Conference location and venues

The conference will be held in the Kambri Precinct, University Avenue, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601.

We will be using two buildings:

• The Cultural Centre
• The Marie Reay Teaching Centre

We have created a google map showing the location of the conference venues, accommodation options, and visitor parking on the ANU campus.

Visas & Insurance

Visas

International visitors to Australia require a visa or an electronic travel authority (ETA) prior to arrival. It is your responsibility to ensure documentation is correct and complete before you commence your journey. Information on obtaining visas and ETAs can be found here.

Insurance

Registration fees do not include insurance of any kind. It is strongly recommended that all delegates take out their own travel and medical insurance prior to travelling to the Conference. The policy should include loss of fees/deposit through cancellation of your participation in the Conference, or through cancellation of the Conference itself, loss of airfares for any reason, medical expenses, loss or damage to personal property, additional expenses and repatriation should travel arrangements have to be altered. Neither the conference organisers nor the organising committee will take any responsibility for any participant failing to insure. Please speak to your travel agent or airline about this.

Arriving in Canberra

By air

Canberra Airport is the major airport serving Australia’s capital city, located 8km from the Australian National University and the city. It runs services to most of Australia’s major international cities, as well as Doha (Qatar), Wellington (NZ) and Singapore.

As a general guide, a taxi from the airport to Canberra city centre takes around 20 minutes and will cost approximately $40 to $50 (Australian Dollars), depending on traffic conditions. Uber pickup is also available from the airport.

By road

Canberra is located approximately 3.5 hours drive from Sydney. An hourly coach service is available to connect from the Sydney Airport International terminal to Canberra city centre (travel time 3 hours) www.murrays.com.au or www.greyhound.com.au .

By train

Canberra has a picturesque direct rail service from Sydney. Departing from Sydney Central Station, the daily service travels to Canberra via the Southern Highlands, Goulburn and Bungendore. Terminating at the Canberra Railway Station in Kingston, the trip takes a leisurely four-and-a-half hours. Check timetables and book online through the NSW Trainlink website.

About Canberra

Canberra is located in the Australian Capital Territory, on the ancient lands of the Ngunnawal people, who have lived here for over 20,000 years. Canberra’s name is thought to mean ‘meeting place’, derived from the Aboriginal word Kamberra. European settlers arrived in the 1830s, and the area won selection by ballot for the federal capital in 1908. Since then the ‘Bush Capital’ has grown to become the proud home of the Australian story, with a growing population of around 390,000.

Canberra hosts a wide range of tourist attractions, including various national museums, galleries and Parliament House, as well as beautiful parks and walking trails. Several attractions are within walking distance of the ANU campus, including the National Museum of Australia and the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Canberra is also a fantastic base from which to explore the many treasures of the surrounding region, including historic townships, beautiful coastlines and the famous Snowy Mountains. Learn more about what to do and see during your stay in Canberra here.

Weather

Winter is chilly in Canberra, yet the sun still often shines bright. It’s the ideal time to visit galleries and museums, enjoy winter activities and indulgent dining with local wines. Relish the view of snow on the mountains and step out in your best winter finery including boots, hats, scarves and gloves. The daily winter temperature averages 12°C (53.6ºF). Canberra generally has low humidity, with cool winters. Given the city’s average elevation of 570m (1870 feet), frosts are common in winter and UV radiation can be high. Canberra is known for its clean, fresh air and stunning blue skies.

How to get around in Canberra

Public transport

Canberra’s public bus service, Transport Canberra buses, covers Canberra’s major tourist sites and the suburbs. The number 53 bus goes along the eastern edge of the ANU campus on Liversidge Street and Marcus Clarke Street, and connects with buses to other destinations at the City interchange. You can access the timetable and route map here.
The rapid buses R2, R3, R4 all touch the northern edge of the campus, on Barry Drive, and R6 on the eastern edge, on Marcus Clarke Street. Plan your journey here.

