TRAVEL INFORMATION
General Environs
The Gold Coast, just 60 kilometres south of Brisbane, is Australia's
favourite holiday destination. It offers all types of accommodation
and contains an enormous array of tourist attractions. It covers over
70 kilometres of surf beaches and is surrounded by thousands of hectares
of sub-tropical rainforests in the mountainous hinterland. Some of
Australia's most beautiful National Parks are to be found in this region.
Off its shores islands dot the sea; it is home to a great variety of
marine life, wildlife and superb unspoilt natural riches.
During December the average daily temperature ranges from 20-320C.
On a typical summers day the climate can be sunny, hot and humid,
with a south-easterly breeze occurring mid afternoon which offers pleasant
relief. The climate is sub-tropical so one can expect a summer storm,
usually late afternoon, lasting about 1 hour.
Conference Venue
Asiacrypt 2001 is being held at Somerset
College at the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The venue is some
distance (15 minute drive) from the main conference
accommodation. Coaches will be provided throughout the day to transfer
conference delegates between the accommodation and the venue. There is free
parking available at Somerset College for those who wish to make their own way
there.
What to Bring
To make your stay more enjoyable we suggest you include the following items in your luggage:
- Hat/sunscreen (sun protection is vital)
- Umbrella/raincoat
- Swimwear/beach towel
- Light summer clothing/shoes (informal dress)
- Lightweight jacket/sweatshirt (it can get cool in the evenings)
- Insect repellent (flies and mosquitos favour our climate)
- Lightweight backpack
- Camera
Getting to Australia
International visitors travelling to Asiacrypt 2001 should fly into Brisbane International Airport.
Coaches, trains and hire cars are available at the
Brisbane airport for travelling to the Gold Coast (see below for further details).
Domestic Travellers
Domestic travellers may wish to fly directly to Coolangatta Airport on
the Gold Coast.
We recommend that
travellers contact one of the Australian domestic airlines for travel
within Australia: Ansett
Australia, Qantas or Virgin Blue.
Getting to your Hotel
Coaches and trains travel regularly between Brisbane Airport and
Surfers Paradise. Hire cars are also available.
- Buses travel regularly (every 30-60 minutes) from Brisbane Airport
to the Gold Coast. The trip takes roughly 90 minutes and costs AU$35
one way. The Journey Planner on the
TransInfo
web site is useful
for obtaining exact departure times (enter "Brisbane International Airport"
as the "From" suburb and "Surfers Paradise" for the "To" suburb).
Alternatively, coach companies can be contacted directly. We suggest Coachtrans
(Phone: +61 7 5506 9777), or Gold
Coast Ecotours (Phone: +61 7 5573 6080).
- Trains travel regularly from Brisbane Airport to the centre of
Brisbane city and from Brisbane to the Gold Coast. From the airport
station (either domestic or international) catch the train to Nerang
Station (on the Gold Coast). These trains leave approximately half
hourly and the trip takes roughly 90 minutes. The train cost is AU$17.40
for adults.
Look under "Citytrain Timetable" on the Queensland
Rail web site for detailed train timetables.
From Nerang Station
a bus connection conveys passengers to Broadbeach and Surfers
Paradise. This bus leaves soon after the train arrives at Nerang
Station and costs AU$3.10.
- Hire cars are also available from the Brisbane airport. Avis Australia, Budget Rent-a-car, Hertz, Delta Europcar, and Thrifty Car Rental all have customer
service facilities at the airport.
The following sites contain maps that may be useful for delegates.
- This map shows
the entire Gold Coast region. The Concorde Hotel is located at Surfers
Paradise (map ref F8), The Grand Mercure Hotel is located at Broadbeach (map
ref F9), and Somerset College is located in the area of D12.
- This map shows
the central region of the Gold Coast in more detail. The Concorde Hotel
is situated at C13, and the Grand Mercure Hotel is situated at C21 on this
map. The Phoenician Resort is located near the Grand Mercure Hotel.
Getting to the Conference Venue
Coaches will be provided to shuttle delegates between the Concorde
and Grand Mercure hotels at Surfers Paradise and the conference
venue at Somerset College. There will also be a mini-bus operated
by the conference organisers for delegates who wish to leave or
arrive at other times. See the Koala Koaches
Timetable and the Somerset Mini-bus
Timetable for departure times.
For those travelling by car, Somerset College can be reached by
taking the "Somerset Drive" exit (Exit 82) from the Pacific Highway.
Follow Somerset Drive in a westerly direction for a distance of
approximately 1 kilometre from the highway to reach Somerset College
which is well sign-posted. A free car park is located at Somerset College.
Social Events
These events are open to accompanying family members, partners and friends.
- Facilities will be available to register for social events and additional lunch tickets.
- Casual dress will be appropriate for these events.
- Rainforest event - bring some comfortable walking shoes (such as running shoes)
- Conference dinner - country theme.
Sporting Facilities at Somerset College
- Swimming Pool. Open from 6:00 am till 6:00 pm, a lifeguard
will be in attendance at all times.
- Tennis. Open from 6:00 am till 6:00 pm, rackets and balls
are available in the club house adjacent to the courts. White-soled
shoes must be worn.
- Croquet. All equipment available at Somerset College.
Other Facilities
- Computers and Internet Access. HTTP, TELNET, and SSH access
will be available. Facilities will also be available for delegates to
connect their laptops to the Internet.
- A public phone will be available at the venue. This phone
will only accept coins.
- Car parking is available at Somerset College. This parking is free.
Contacting the Conference Organisers During the Conference
The conference organisers can be reached by telephone or facsimile during
the conference on the following numbers:
Telephone: +61 4 1464 2846
Facsimile: +61 7 5525 2676
A message board will be used to display any messages received.
Hotel Addresses
- Concorde Hotel Gold Coast
42 Ferny Avenue
Surfers Paradise, Queensland 4217
Phone: +61 7 5539 0444
- Grand Mercure Hotel
81 Surf Parade
Broadbeach, Queensland 4218
Phone: +61 7 5592 2250
- Phoenician Resort Apartments
24-26 Queensland Avenue
Broadbeach, Queensland 4218
Phone: +61 7 5585 8888
Currency Conversion
One Australian Dollar is worth approximately 0.52 US Dollars (at 27 November 2001).
Other Information
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