Roche

Key Dates

April 2011
Registration open

Early December 2011
Call for Late Breaking Abstracts

31 January 2012
Early Bird Registration Deadline

17 February 2012
Author registration deadline

25 - 29 March 2012
Symposium dates

Hosted By

The Australian Atherosclerosis Society

Australian Atherosclerosis Society

 

 

General Information

Australian Visa Application

All travellers to Australia, other than Australian and New Zealand citizens, are legally required to hold a valid visa to travel to Australia. Visas are either issued electronically (ETA) or through application where a sticker is required in the passport (Non-ETA).

It is advised to apply for your visa as soon as possible to ensure enough processing time. The minimum time frame stated for an Australian visa application is six (6) weeks.

For further application details please visit the Symposium website www.isa2012.com

Australian Visa Application Supporting Documentation

Delegates applying for a non-ETA visa may present their paid confirmation letter to an Australian visa office to support their application. No other letters will be issued for this purpose. As a Symposium delegate, you are not guaranteed to be granted a visa. Unfortunately we are unable to grant refunds of registration fees based on not obtaining a visa.

Banking/Currency

Decimal currency is used in Australia with the dollar as the basic unit (100 cents = $1). Notes come in $100, $50, $20, $10, and $5. Coins come in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2 denominations.

Currency exchange facilities are available in most banks, hotels and airports and operate normal business hours. Credit cards are accepted at most restaurants and shops, the most widely used being Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Diners Club.

XE - The World's Favorite Currency and Foreign Exchange Site

Business Hours

Banks generally open from 0930-1600 hours

Monday - Friday. General office hours are 0900-1700
Monday - Friday. Post Offices operate these hours, however stamps are often available from hotels.

Car Parking

Driving to the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre is easy.  Underground on-site car-parking is available for over 900 vehicles and includes a number of disabled bays.  The Darling Harbour precinct has 5,000 more car parking spaces at competitive rates.

The Exhibition Centre car park is conveniently located off Darling Drive, underneath the Centre's five exhibition halls.  The car park has direct access to the venue and the many attractions and facilities available in Darling Harbour. 

Car park opening hours: 
Monday to Sunday - open 24 hours

Rates
Day Rates for all vehicles are:  

  • hours = $8.00
  • 1-2 hours = $16.00
  • 2-3 hours = $24.00
  • 3-4 hours = $28.00
  • 4+  hours = $30.00


Evening Rates for all vehicles are:

  • hours = $7.00
  • 1-2 hours = $13.00
  • 2+  hours = $18.00

Evening Rates apply for entry after 5pm and exit before 9am the following day. Automatic pay stations are located throughout the car park, with a central pay station in the area under Hall Payment is made at these stations prior to exiting the car park.  Prepayment is also available. Please note that the ceiling height of the Exhibition Centre car park is 1.8 metres.

Please note that there prices may be subject to change without notice.

Eating Out

Bistros, restaurants, cafes and coffee shops offer varied menus, prices and decor. Local specialties such as seafood and Australian wines are worth trying. At some restaurants you can keep the liquor bill down by taking your own wine or beer. These are called "BYO" restaurants, an abbreviation for "bring your own".

Electricity

Electrical current is 240/250V, AC 50Hz. The Australian three-pin power outlet is different from that in many countries, so you will need an adaptor. If your appliances are 110V, check if there is a 110/240V switch. If not, you will need a voltage converter. Universal outlets for 240V or 110V shavers are usually found in leading hotels.

Goods & Services Tax (GST)/Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS)

Since 1 July 2000, Australia has adopted a taxation system incorporating the Goods & Services Tax (GST). All prices quoted in this brochure are inclusive of GST, unless otherwise specified.

As part of this taxation system, the Australian Government introduced the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS). The scheme is administered by the Australian Customs Department and took effect on 1 July 2000. The TRS enables travellers departing Australia to claim a refund of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) paid on goods bought in Australia. The refund applies to goods over the value of A$300 when items are purchased in the same shop within 30 days of your departure from Australia. Should an item be too large to take onto the aircraft as hand luggage you will need to visit the TRS clearing office at the international airport with the item and receipt. The receipt will be stamped TRS sighted and at that point you can check the large item in with your luggage. Once you have cleared customs you can collect your refund from the TRS desk by showing your receipt or items purchased. It does not apply to services or goods consumed or partly consumed in Australia, however the goods can be used before departing Australia.

Australian GST Calculator

Insurance

Registration fees do not include insurance of any kind. It is strongly recommended that at the time you register for the Symposium and book your travel you take out an insurance policy of your choice. The policy should include loss of fees/deposit through cancellation of your participation in the Symposium, or through cancellation of the Symposium, loss of international/domestic air fares through cancellation for any reason, loss of tour monies through cancellation for any reason including airline or related services strikes within Australia, failure to utilise tours or pre-booked arrangements due to airline delay, Force Majeure or any other reason, medical expenses (including sickness and accident cover), loss or damage to personal property, additional expenses and repatriation should travel arrangements have to be altered. The Symposium Organisers cannot take any responsibility for any participant failing to arrange their own insurance. This insurance is to be purchased in your country of origin.

Language

The official language for the Symposium is English.

Planning Your Travel

Because of time change and jet lag the Organising Committee suggests you consider arriving in Australia a day early. This will enable you to relax and familiarise yourself with your hotel and its surrounds before the start of the Symposium. Sleep on the way over and have great time when you get here. If you are traveling from the East from or via America, don't forget the dateline. It means you lose a day on you way over (because we are ahead of America!) but gain it on the way back so you will arrive home the same day you leave.

