VISUALIZING BIOLOGICAL DATA VIZBI
Venue
VIZBI 2017 will be held at the Charles Perkins Centre Auditorium (CPC), located on The University of Sydney campus at the following address:
Building D17, The University of Sydney, Johns Hopkins Drive, Camperdown NSW 2050 Australia
CPC is located on the northwest boundary of the University of Sydney Camperdown Campus, bordering St John's College and in close proximity to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA). You can explore The University of Sydney campus with a virtual tour.
How to get to the Charles Perkins Centre
There are two main entrances: one is on just past Victoria Park where Broadway becomes Parramatta Road; the other is on City Road at the corner of Butlin Avenue.
If you are travelling by train, Redfern is the closest train station. It is a 10-minute walk to the main campus, and a steady flow of students walks the route via Abercrombie Street at all times of day and evening. A free shuttle bus runs between Fisher Library and Redfern Station in the evening during the semester.
Central station is a 15-minute walk along City Road and George Street; however, buses to and from Central are frequent and easy to catch from Parramatta Road or City Road.
If you are arriving by bus, there are convenient stops on Parramatta Road and City Road at our main entrances. Use the campus map to locate the closest bus stop to your destination.
For more information, you can read about how to get to and around the Camperdown campus.
Accommodation
A block booking at special rates has been secured at Rydges, Camperdown. Rydges is a short five minutes walk to The University of Sydney & the
Charles Perkins Centre, and a 30 minutes ride from Sydney Airport by taxi or car. Taxi cost from/to Sydney Airport ranges from $20 to $40. A shuttle service can be arranged from the Rydges Camperdown to the airport for $22 per
person. For information, contact the hotel.
The rooms available are Superior Queen at a rate of AU$159 (inclusive of GST).
Please note that the Superior Queen room has one queen bed only. Please contact the Conference Secretariat if you would like to book a twin room - please note that twin rooms are based on availability.
If you would like book your accommodation Rydges, Camperdown please do so through the conference registration page to obtain these rates.
Full prepayment is required 30 days prior to arrival to secure your reservation.
If you would like to stay additional nights outside of 13th,14th and 15th June, or make any changes to the reservation, please contact the Conference Secretariat .
Note that there is no guarantee that cancellations made within 30 days of the arrival
date will receive a full refund as the hotel reserves the right to charge a
fee equal to one night's accommodation or the full duration of the
stay on any rooms cancelled within 30 days of the accommodation arrival
date.
Arriving in Australia
Please remember to arrange a valid visa to enter the country.
To view a summary of the key steps and procedures you must complete when arriving at Sydney Airport on an international flight, visit our International arrivals procedures page.
For information about duty free allowances for arriving passengers, visit our Duty Free allowances page.
For Australian Customs and Border Protection Service information, visit our Customs and Border Protection page.
For Department of Agriculture information about biosecurity, visit our Biosecurity page.
For more information on what to expect when arriving to Sydney airport, please visit: Sydney Airport Arrival Procedures.
Travelling From the Airport To the City
Airport Link is a fast and convenient way to reach the centre of Sydney.
Trains run approximately every 10 minutes and the journey to the city takes
only 13 minutes. There are train stations located at both the International
and Domestic terminals, which operate as part of the Airport Link train
service. The Domestic terminal train station is located directly between T2
and T3 terminals and is accessible from within the terminals from the
Arrivals level. The International terminal train station is located at the
northern end of the terminal and is accessible from the Arrivals level.
The international and domestic rail stations link directly to the City
Circle line, which means most city destinations are within a short walk of
stations.
For trains schedules and to plan your trip please visit: http://www.airportlink.com.au/
Getting Around Sydney
The best and cheapest way to travel around Sydney is via public transport. To travel on public transport in Sydney and surrounding areas you will need an Opal card or an Opal single ticket. Opal cards are smartcard tickets that you keep, reload and reuse to pay for travel on public transport. Simply add value to your Opal card then tap on and tap off to pay your fares on trains, buses, ferries and light rail, anywhere within the Opal network. Upon arrival at Sydney Airport you can purchase an Opal Card from the Airport Train Station, Relay and WH Smith stores within the airport.Info on finding the exact location of an Opal card retailer, outside the airport, can be found here. To plan your trip is always useful to consult Google Maps, but you might want also to check real-time trip planner for more precise schedule, either on the web or on a mobile app. Taxi and Uber services are also available everywhere in Sydney
What to do in Sydney
Sydney Australia is one of the world's most loved cities and it has a lively and vibrant buzz that makes it the ultimate destination throughout the year. VIZBI participants are particularly lucky since the conference will coincide with the VIVID light festival, the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas, which will bring a whole new flavour to Sydney. Check out the program here. There are always plenty of things to do in Sydney whether it's summer, winter, autumn or spring – from world-class dining, shows and entertainment, to sightseeing and great walks or fun in the sand at one of Sydney's idyllic beaches. For information please visit: the official Sydney website
FAQs
What is the currency in Australia?
Australia's national currency is Australian dollars (AUD), which comes in
denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes. Coins come in 5, 10, 20
and 50 cents and one and two dollar denominations.
What is Goods and Services Tax?
Australia has a Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 10%. You may be
able to claim a refund for the GST paid on goods if you have spent AUD$300
or more with a single business, no more than 60 days before departing
Australia.Tourist Refund Scheme
facilities are located in the departure area of international terminals.
Is tipping customary in Australia?
Hotels and restaurants do not add service charges to your bill, and tipping
is always your choice. In upmarket restaurants, it is common to tip waiters
10 per cent of the bill for good service.
What kind of electrical plugs are used in Australia?
You may need an adapter in order to plug your appliances into the power
sockets: the adapter required for Australia is Type 1 Australia plug. The
plugs in Australia have two flat metal pins, forming an inverted 'V' shape,
and occasionally a third pin in the centre. The electrical current in
Australia is 220 – 240 volts, AC 50Hz.
What is the international dialling code for Australia?
The international dialling code for Australia is 61. Each region also has
an area code, including Central East (New South Wales, Australia Capital
Territory) with area code 02; South East (Victoria, Tasmania) with area
code 03; Mobile telephones (Australia-wide) with area code 04; North East
(Queensland) with area code 07; and Central and West (Western Australia,
South Australia and Northern Territory) with area code 08. When calling
from outside Australia, leave out the leading '0' from the area code or
mobile phone number.
The outgoing IDD (international direct dialling) code from within Australia
is 0011.
Can I use credit cards and traveller's cheques in Australia?
Credit cards such as American Express, Bankcard, Diners Club, MasterCard,
Visa, UnionPay and JCB are accepted in Australia. VISA or MasterCard can be
used everywhere credit cards are accepted. American Express and Diners Club
are accepted at major supermarket and department store chains and many
tourist destinations. A good tip is to carry multiple credit cards and a
little cash. Merchants may impose credit card surcharges in some places.
Traveller's cheques are not widely accepted in Australia. If you do
purchase traveller's cheques, it is best to buy them in Australian dollars
as smaller shops, restaurants and other businesses are unlikely to know
what the exchange rate is if you present a cheque in a different currency
such as US dollars or British pounds.
How can I check exchange rate conversions from my currency to Australian dollars (AUD)?
XE Currency Converter
will help you convert your own currency at the current exchange rates.