Attending
From OZCHI
Contributing to our Habitat's Sustainability
The OZCHI'08 conference committee is committed to encouraging responsible and caring interactions with the environment, both in terms of the local setting and the planet more broadly. Please see ways that you can join in our efforts: OZCHI Sustainability
Registration
Early bird registration will close on 17th October 2008. We encourage early registration to take advantage of these discounts and to secure your accommodation at the conference hotel and resort. Member rates are available to members of CHISIG, HFESA, CHINZ and delegates of Interactive Entertainment 2008.
3-day conference registration including all conference sessions from the 10th to 12th December 2008 and the welcome reception and conference dinner.| Early-bird | Regular | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | $685 | $765 |
|
||
| Non-member | $830 | $910 | |||
| Student | $305 | $350 |
1-day conference registration for day attendance at conference sessions on the 10th, 11th, or 12th December 2008 excluding the welcome reception and conference dinner.
| Early-bird | Regular | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | $200 | $230 |
|
||
| Non-member | $250 | $280 | |||
| Student | $85 | $100 |
Workshop and tutorial registration excludes conference registration, welcome reception, and conference dinner. Accepted workshop and tutorial participants are entitled to register at the early bird conference rate even after the 17th Oct 2008.
| Half Day | Full Day | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | $100 | $200 |
|
||
| Tutorial | $140 | $280 |
Additional tickets for the welcome reception and conference dinner.
| Welcome reception at Angsana Resort & Spa | $35 | |
| Conference dinner at Flames of the Forest incl. transport | $90 |
Printable Registration form for those unable to register over the web. Please print this registration form (pdf) and fax to Annabel Holliss at SAPMEA on +61 8 8274 6000.
Accommodation
The designated conference accommodation is centred around Palm Cove which is 10 km from the university campus. Known to visitors as the 'Spa Capital of Australia' the area has a large number of chic or award-winning restaurants and cafés, a small shopping village with supermarket and medical centre and a beautiful beach, with stinger resistant swimming enclosures. The spectacular palm fringed cove is framed by twin headlands with offshore islands, and has a hill-top lookout and a jetty that has daily departures to Green Island and the Outer Great Barrier Reef.
We have made block reservations at the Novotel Rockford Resort and the Grand Mercure, both located at Palm Cove. Accommodation bookings for the following rates can only be booked through SAPMEA Meetings Management as part of the conference registration process. To secure your booking you are required to provide credit card details or a deposit of one night's accommodation which will be given to the hotel of your choice. Accommodation cannot be guaranteed after Friday 7th Nov 2008. Rates quoted are per night per room. They include GST and do not include breakfast. No accommodation deposits will be refunded after Friday 7th Nov 2008. Rooms cancelled after this date will be charged a cancellation fee equal to one night's accommodation by the hotel.
Novotel Rockford Palm Cove Resort (website - map)Coral Coast Drive, Palm Cove
- $99.00 Standard Room (map location #3)
- $129.00 Superior Room (map locations #1 and #2)
- $151.00 Executive Suite (map locations #1 and #2)
- $284.00 Two Bedroom Apartment (map locations #4 to #7)
cnr Veivers Road & Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove
- $149.00 Studio Room
- $199.00 Executive Room
- $299.00 Two Bedroom Apartment
Early and Late Arrival
Check in is from 2pm. Whilst the hotels will do everything possible to accommodate early arrivals, if you wish to be guaranteed immediate access to your room, you will need to pay an extra day's tariff for the night before. Please indicate if you will be arriving at your hotel after 6:00pm. Failure to do so might mean your room could be released.
Other Accommodation
In addition to the central conference accommodation location, there is a great variety and capacity of accommodation in the northern beaches within 15 minutes by bus from the university (Machans, Holloways Beaches and Yorkeys Knob to the south; and, Trinity Beach and Palm Cove to the north). The timing of the conference is in the low season and participants will have no difficulty in selecting their preferred choice from small resorts to backpackers to luxury, boutique hotels. Accommodation Map for Palm Cove and Port Douglas.