Ticketing – Transport Canberra offers the choice of the MyWay smartcard prepaid ticketing system or cash fares. Scan a prepaid MyWay card or purchase a single or daily cash ticket on board the bus from the driver. Single fares are valid for 90 minutes. Daily tickets are ideal for sightseeing and are valid until midnight on the day of purchase.

Canberra’s light rail travels from the northern suburbs to Civic. The closest light rail stop is approximately a 20 minute walk to the conference venue. Note that the light rail accepts MyWay cards only.

Call 02 6207 7611 for more information or view Transport Canberra’s printable routes and timetables here. Transport Canberra’s fleet includes easy access buses for people with reduced mobility.

Free Culture Loop bus

Ride the free Culture Loop bus to 10 attractions. Operating daily from 9am to 5pm, you can park once and ride all day for free. The Culture Loop stops include Parliament House, Museum of Australian Democracy, National Library of Australia, Questacon, National Museum of Australia, National Capital Exhibition and the Canberra and Region Visitors Centre, National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra Museum and Gallery and the Canberra Centre

Taxi & Uber

The taxi and Uber rank is conveniently located directly outside the Cultural Centre, ANU giving easy access to all visitors coming and going.

Accommodation

Accommodation options will be offered to you, as part of the registration process. Our conference organisers will make bookings for you and process payment through the registration portal. If delegates do not wish to avail themselves of these options, it is recommended that they book accommodation as soon as possible after registration.

We have created a google map showing the location of accommodation options, marked with blue pins.

The following hotels are located on or within walking distance to the ANU campus:

• University House
• Novotel Canberra
• QT Canberra
• Peppers Gallery Hotel
• Ovolo Nishi
• Quest Apartment Hotel
• Quest Canberra City Walk
• Breakfree Capital Tower
• Avenue Hotel
• Mantra on Northbourne
• The Sebel Canberra Civic
• Canberra City Youth Hostel
• Adina Serviced Apartments

These hotels are a short tram ride:

• Capital Executive Apartment Hotel
• Madison Capital Executive Apartments
• Pacific Suites Canberra
• Canberra Rex Hotel
• Deco Hotel
• Adina Serviced Apartments – Dickson (formerly Aria Hotel Canberra)
• Pavilion on Northbourne Hotel
• Quality Hotel Dickson
• Canberra Lyneham Motor Inn

You can also explore other accommodation options here:

• Vibe Hotel Canberra (Airport)
• Visit Canberra

Parking

Limited paid visitor parking is available at ANU, so during working hours, alternative transport options such as bus, taxi, or Uber may be a better option.

The Kambri car park is located at 137 Sullivans Creek Road, Acton and offers affordable, secure underground parking, utilising the latest ticketless parking system technology.There is 15-minutes-free access to the car park for drop-offs and pick-ups, with hourly, early bird, after 5pm, weekend, and event rates available.

ANU has Pay As You Go (PAYG) parking which uses the CellOPark app, and there is also Voucher / Pay & Display parking for minimum 1 hour up to maximum of 3 hours, using coins and EFTPOS.

More information about the ANU parking options and locations is available here.

There is also this interactive ANU map showing parking options.

Meals

The Conference Dinner on the Monday night, the ECR First Books Reception on the Tuesday night and hot beverages each day are included in your registration fee. You will need to provide all other meals, snacks and drinks for yourself for the duration of the full 3 day event. You can purchase these from a large variety and number of delicious shops and eateries around the Kambri precinct in ANU, and close by in the City West precinct of Canberra City (Civic). We will also provide a map of eateries in the vicinity of the conference venue – available from the conference registration desk.

• ANU Kambri – Eat, Drink, Shop
• Visit Canberra – Eat and Drink

For the dinner and reception, the conference organisers recognise that some delegates may have special dietary needs. Please ensure you add any dietary requirements when registering for the conference. Contact ocis2020@conlog.com.au to advise of any changes.