Sydney is built around one of the most beautiful harbours in the world, and along kilometres of golden beaches stretching north and south of the city on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Sydney offers a wide variety of attractions and activities to visitors. The beaches and harbour play a major role in the lives of Sydney-siders with yachting, surfing, sailboarding, swimming and water-skiing available. Many national parks and protected areas of natural bushland surround the city, and the picturesque Blue Mountains are a 90 minute journey from the city, offering walking, camping and picnicking as popular pastimes for visitors and residents alike.
The harbour foreshore is home to the historic Rocks area, the site of Australia’s first European settlement in 1788, and now home to a variety of galleries, museums, restaurants and shops. Also overlooking the harbour are the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Aquarium and Taronga Zoo.
Conference Venue – Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour
The Conference and Exhibition will be held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, which is situated on the waterfront at Darling Harbour, just a short stroll to the heart of the city.
The Centre offers first class facilities to both delegates and presenters attending the Conference. Its central location means that accommodation, restaurants and the central business district are all within walking distance. There is a frequent monorail and light rail service linking the Darling Harbour area with the city centre.
Currency Decimal currency is used in Australia – units are dollars and cents. Current exchange rates can be obtained from your bank. All major credit cards are widely accepted in Australia.
The exchange rates as at September 2007 are:
AUD$1.00 = £0.439 = US$0.87 = 0.62Euros = 99.64 Yen
Language English is spoken throughout Australia and is the official language for the Conference.
Time Local Sydney time during June is Greenwich Mean Time plus 10 hours.
Electricity The electrical supply is 240 volts, 50Hz. The connection for appliances is a flat 3-pin plug of unique design. Most hotels provide 110 volt outlets for shavers.
Climate In Sydney, June is the first month of our winter season and you can look forward to temperatures of approximately 16°C during the daytime and 9°C in the evening.
Shopping Shops open from 0900 to 1730 during the week with late night shopping on Thursdays to 2100. On Saturdays and Sunday most shops are open between 0900 and 1600. Sydney is considered an excellent duty-free port for travellers.
Travel and Health Insurance The Conference does not provide insurance to delegates. We strongly recommend that you take out insurance policies to cover medical and travel expenses. If necessary, consult your travel agent.
Wheelchair access or other mobility disability access during the Conference When you register, please notify the secretariat of any mobility disabilities you have so that any venue access challenges can be addressed.
Taxes A Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 10% applies to all consumer goods and is included in retail prices. All rates quoted on the conference website include GST.
Tipping Tipping is not the general custom in Australia and service charges are not added to accounts by hotels and restaurants. However, you may tip hotel porters and food and drink waiters in restaurants (up to 10% of the bill) for special service. At any time, tipping is your choice.
Eating Out Sydney’s multicultural population is reflected in the wide variety of excellent restaurants offering a diversity of cuisine from around the world. Bistros, restaurants and cafes offer varied menus, prices and décor. Local seafood delicacies are recommended and include Sydney Rock Oysters, King Prawns, Queensland Mud Crab, Balmain Bugs and Barramundi. These are delicious when accompanied by Australian wines, many of which have won major international awards.
Transport from the Airport The Conference does not provide any transfers from the airport to Conference Hotels. All delegates must make their own transport arrangements from the airport. The following are estimates only of travel from the airport to the central business district.
Taxi: $25 to $35
Train Link to Central Station: $8 to $12
The Light Rail is available from Central to the Darling Harbour Precinct
Airport Shuttle: $10 to $20
Public Transport around Sydney Sydney’s public transport network allows easy travel around the city. Considerable savings on buses and harbour ferries can be obtained with the State Transit Travel pass. Taxis can either be booked by telephone or hailed from the street.
There are frequent monorail and light rail services linking Darling Harbour with the city and a regular ferry service (15 minutes each trip) between Darling Harbour and Circular Quay (downtown).
