Travel Information
Visa Requirements
All travellers to Australia must have a valid visa before boarding their plane. Participants require either a Short Validity Business Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or a Business Visitor stream Visa. Conference participants who are not eligible to apply for an ETA need to request a "Letter of Invitation" from the LOC to supplement their application. If you need a Visa, please complete the online form or contact your Australian Embassy/Consulate. A complete list of Australian Embassies and Consulates worldwide can be found at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website. Please ensure that all necessary visa/eVisitor applications have been been made prior to arrival in Australia.
Australia has a strict quarantine policy regarding the importation of meat and plant products, so please try and avoid bringing items containing these products, as heavy fines are issued to travelers importing them.
Astroinformatics 2013: Knowledge from Data is also registered with the International Event Coordinator Network (IECN) of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) in Australia. Please mention this when you apply for your visa. The factsheet here also contains useful information about the different visas available to you.
At the Airport
Sydney Airport (also known as Kingsford-Smith Airport; IATA:SYD) is Sydney's Domestic and International Airport. It is located 13 km south of the City Center and 32 km from Marsfield Lecture Theater. At the transportation page of their website you can find all the information for travelling from and to the airport.
By Taxi
Taxi fares can be found at the Transport for New South Wales website. You can calculate taxi fares using the Taxi Fare Calculator.
By Train
The Airport and East Hills Train Line stops at both the Domestic and International Terminals and provides a fast link to the City Center. Special Fares apply and a single adult ticket from the Airport to the City Center costs $16.70 (AUD), while a single adult ticket to Epping or Macquarie University costs $17.30 (AUD). More fares (including return ticket prices and multi-pass tickets) can be found at the Fare Calculator.
Public Transport to Marsfield
There is no train station very close to the venue but there are a number of buses that connect Marsfield with the City Center and the nearest train stations (Epping or Macquarie University are both 5-10 minutes away by bus).
By Train
The Northern Line (Red Line on all public transport maps and on the map shown below) is the line serving the stations closer to the venue (Epping and Macquarie University). It is a circular line, starting from Hornsby, moving south to Epping and Macquarie University, then to Chatswood and south to the City Center, east to Strathfield and back to Epping where it terminates and closes the loop.
The Newcastle and Central Coast line trains (Silver Line) also stop at Epping station. They are limited-stop and faster services between Epping and the Central Station. Trains run approximately every 15 min from 5:00 am to midnight, although Friday and Saturday services run until later.
The NSW CityRail website has a Trip planner and a Timetable Search. A map of Sydney's train network can be found here.
By Bus
From Macquarie Centre to CASS
| Number | From - To | Board at | Alight at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | Manly to Epping (Limited Stops) | Macquarie Centre Stand D | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| 288 | City Centre to Epping | Macquarie Centre Stand D | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| 290 | City Centre to Epping | Macquarie Centre Stand D | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| 292 | City Centre to Marsfield | Macquarie Centre Stand D | Vimiera Rd near Epping Rd |
| 295 | Macquarie Ctr to North Epping | Macquarie Centre Stand D | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| 630 | Macquarie Park to Blacktown | Macquarie Centre Stand E | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| M54 | Macquarie Park to Parramatta | Macquarie Centre Stand A | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
From CASS To Macquarie Centre:
| Number | From - To | Board at | Alight at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | Epping to Manly (Limited Stops) | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Macquarie Centre Stand C |
| 288 | Epping to City Center | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Macquarie Centre Stand C |
| 290 | Epping to City Centre | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Macquarie Centre Stand C |
| 292 | Marsfield to City Centre | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Macquarie Centre Stand C |
| 295 | North Epping to Macquarie Ctr | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Herring Rd near Waterloo Rd |
| 630 | Blacktown to Macquarie Park | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Macquarie Centre Stand E |
| M54 | Parramatta to Macquarie Park | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Macquarie Centre Stand C |
From Epping Station To CASS:
| Number | From - To | Board at | Alight at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | Epping to Manly (Limited Stops) | Cambridge Str near Epping Stn | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| 288 | Epping to City Centre | Cambridge Str near Epping Stn | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| 290 | Epping to City Centre | Cambridge Str near Epping Stn | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| 295 | North Epping to Macquarie Ctr | Cambridge Str near Epping Stn | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| 630 | Blacktown to Macquarie Park | Beecroft Rd near Epping Stn | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
| M54 | Parramatta to Macquarie Park | Beecroft Rd near Epping Stn | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd |
From CASS To Epping Station:
| Number | From - To | Board at | Alight at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | Manly to Epping (Limited Stops) | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Cambridge Str near Oxford Str |
| 288 | City Centre to Epping | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Cambridge Str near Oxford Str |
| 290 | City Center to Epping | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Cambridge Str near Oxford Str |
| 295 | Macquarie Ctr to North Epping | Vimiera Rd near Epping Rd | Cambridge Str near Oxford Str |
| 630 | Macquarie Park to Blacktown | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Beecroft Rd near Epping Stn |
| M54 | Macquarie Park to Parramatta | Epping Rd near Vimiera Rd | Beecroft Rd near Epping Stn |
Timetables and route maps for buses can be found at the Sydney Buses website.
