Travel and Accommodation

• General Information • Airport Transfers • Immigration and Customs • Accommodation •

General Information

Armidale is a town of about 25’000 people located high in the Great Dividing Range following the east coast of Australia. It is about 500km north of Sydney, 450km south of Brisbane and about 200km inland from the coast.

The nearest international airports are Brisbane and Sydney. There are coach and plane services from there to Armidale. Flights from Sydney are more frequent. From Sydney there is also a rail service.

July is in the middle of Winter with average temperatures just above freezing point at night and about 10–15 degrees Celsius during the day. Depending on the weather, temperatures can be quite a bit lower than that. The weather in Armidale in Winter is usually rather dry. You can also check the current weather forecast for Armidale.

The Tourism Armidale Web Site contains more information, in particular on how to get there. It includes a map of the wider region, information on the weather, cultural and tourist activities and more. Campus Information and Maps as well as some information about National Parks in the area are available from the University Web site.

Airport Transfers

Conference participants arriving from overseas at Sydney Airport will need to get their checked-in luggage. After clearing customs, they have to transfer from the International to the Domestic Terminal. All flights to Armidale depart from Terminal 2.

Travellers using QantasLink to continue their journey to Armidale should follow the signs to “Domestic Transfer” to check in their luggage. Qantas customers may be able to use Seamless Terminal Transfer to get to Terminal 3, and then need to walk to Terminal 2 through a tunnel following signs to “Train and T2”.

Travellers using Regional Express (REX) to fly to Armidale need to carry their luggage from the international Terminal to the Domestic Terminal 2 by taking a taxi or airport shuttle bus and check in there. More information on transfer options is available form the Sydney Airport Web Site.

Information on transfers at Brisbane Airport are available from the Brisbane Airport Web Site.

Immigration and Customs

IMPORTANT: All travellers to Australia, other than Australian and possibly New Zealand citizens, are legally required to hold a valid visa to travel to Australia. You may need a short-stay business visa. Check the Department of Immigration Web site to obtain binding information on Visa requirements or contact your nearest Australian Embassy or Consulate. Instead of a visa you may be able to get an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). Visa or ETA must be obtained overseas before you arrive in Australia.

There are strict quarantine laws which prevent you from bringing some food and other items into Australia. Check the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service Web site for more precise information.

Accommodation

There are two types of accommodation available.

Campus Accommodation

There is the option of staying in Mary White College. The College provides three meals, and is only 50 meters away from the Mathematics Building where the conference will be held. However, there are only a limited number of rooms with a private bathroom, most rooms have a shared bathroom.

Hotel/Motel Accommodation

There are several Hotels/Motels offering more comfort in town about 5 kilometres from the Campus. Public transport is limited, but we will organise a bus service to take participants from town to University in the morning and back in the evening (after dinner).