Transport
Cairns International Airport arrival schedule lists 238 domestic arrivals per week. Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Blue, and MacAir offer daily flights from many of Australia's major cities. These include direct flights from: Adelaide, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Brisbane, Darwin, Mackay, Melbourne, Mt. Isa, Perth, Sydney, Townsville, and many other regional areas.
Cairns International Airport arrival schedule lists 61 international arrivals per week. Qantas, Air New Zealand, Regional Pacific, Cathay Pacific, Airlines PNG, Air Niugini, Korean Air, Jetstar, Continental Airlines, and JAL offer direct flights to Cairns, connecting major cities around the world. International flights connect through Guam, Hong Kong, Japan (Narita, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo), New Zealand (Auckland), PNG (Port Moresby, Mount Hagen, Moro, Tabaubil), Singapore.
OZCHI 2008 Google Map at http://tinyurl.com/ozchi2008map
James Cook University campus map
OZCHI 2008 Locomash [mobile location mashup]
Airport transfers to Palm Cove| Queensland Coast Map | Cairns Map | Palm Cove | ||
 |  |  |
Bus Transfers from Novotel Palm Cove to James Cook University
Bus transfers are available from the Novotel to JCU in the mornings and from JCU to the Novotel in the evenings. Check the timetables below.
Please note that transfers between Novotel and JCU are available during the day, please register your requirements with Marcus Foth or Annabel Holliss and we will do our best to accommodate these by co-ordinating small groups.
Monday 8 December| Depart Novotel | Arrive JCU | Depart JCU | Arrive Novotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0800 | 0820 | ||
| 0845 | 0905 | ||
| 1710 | 1730 | ||
| 1755 | 1815 |
Tuesday 9 December
| Depart Novotel | Arrive JCU | Depart JCU | Arrive Novotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0800 | 0820 | ||
| 0845 | 0905 | ||
| 1230 | 1250 | ||
| 1345 | 1410 | ||
| 1710 | 1730 | ||
| 1755 | 1815 |
Wednesday 10 December
| Depart Novotel | Arrive JCU | Depart JCU | Arrive Novotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0800 | 0820 | ||
| 0830 | 0850 | ||
| 0845 | 0905 | ||
| 1715 | 1735 | ||
| 1720 | 1740 | ||
| 1815 | 1835 |
Thursday 11 December
| Depart Novotel | Arrive JCU | Depart JCU | Arrive Novotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0800 | 0820 | ||
| 0830 | 0850 | ||
| 0845 | 0905 | ||
| 1615 | 1635 | ||
| 1630 | 1655 | ||
| 1715 | 1735 |
Friday 12 December
| Depart Novotel | Arrive JCU | Depart JCU | Arrive Novotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0830 | 0850 | ||
| 0900 | 0905 | ||
| 0915 | 0935 | ||
| 1430 | 1455 | ||
| 1515 | 1550 | ||
| 1545 | 1615 |
Visas
All overseas delegates must ensure that they have a valid passport and the correct visa for entry into Australia. Delegates should ensure that all documentation is in order prior to leaving their countries. Australia's Electronic Travel Authority system (ETA) is a streamlined travel authorisation system. The Conference Secretariat will provide a letter of invitation to assist participants raise travel funds or to obtain a visa, but it is not a commitment on the part of the conference organisers to provide financial assistance.
Social Activities
Please see the separate page on Social Activities.
Advice on enjoying tropical Australia safely and comfortably
Tropical North Queensland Travel Information
Health and Safety Information for Queensland
Temperature & Clothing
Cairns' relaxed tropical lifestyle means dress is usually light and informal. Casual clothes such as t-shirts, smart shorts and sandals are acceptable everywhere. Pack loose, comfortable clothing in breathable natural fabrics, walking shoes or sandals and don't forget swim-wear, sun protection, a hat and sunglasses. The far north has two distinct seasons. The 6-month 'green' season begins in December with the first light monsoonal rains usually occurring at night. Average temperatures during the 'green' range from 24-330C (75-910F) with the highest temperature and rainfall in February. But, even if there is a shower you won't need a raincoat only a small umbrella if you intend to explore the region on foot. Bring a long sleeved shirt or light sweater for inside the air-conditioned university buildings and if you intend to travel to the Atherton Tableland area which is cooler.
