Conference Venue
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
2 Clarendon Street
Southbank Victoria 3006
Australia
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is located in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The fully-equipped Centre is close to restaurants, hotels and public transport hubs; and just 20 minutes by car from Melbourne Airport.
The modern MCEC complex is a landmark in the area, perched on the south bank of the Yarra River, and surrounded on all sides by trams, trains, buses, taxi ranks and ample car parking. A short stroll along the iconic Southbank Promenade places you in the heart of Melbourne city - Australia’s culture, cuisine and events capital - where visitors can enjoy a perfect café latte by day or an award-winning local wine or microbrew by night.
The MCEC complex is comprised of:
- The new Melbourne Convention Centre
- The Melbourne Exhibition Centre
- The existing Convention Centre
The SSEE Conference will be held at the new Melbourne Convention Centre which has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star environmental rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, the first in the world for a convention centre.
About Melbourne
With a population of some 3.5 million, Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria, is Australia’s second-largest city. With its multicultural and multilingual population, and a reputation as a vibrant centre for arts, culture, dining and shopping, Melbourne is a popular and exciting travel destination.
For more information about Melbourne and Victoria, visit the following websites:
Visit Melbourne - www.visitmelbourne.com
Australian Tourism Commission - www.australia.com
Getting Around
Upon Arrival
Melbourne Airport www.melbourneairport.com.au is located approximately 25kms from the Melbourne CBD on the Tullamarine Freeway. When travelling you should allow 30-45 mins, more if during the peak hours of 7am-10am and 4pm-6pm. To get from the Airport to the CBD you can either catch a taxi which will cost you approx $50-$60 AUD or pre-book on one of the shuttle bus services:
www.jetbus.com.au
www.skybus.com.au
Around Town
Melbourne has an integrated system of trains, trams and buses, known as Metlink. One Metcard ticket allows you to travel on all three services. A range of tickets covering two metropolitan zones can be purchased from vending machines at train stations, on trams or buses, or pre-purchased at more than 900 retail agents displaying blue Metcard signs such as 7-Elevens (a corner store) and newsagents.
Melbourne Public Transport Network: www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au
The free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle (blue bus) stops at key tourist attractions and destinations in and around the city of Melbourne. Hop on and hop off the bus at any of the stops at key city destinations including: Melbourne Museum and Carlton Gardens; Queen Victoria Market; Melbourne Aquarium; Immigration Museum; Southbank; the Shrine of Remembrance; Royal Botanic Gardens and Chinatown. The shuttle runs between 10am and 4pm daily. The complete trip takes approximately 50 minutes, listen to the informative on-board commentary as you travel around Melbourne. For more information about the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle, download a copy of the brochure from the website listed below, or pick up a copy from Melbourne Visitor Centre at Federation Square.
http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/info.cfm?top=308&pg=2701
The free City Circle tram travels the perimeter of Melbourne’s central business district, taking in many of Melbourne’s landmarks every day of the year except Christmas Day and Good Friday. Services operate every 12 minutes between 10am and 9pm from Thursday to Saturday, and between 10am and 6pm from Sunday to Wednesday.
Getting to the Venue
The conference venue is easily reached by train or tram from all over the city.
For tram and train timetables see www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au
Road and street maps: www.whereis.com
Climate
Melbourne’s climate is temperate and variable with no great extremes and one of the lowest rainfall levels in Australia. Average daytime temperatures in November (the Australian spring) are around 24 degrees Celsius.
Australian Bureau of Meteorology: www.bom.gov.au
Time Zone
There are several time zones in Australia. Australian Eastern Standard Time is GMT plus 10 hours. www.timezoneconverter.com
Tipping & Gratuities
Not required or expected in Australia - this includes taxis, but can be offered if you feel it is warranted.
Exchange Rates
As at 7 November, 2008
1.00 EUR = 1.91133 AUD
1 AUD = 0.523196 EUR
1.00 USD = 1.49896 AUD
1 AUD = 0.667130 USD
1.00 NZD = 0.879512 AUD
1 AUD = 1.13699 NZD
Online currency converter - www.xe.com
Visas
If you are not an Australian citizen you will need a valid visa or Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) to enter Australia. With the exception of New Zealand citizens, all foreign nationals must obtain a visa/ETA before travelling to Australia. New Zealand citizens are issued with a visa on arrival in Australia.
If the country your passport represents has ETA Business Access, you may be able to obtain authority to enter Australia at the same time as you book your travel arrangements. Please check visa regulations very carefully, and make visa arrangements well in advance.
For more information, see http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/index.htm
Australia has strict customs and quarantine regulations. For more information, please visit: http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=4224
Are you aware of the Tourist Refund Scheme?
You can claim a refund of the goods and services tax (GST) and wine equalisation tax (WET) that you pay on goods you buy in Australia. The refund only applies to goods you take with you as hand luggage or wear on to the aircraft or ship when you leave the country. You can obtain more information at www.customs.gov.au