The
SettingThe
SettingDreaming Landscapes 2004 will be held 1-7 July 2004 at the Nathan Campus of Griffith University, in Brisbane, Australia
Australia's unique flora, fauna and geographical features, combined with a relatively low population concentrated mainly on the eastern and southern seaboards provide access to places of unspoiled natural beauty within easy travelling distance of major cities. Amongst the well-known landmarks are the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
The
Indigenous peoples have
a long interaction with, and maintain their custodial responsibilities for this
land of vast spaces, wide climatic variations and geographical isolation. Although
settlement by other people is relatively recent, Australia has become a modern
multi-cultural society.
This conference will be held on the lands of the Yuggurra/Turrabul people, who have cared for this country since time immemorial and whose traditional links to the land we acknowledge
The Planning Committees and the members of the Tertiary Campus Ministry Association of Australia look forward to welcoming you to this conference.
Brisbane,
the capital city of the "Sunshine State" of Queensland, enjoys a sub-tropical
climate, with clear, mild winters. Brisbane has more sunny days than Florida
and warmer winter days than the Bahamas. The average maximum temperature in
July is 20.4 degrees C (67 degrees F) Evenings are cool, with an average minimum
temperature of 9.4 degrees C (49 degrees F). For further climatic information,
visit the Australian Meterological and Oceanographic Society's conference
website or the Bureau of Meteorology's Brisbane
climate information page, where you can find extra information in graphical
form.
The city lies on the Brisbane River - a colourful waterway for ferries, paddle-wheelers and pleasure boats. Parks and gardens dot the city and the South Bank precinct brings the beach to our doorstep with tropical lagoons close to the city cultural and shopping centre.
Less than half an hour away, you can experience the peace of the bush or enjoy the waters of the Moreton Bay. Hand feed a dolphin at Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort, sail on an ocean yacht or head west and discover rainforest mountains, picturesque villages, lakes and the rural district of the Brisbane valley. Spend the day at some of Australia's best theme parks or, for a day at the beach, head south to the Gold Coast or north to the Sunshine Coast.
All non-Australians need to have either a visa or an electronic travel authority (ETA) giving them permission to enter Australia. Except in the case of New Zealanders "of good health and of good character", this will need to be issued before you enter the country. Conference participants from quite a number of countries can purchase an ETA over the internet at the Australia Visa website. If you do not come from an eligible country, you will need to apply for a visa through your nearest Australian embassy or consulate with a Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) representative. The link for this information is on the Australia Visa website, but not immediately obvious.
There is a special web page which contains the latest information about special deals for conference participants travelling to Australia. At the moment, this information only applies to people travelling from North America. Last updated 21 May. If you are arriving on 30 June or 1 July, you may be able to take advantage of the travel help from the airport which has been arranged by Brisbane chaplains.
Because Australia's economy relies heavily on primary production and we have very few animal and plant diseases, there are very strict quarantine regulations concerning what you can and cannot bring into the country. Every piece of luggage is now x-rayed or screened. If you fail to declare or dispose of any quarantine items or make a false declaration, you could be fined over $AUD200 on-the-spot with further fines also possible, so it is important that you check carefully before bringing in any gifts or items for the global expo.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age entering Australia within 6 days of having stayed overnight or longer in an infected country, as listed in the World Health Organisation's weekly epidemiological record - these countries are all located in Africa and South America.
Australia does not have an official national tourist website but the OzTourism and About Australia sites provide many links to items of interest, including the official tourist sites of each Australian state.
Telephones: Public telephones accept coins, credit cards or phone cards. Phone cards ranging from $5 to $50 are available from newsagencies and some other outlets but different phonecards provide different options so check before you buy. Telstra Phoneaway cards and Lonely Planet eckno global phone card both offer some very useful features for international travellers such as being able to top up your card from your credit card and receive voice-mail messages. Free call within Australia 1800 881 877 (Sprint) or 1800 881 212 (Worldcom) gives international visitors access to operators in their home country for credit card or collect calls.
Money: Australian currency consists of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes* and 5c, 10c 20c 50c, $1 and $2 coins. Smaller numbers of cents are rounded up or down to the nearest 5c. Currency exchange is available at the airport, all banks and bureaux de change, but exchanges into non-Australian currencies at suburban bank branches may take several days. Credit cards are widely accepted. Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) provide currency to foreign cardholders (look for 'Cirrus' symbol). EFTPOS (Maestro) services are available at many hotels and retail outlets. Goods and Services Tax of 10% applies to most items including hotel accommodation and restaurant meals. The Tourist Refund Scheme provides for GST to be refunded to international visitors on point of departure after clearing customs but only for items you are taking out of the country with you.
Sun protection: Sun protection in Queensland is a MUST. Use SPF30+ sun protection, wear a broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses and a shirt when in the open.
Swimming: Australia is famous for its beaches and even though you will be visiting during the winter it may well be warm enough to swim in the ocean, especially if you choose to travel north of Brisbane before or after the conference. Remember that coastal waters can be subject to strong rips or undertows which can carry unwary swimmers out to sea very quickly. Sharks and poisonous jellyfish also come close to shore from time to time. You should therefore NEVER swim on beaches that are not patrolled by lifesavers and always swim between the flags on patrolled beaches.
Electricity: Australia has an AC 240 volts 50 cycle electrical system. Most motel rooms have 110 volt international sockets for electric razors but participants staying on campus will need to bring adaptors.
Time: Brisbane is in the Australian Eastern Standard Time zone (GMT +10).
Driving: All motor vehicles in Australia travel on the left hand side of the road except on one-way streets. Pedestrians who are used to right hand drive and therefore expect traffic to be coming from the opposite direction should take care when crossing roads. Most road rules are the same in all states and territories, which makes driving easier for international visitors.
*The design of the $5 note has changed since this website was done, but the colour is still the same.
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All enquiries about the conference should be directed to Johan Kijne
This website is maintained by Rev
Judy Redman
Uniting Church Chaplain
University of New England, Australia
It was last updated on 8 June
2004. Disclaimer
This conference is incorporated as the 2004 International Campus Ministry Conference,
Brisbane, Inc.
ABN 74 535 204 185
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