Health
Cairns enjoys all the advantages of the tropics without many of the health risks. There is no incidence of the most severe diseases prevalent in the tropics around the world, however, visitors should be aware of ways to stay comfortable. For detailed advice about health in tropical Australia, check out Queensland Health's Good Health in Tropical North Queensland.
Stay Hydrated
In the tropics it is important to drink 1-2 litres (eight glasses) of hydrating drinks a day to prevent dehydration and heat-related illness. Don't wait until you are thirsty before you drink and if you are active, drink more water, rest regularly and stay cool. Hydrating drinks include: water, diluted fruit juice, isotonic sports' drinks, tea or low calorie soft drinks. Ordinary soft drinks and coffee do not meet your body's need for water and extra salt and alcohol makes dehydration worse. When you do drink alcohol, ensure you drink water beforehand and make every second drink non-alcoholic. Tap water water in Cairns is 'treated' and perfectly safe to drink. Don't drink untreated water in creeks or rivers and, if you travel to small towns or rural areas, it may be necessary to treat the water by boiling it or using water purification tablets. All venues chosen for the conference are fully air-conditioned.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are not a particular problem around Cairns, however if you haven't lived in the tropics you may react to insect bites with itchiness, swelling or redness, so it is sensible to avoid being bitten:
- Take special care at sunrise and sunset when mosquitoes are most active
- Wear long, loose clothing outdoors whenever mosquitoes are prevalent
- Use sandal wood burners or mosquito coils indoors and outdoors
- Close screen doors and turn on the air-conditioner at night
- Use personal 'tropical strength' insect repellents (e.g. 'DEET' or 'picaridin') in the bush
- When camping, sleep under a mosquito net and zip up tents whenever possible
These precautions will also help protect you from mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquito-borne diseases may cause mild to serious illness and are transmitted to humans through bites, but not every mosquito carries a disease and they tend to pose little risk to travelers in Queensland. Ross River fever and Barmah Forest virus exist throughout Australia and Dengue fever has periodic outbreaks in north Queensland.
Safe Swimming
FNQ has some of the world's most beautiful beaches and fresh water swimming areas, so don't forget to bring your togs, swimmers, cossies, boardies and your sun protection. To swim safely please remember that the water is the home of wildlife. Many beaches in tropical Queensland, and all those close to the OZCHI'08 venue, have shark control program equipment and stinger-resistant enclosures (stinger nets) to help protect swimmers from jellyfish and marine stingers. Stingers are a concern in Queensland's tropical waters between November to June and the stings of the Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) and the Irukandji group of jellyfish can result in hospitalisation or fatality. James Cook University leads the world in the study of Jellyfish.
Crocodiles are potentially dangerous in fresh water swimming areas and occasionally in the sea.
- Swim only within marine stinger nets which afford a high degree of protection
- Swim only at beaches that are patrolled by lifeguards
- Don't swim when beaches are closed
- Obey crocodile warning signs, they are there for your safety and protection.
- Never take unnecessary risks in crocodile habitat, despite the lure of backpacker mythology!
Extreme Weather
Most cyclones in Queensland occur between January and March but the cyclone season in starts in November. Cyclones can bring destructive winds and flooding so people are given plenty of warning. Indeed, James Cook University leads the study of the occurrence of this impressive natural phenemona in tropical areas of the world. Several cyclones can develop in a season without ever crossing the coast, but when one is developing off the coast, local radio and television stations and the Bureau of Meteorology issue regular cyclone updates. Emergency Management Queensland has cyclone preparation advice in five languages: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hmong and Italian.
Contributing to our Habitat's Sustainability
The OZCHI'08 conference committee is committed to encouraging responsible and caring interactions with the environment, both in terms of the local setting and the planet more broadly. We are working on a range of initiatives to minimize the environmental impact of the conference. More details to follow.