - Activism & Martyrdom: discussing Milk in the SA Context
THU 03 NOV 6:30PM - London Shorts: Short Set #1 (3 short films)
THU 03 NOV 8:00PM - 2 Frogs in the West (feature film, English&French+subtitles)
FRI 04 NOV 2:00PM - Film Makers Workshop: Indep. films that tackle LGBTI issues
FRI 04 NOV 6:00PM - Interactive discussion with director of House of Boys
FRI 04 NOV 7:30PM - House of Boys (feature film)
FRI 04 NOV 10:00PM - Mulligans (feature film)
SAT 05 NOV 10:00AM -Sexuality Workshop: Opening the doors to your closet
SAT 05 NOV 1:00PM - Sexuality Workshop: Love safer sex
SAT 05 NOV 4:00PM - Breaking out of the Box (documentary)
SAT 05 NOV 5:00PM - Difficult Love (documentary)
SAT 05 NOV 6:00PM - Waited For (documentary)
SAT 05 NOV 8:00PM - Judas Kiss (feature film)
SAT 05 NOV 10:00PM - Official Closing Party at the KZNSA
SUN 06 NOV 2:00PM - 2 Frogs in the West (feature film, English&French+subtitles)
SUN 06 NOV 4:00PM - London Shorts: Short Set #2 (3 short films)
SUN 06 NOV 5:00PM - Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride (closing night film)

Please come support us! Share this info with your friends. For more info & trailers:
www.dglff.org.za / or call 0318110959 (office hours) / or email bookings@dglff.org.za

Durban from the air

The clear blue skies and sea yesterday gave us an opportunity for an early morning breakfast run (or hop) to Pietermaritzburg and some awesome shots of Durban's World Cup Football Stadium from above. After breakfast we got back to Durban in time for work.

Nederlands in Durban

Always welcome in Durban are our guests from the Netherlands. Particularly during the World Cup last year and with the success of the Netherlands team right through to the semi-final, the Oranje-fans in Durban were great fun. Meet Jelle and Arjen from Groningen in the north who are staying with us during their tour of South Africa.

Kite-Surfing in Durban

Durban and the east coast of Southern Africa are great kite-surfing destinations. Here for a holiday break in Durban and then on a Mocambique are kite-surfer Ivo and friend Stefan from Vienna in Austria. They are also looking at the possible establishment of a kite-surfing resort along the beaches of Mocambique.

A little bit of Perth

I always say that the view from our rooftop is a little like the view of Perth from across the Swan River. In Durban to confirm this is Justin a post-graduate student who has been doing volunteer work with disabled children in the Winterton area and is enjoying a break with us at the guesthouse before returning home.

It's adult Panto time again and Durban's famous/infamous cast once again don the drag outfits to give us a hilarious insight into the times and trials of Alice in all of her glory.

Meet Thomie, our part-time guesthouse manager in a frock as well as the cronies who are always good for a laugh and great evening entertainment.

Here's the link to the facebook event for more info.

Guesthouse photos

We made some improvements to the Guesthouse last year and don't seem to have loaded the pics anywhere. In particular a guest was wanting a photo of the glass chandelier we bought outside the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and hung in our dining room. So here's a few pics of the house, showing the lounge, the dining area, the patio outside the pub and a night view of the spiral staircase to the roof.

Film Fest for Durban

It's the inaugural Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Durban this month. As an independent platform for filmmakers from South Africa and across the world to specifically deal with issues relating to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Intersexed (LGBTI) community, the DGLFF will showcase new and innovative motion pictures, documentaries, shorts and related productions whilst conducting workshops, debates and talks on past LGBTI movies, productions processes, film writing and how the visual medium affects and is affected by the pink community across the world. Special emphasis will be placed on Durban and KwaZulu-Natal filmmakers, especially those that deal with human rights and issues of human sexuality in their work. This will not exclude by any means individuals and stories from mainstream cinema, but will allow the LGBTI community to celebrate and explore ideas, concepts and tales of resonating interest with them.

Click on the link here and book your tickets early.

France and LA meets Durban

It's always great to introduce foreigners to our city and Yohann and Giovanni are no exception. Hope you have an awesome time in South Africa guys and make the trip all the way around. Enjoy!

Dave and Llewellyn's Sling bring the gay boys together

This is our city and our baby's first view of the sea and her new home in Durban. Welcome home sexy!!

Braai invite

You're invited to a bring-and-braai on Sunday at my Flying School, Light Flight in Cato Ridge to check out our new plane. Will be flying in the am but the plane can be seen any time from 10am and I will light fires from 12.30.. so please come and be part of the excitement.

Mr Gay South Africa 2011 gets under way

Contestant Fahraaz

Contestant Prince

The Mr Gay South Africa 2011 contest is under way and the KwaZulu-Natal contestants, Fahraaz, Mngobi and Prince, came for preliminary judging to the Guesthouse today. Judges Trevor, Gavin and Prince put the contestants through their paces and a decision will be taken by the Mr Gay South Africa team as to the finalists for the main event to take place in Pretoria later this year.