General Information

Airport And Transport

The central business district is 10km north of the International Airport and takes approximately 20 minutes to reach by car. A taxi costs approximately A$25. A regular airport to city bus service operates from approximately 0600 to 2100 hours.

Climate And Clothing

August is winter and the temperature range is 9 to 18 degrees Celsius (48 - 64 degrees Fahrenheit). Generally Australians are informal dressers.We suggest you bring a jacket and tie with you for special occasions.

Eating Out

Bistros, restaurants, cafes and coffee shops offer varied menus, prices and decor. Local specialties such as seafood and Australian wines are worth trying. At some restaurants you can keep the liquor bill down by taking your own wine or beer. These are called 'BYO' restaurants, an abbreviation for 'bring your own'.

Language

The official language for the Coference is English.

Parking

Parking is available at the Conference venue at the rate of $25 per day.

Passport & Visa

All travellers to Australia, other than New Zealand, require a valid entry VISA prior to travel to Australia. For many nationalities (29 in total) an Electronic Visa or Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) can be obtained from your travel agent or airline when making your travel arrangements. Please see your travel agent or airline for further details.

Privacy

Australia introduced the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 in 2001. The Conference Managers comply with such legislation, which is designed to protect the right of the individual to privacy of their information. Information collected in respect of proposed participation in any aspect of the Conference will be only used for the purposes of planning and conduct of the Conference and may also be provided to the organising body or to organisers of future events. It is also usual to produce a 'Delegate List' of attendees at the Conference and to include the individual’s details in such a list. Consent for publication of the individual’s information may be withheld when completing the Registration Form for the Conference. Individuals are also entitled to access the information held by written application to the Conference Managers.

Quarantine

Australia is free from many plant and animal diseases prevalent in other countries. Very strict quarantine rules apply to the import of animals and plants, which cannot be brought into the country without prior application. Animal and plant products are also restricted.

For more information see the ‘Information for International Travelers’ on the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) website, which you can access by visiting http://www.affa.gov.au.

Shopping

Shops in Sydney open from 0900 to 1730 during the week with late night shopping on Thursday. On Saturday, most shops open from 0900 to 1600. On Sunday Darling Harbour shops are open from 1000 to 1800 and major department stores in the centre of the city are open from 1000 to 1600.