Secret hideaway for lesbian summer camp

A lesbian summer camp at a secret Wairarapa location will pave the way for a lesbian elders village planned for the same site.
Camp organiser Aggie Jakubska, 61, has lived openly as a lesbian for three decades and shifted to New Zealand from Britain to build her own strawbale home surrounded by native bush and hills at the 137ha rural property, which is now also home to six other lesbian women.
"I accepted the invitation to build here so we could expand and develop something that supports lesbian women here in New Zealand," she said.
"It was decided we needed seven lesbian women living here to have an adequate quorum to move ahead. There are now seven of us."
The former psycho-dramatist has organised three lesbian-only sojourns at the site with the latest held last year, she said, at which there were 15 campers from Wairarapa, Wellington and Manawatu.
"The summer camp is a small stepping stone towards something much greater; a lesbian elders village complete with onsite nursing staff and support, an on-call doctor and everything that a fully equipped rest care facility offers.
"I envisage something that allows lesbians to remain true to themselves without having to go back into the closet, without being forced to disappear just to get a room in a straight rest home. It's a very important thing to end your life without having been disappeared," she said.
"There are a lot of imponderables right now building consents and restrictions, costs and investors but early discussions have centred on being able to home a dozen or more people with perhaps communal, singles and couples accommodation all on offer."
Ms Jakubska said the property "which also has flat land suitable for building" is now used to graze neighbours' stock with vegetable gardens, beehives and organic orchards already being harvested.
"There have been forums all around the country this year about a elders village.
"But the time for talk is over and I believe this can happen within my lifetime and right here is absolutely right for an old dykes' rest home.
"The summer camps are a way of opening up the place, introducing women to what we have on offer, and putting to use what we have today."
The five-day camp in January is expected to attract up to 20 women and aims to restore the annual event, which was originally designed "to give lesbians time-out after the festive season and create a Lesbianland for those who attend".
"Somewhere we can be who we are those of us with a different difference to everyone else without being dominated or threatened by the rest of the world."
Facilities at the camp are very basic, including a cold-water
Facilities at the camp are very basic, including a cold-water shower and pit toilet, but this keeps costs "extremely reasonable", she said, especially given that the grounds have magnificent views, are within walking distance of a beach and border a native bush reserve.
Ms Jakubska said there would be activities available at the camp "if campers want to participate" that so far include a clay oven-building workshop with bread and pizza baking in the ovens to follow. There may also be sculpture workshops, flax weaving and stone carving on offer as well.
Ms Jakubska said the cost for campers is $10 a night, or $30 for five nights if paid in advance and an option to stay longer if wanted.
The charges cover simple lunches and cooked dinners prepared from organic vegetables grown in onsite gardens, she said, although campers need to bring breakfast food, toiletries, camping gear and wet weather clothing.Bookings will be taken for the camp from November 1. For more information email aggiejak@hotmail.com or call 027 4265142.