Bus Stop Maps
The following maps are from the areas around CASS, Epping Station and Macquarie University Station (Macquarie Centre), showing the relevant bus stops. Click on each link for a larger version of the maps. If you click on any of the bus stops, its name will appear. The names correspond to the stops in the above tables and the buses that stop at each of them are also included in these maps.
View bus stops around CASS.View bus stops around Macquarie Center in a larger map.
View bus stop around Epping Station in a larger map.
Tickets
Details on the ticket for buses, trains, ferries and available passes can be found here.
Accommodation Information
Participants will need to organise and book their own accommodation for this conference. We have provided a list of good local accommodation below, but other options are available. A map showing the locations of these hotels and CASS can be found here. Please book your accommodation by phone, email or via the internet for your preferred hotel, with the details given below.
Both the Stamford Hotel and MGSM Executive Hotel have a courtesy bus service that will be available to bring participants to and from CASS each morning and afternoon. If you're still unsure about how to get to the conference venus, please ask your hotel reception.If you wish to stay closer to the CBD, websites such as Wotif or Hotels.com (set to the Australian site) often have specials or cheap rates for certain hotels. You will have to organise your own transport to CASS if you choose to stay in the city.
Stamford Hotels and Resorts
Corner Epping and Herring Roads
North Ryde, NSW 2113
Telephone: +61-2 9888 1077
Facsimile: +61-2 9805 0655
Website: http://www.stamford.com.au/sgnr
Email: reservations@snr.stamford.com.au
MGSM Executive Hotel
99 Talavera Road
Macquarie Park
NSW AUSTRALIA 2113
Telephone: +61-2-9850-9300
Facsimile: +61-2-9850-6090
Website: http://www.conferences.mgsm.com.au/
Email: reception.hotel@mgsm.edu.au
Travelodge Macquarie North Ryde Hotel
81 Talavera Road, North Ryde NSW 2113
Reservations: 1300 886 886
Telephone: +61 2 8874 5200
Facsimile: +61 2 8874 5300
Website: http://www.travelodge.com.au/travelodge-macquarie-north-ryde-hotel/home
Email: macquarie@travelodge.com.au
Dunmore Lang College
They currently have 10+ ensuite rooms available for $115 per night including breakfast or $88 per night for a "standard room" with shared bathroom
Dunmore Lang College
130-134 Herring Road
North Ryde
Telephone: +61 (02) 9856 1000
Website: http://www.dunmorelangcollege.nsw.edu.au/page/Conferences__Accommodation/Short_Term_Accommodation/
Email: info@dlc.nsw.edu.au
The Ranch
Herring Road
North Ryde NSW 2122
+61-2-9887-2411
Website: theranch.com.au
Sponsors
The main sponsor of this event is CSIRO through the Cutting Edge Symposium 2013 program. Other sponsors include CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science (CASS), Astronomy Australia Limited (AAL), the International Centre for Radio-Astronomy Research (ICRAR), the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO), SGI, the University of Sydney, Amazon, the ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO), Microsoft and Universal Shell Programming Laboratory Limited.
