26th Annual Scientific Meeting
October 30-31, City Hall, Newcastle, NSW
General Information
Hunter Region
The Newcastle Region, which includes Newcastle City, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, and Lower Hunter areas has a population of around 500,00. Maps of the region may be downloaded at here.Newcastle was founded on coal and continues this tradition today with the Port of Newcastle which is the world’s largest coal exporting port. Since the closure of the BHP steelworks, Newcastle has undergone a renaissance to become one of Australia’s most liveable cities. With its beaches, surfing and close proximity to the famous Hunter Valley Wine Region, Newcastle is now a great place to live or visit. The Hunter Valley is famous for its wine. Of particular note is the Semillon produced in the area. Port Stephens has long been the holiday destination of Sydney residents and is popular with the locals as a weekend get away.Conference Venue
The conference venue, City Hall is located in the central Civic Precinct of Newcastle . This precinct contains not only City Hall but the also the Civic Theatre and Playhouse (N6 Inner City Map).Transport
- By Air: Newcastle Airport (http://www.newcastleairport.com.au/page345/Home.aspx) is located 30 minutes drive north of Newcastle at Williamtown. Taxis and busses are available for transport from the airport to your accommodation. All major car hire companies also have booths inside the terminal. If travelling from overseas please note that driving is on the left, in right hand drive vehicles.Direct flights from Melbourne and Brisbane to Newcastle are available on Jetstar (http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/index.aspx) and Virgin Blue (http://www.virginblue.com.au/) Airlines. Direct flights from Sydney Airport are available on Aeropelican (http://www.aeropelican.com.au/). For an exciting alternative consider a seaplane flight with Sydney Seaplanes (http://www.seaplanes.com.au/) from Rose Bay, Sydney direct to the Hunter River just metres away from the Crowne Plaza Hotel.If travelling from overseas or from another Australian capital city, book flights to Melbourne or Brisbane with direct connections to Newcastle. Qantas Airlines (http://www.qantas.com.au/regions/dyn/home/qualifier-country-au) and its affiliated airline Jetstar fly from Australian capital cities, with connections from a large network of international destinations.
- By Rail: City Rail (http://www.cityrail.info/timetable/index.jsp) offers rail transport from Sydney Airport to Newcastle via a connection at Central Station, Sydney. Trains leave the domestic and international terminals every 5-10 minutes for a short 15 minute trip to Central. Trains depart from the country link platform at Central for Newcastle around every hour with more frequent services during peak times. Trip time is about two hours forty minutes. At Newcastle you arrive within walking distance of your accommodation. Alight at Civic Station for the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Clarendon Hotel. For the Quest Apartments alight at Wickham Station. This is a very cost effective alternative to air travel from Sydney.
- By Road: Newcastle is located approximately 2 hours drive north of Sydney and is accessed by the F3 freeway.
Passport and Visa
All foreign visitors entering Australia must possess a valid passport with an expiry date of more than 6 months after the date of expected departure from Australia. Participants requiring visas should apply to the Australian Embassy, Consulate or High Commission in their home country prior to departure. This is strictly the responsibility of the individual delegate.Climate
October is mid-spring. Days are usually mild to warm. Mean maximum temperature is 22 degrees Celsius (72 F) and mean minimum is 12 degrees Celsius (52 F). Average rainfall for October is 70mm (2.8") and mean days of rain is 8. New South Wales time is GMT+10hrs, extended to GMT+11 hrs from October to March with daylight savings.Goods and Services Tax [GST]
The Tourist Refund Scheme will enable overseas delegates to claim a refund of the goods and services tax [GST] that are paid on goods bought in Australia. The GST credit is available for goods that tourists purchase in Australia and take out of Australia to the value of AU$300 or more, on one invoice. Purchases must be made within 30 days of departure and invoices must be produced at the Departure Lounge. Anything over AU$200 in refund will be credited to a credit card. Information will be available on your arrival into Australia.Shopping
Shops are open from 9am-5pm during the week with suburban late night shopping on Thursday. Opening times are generally later and closing times earlier on the weekend.Further Links
Friday Night Function:
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