Flying to Sydney from overseas

Here are a few tips to make your journey more comfortable.

  • Get up and stretch regularly if possible, or at least circle your ankles once an hour.
  • Wear loose fitting, slip on shoes. Feet swell, and if you take shoes off at any point in a flight, a shoe that just fits can be painful to put back on.
  • In-flight dining and drinking may leave you feeling bloated so wear loose fitting clothes. Also, try to layer your clothes so that you are prepared for different levels of air-conditioning.
  • Remember to drink plenty of water and juice to keep you hydrated. Avoid caffeinated soft drinks, tea and coffee.
  • If you are concerned about deep vein thrombosis consider taking an aspirin before flying as it has blood thinning properties.
  • To help adjust your body clock, set your watch to Sydney time as soon as you are on board.

Getting to the city from Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport is located just 8 km (5 miles) from central Sydney.

  • Take a taxi. Each terminal has its own sheltered taxi rank with supervisors on hand in peak hours to ensure a smooth flow of taxis for travellers. It costs about A$25-$30 and takes about 20 minutes for a taxi from the airport to the heart of the city. Remember passengers pay for any bridge or road tolls on top of the fare. An airport toll of $2.50 also applies. Catch a taxi directly outside the airport doors at any terminal. As throughout Australia, tipping is appreciated but is not required.
  • Take the train. There is a railway link from the airport to Central station. The single adult fare from Sydney International Airport to Sydney Central station is A$13.80. The trip to Central takes 10-15 minutes.
  • Take the airport shuttle bus. Sydney Airport charges A$12 from Sydney International Airport to central Sydney and will drop off at hotels in the city, Darling Harbour and Kings Cross.

Privacy

Australia introduced the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 in 2001.  The Symposium Organisers comply with such legislation which is designed to protect the right of the individual to privacy of their information.  Information collected in respect of proposed participation in any aspect of the Symposium will be only used for the purposes of planning and conduct of the Symposium and may also be provided to the organising body or to organisers of future events.  It is also usual to produce a ‘Delegate List' of attendees at the Symposium and to include the individual's details in such a list. Consent for publication of the individual's information may be withheld when completing the registration form for the Symposium. Individuals are also entitled to access the information held by written application to the Symposium Organisers.

Transport in Sydney

Buses
Sydney Buses
Buses are a great way to travel around Sydney for visitors.
Sydney Explorer
This is your passport to the city, offering unlimited travel in air-conditioned buses to Sydney's biggest and best tourist attractions. Hop on and off anywhere along the Sydney Explorer route.

Rail
Monorail
Sydney's Metro Monorail of the few above-ground rail systems in the world. The circular route winds its way through the city centre and around Darling Harbour.
Light Rail
Light Rail is the environmentally friendly way to travel from Sydney Central with stops at Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Star City, Sydney Fish Markets, Glebe, Leichhardt and Lilyfield.

Ferries
Ferries are the most sublime form of public transport on Sydney Harbour. There are regular Sydney Ferry services to Manly, Parramatta, Balmain, Watsons Bay, Taronga Zoo and other locations. Sydney Ferries run a public service from the Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour to Circular Quay, stopping at Balmain, Milsons Point and McMahons Point. The Sydney Aquarium is only a 5 minute walk from the Convention Centre. For timetable enquiries, please refer to their website at www.sydneyferries.nsw.gov.au.
Matilda Cruises runs an "Express Ferry" between Circular Quay and Darling Harbour, via the Sydney Aquarium and Star City Casino. Services arrive and depart from the wharf outside the Harbourside Shopping Centre, adjacent to the Convention Centre. For timetable enquiries, please refer to their website at www.matilda.com.au.

Weather

Sydney enjoys a temperate climate more than 340 sunny days a year. Autumn (Fall) is absolutely gorgeous in Sydney. The average temperature ranges from 15°C (59°F) at night to 22°C (72°F) in the day. The weather is cool but usually quite pleasant and sunny. Autumn runs from 1 March through to 31 May in Australia.

More Information

Quarantine

Australia is free from many plant and animal diseases prevalent in other countries. Very strict quarantine rules apply to the import of animals and plants, which cannot be brought into the country without prior application. Animal and plant products are also restricted. Please be aware that all food and items made from animal or plant material are subject to disclosure and possible confiscation. Items declared from rare and endangered species will be removed. Leave the decaff tea bags behind - we have it all here. For more information see the 'Information for International Travelers' on the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) website, which you can access by visiting: http://www.affa.gov.au

Shopping

Shops open from 0900 to 1730 hours during the week with late night shopping on Thursday. On Saturday, most shops open from 0900 to 1600. On Sunday Darling Harbour shops are open from 1000 to 1800 and major department stores in the centre of the city are open from 1000 to 1600.

Time

Sydney is 11 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time in March. Eastern Daylight Savings time will come to an end on 7 April 2012. Sydney will then be ahead 10 hours Greenwich Mean Time.

The World Clock – Time Zones

International Telephone Dialling Codes in Australia

Following are the International Dialling Codes for each state and territory in Australia
Canberra: +61 2
New South Wales: + 61 2
Victoria: + 61 3
Queensland: + 61 7
South Australia: + 61 8
Western Australia +61 8
Northern Territory: + 61 8

Tipping

Tipping is not as widespread or regulated in Australia as it is in other parts of the world. Tipping is your choice as a reward for good service. It is customary to tip hotel porters and a gratuity of about 10 per cent is usual in restaurants if good service is received. Tips for taxis are regarded as optional.

Vaccinations

A current valid international certificate of inoculation against yellow fever is required if passengers come from, or travel through, infected areas. Please check this carefully with your airline or travel agent.