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The Guardian - Life & Style • Feb. 1, 2026, 9:30 a.m.
The moment I knew: as we sat on the veranda playing Scrabble, it hit me – I was in love
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When Dion Padan met Ben Graetz and his drag queen persona, there was an undeniable energy. A weekend away deepened their connection Find more stories from the moment I knew series In 2015, I moved to Sydney from north Wales in the UK.
Sydney had always been my dream destination, but then the Australian immigration rules changed, meaning that to get permanent residency with my skillset as a barber, I’d have to move to Tasmania or the Northern Territory. I decided on Darwin because I feared the weather in Tasmania was too much like British weather.
So in 2018, I packed my bags and moved to Darwin without knowing anything about the city. Ben and I first chatted on Grindr and he was very welcoming, offering to show me around town.
Sydney had always been my dream destination, but then the Australian immigration rules changed, meaning that to get permanent residency with my skillset as a barber, I’d have to move to Tasmania or the Northern Territory. I decided on Darwin because I feared the weather in Tasmania was too much like British weather.
So in 2018, I packed my bags and moved to Darwin without knowing anything about the city. Ben and I first chatted on Grindr and he was very welcoming, offering to show me around town.
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