Auckland's second oldest sex on site venue has closed its doors, apparently for good. Doors to the Countrymen's Institute sauna on Beach Road were locked by the building's owners before the weekend, with typed notices advising Countrymens' management and staff that entry onto the premises “will constitute tresspass.” Countrymens' was built in 1988 by two gay men, Glen Morris and Lawson Bracewell. After Morris's death it passed into a variety of hands, but never managed to maintain a strong clientele. Its most recent owners experimented with promotions such as straight/bi nights and over the years it hosted a number of successful sauna dance parties. Phonecalls to Countrymen's and the building's owners have yet to provide contact with either party. Auckland's longest-running sauna is the nearby Westside on Anzac Ave which has inhabited a variety of sites over the years.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Sunday, 22nd September 2002 - 12:00pm