Venue | By Air | By Car | By Bus | By Train
Conference Venue
The Conference will be held at: Newcastle City Hall
290 King Street
Newcastle
Australia
City Hall is located in the heart of Newcastle's city centre; it encompasses some of Newcastle's most popular and prestigious venues. Less than 2 hours north of Sydney, it is easily accessible by road, rail, air or water. It is a mere 5 minutes walk from over 700 accommodation rooms and a short walk from Newcastle's major attractions, beaches, harbour foreshore, cafes and restaurants making it a fantastic location.
Getting to Newcastle
Arriving by Air
The major airport for Newcastle is at Williamtown, 26.5 kilometres and 22 minutes by car from the city centre.
International Delegates
All visitors to Australia (except from New Zealand) require visas. The Business Visitor Visa Information document provides further information. Please allow at least 6 to 8 weeks for your visa to be processed. Please visit http://www.immi.gov.au/ for detailed Visa and travel information to Australia, or ask your local travel agent for details regarding the types of Visas available and other entry (and exit) requirements.
Transfer options from Newcastle airport
Taxi/Cab: Taxis/cabs can be pre-booked on 131 500 (Australia only) or may be available at the airport for transfers to Newcastle CBD and the conference venue. The one-way fare from Newcastle Airport is approximately $37.00 to the Newcastle CBD. Credit cards and domestic Cabcharge are accepted.
Bus: There is a regular scheduled coach service from Newcastle (Williamtown) Airport into the Newcastle CBD, operating between 7am-7pm (Mon-Fri) and 9am-4:30pm (Sat-Sun). The fare is approximately $16.00 each way.
Domestic Delegates
Direct flights to Newcastle can be made from other locations in Australia. To check flight schedules and routes please visit the Newcastle Airport website for details. There is a public bus service available between Newcastle airport and Newcastle train station ($5 for an adult/$2.50 concession). For timetables please visit the Port Stephens Coach website. An airport shuttle and taxi services are also availble from the airport to Newcastle town.
Transfer options from Sydney airport
If not arriving at Newcastle (Williamtown) Airport, maybe the best option to get from Sydney to the conference is the Happy Cabby shuttle service which operates between Sydney Airport and Newcastle, dropping you off directly at your hotel. One way transfers cost $69.00, and return transfers cost $132.00. If travelling in a group, costs are cheaper. We recommend that if you intend to arrive in Sydney, you should visit www.happycabby.com or call +61(0)2 4971 3991 for bookings.
Also see below for details regarding road (car and bus) and rail transport.
Travelling by Car
National Highway 1 (F3 Freeway) is the main access route from Sydney to Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, while the Pacific and New England Highways are the main routes from Brisbane and Queensland. If driving north from Sydney, travel on the F3 and follow the signs right into Newcastle CBD. The venue is located at the Town Hall in the centre of town.
Travelling by Bus
Several bus companies operate between Sydney and Newcastle, dropping travellers at several locations in Newcastle just under 3 hours after leaving from in front of the Sydney (Central) Train Station. We recommended searching the internet for bus companies that operate these services. One bus company is Greyhound Australia which offers passengers tickets for approximately $44.00 one way, see www.greyhound.com.au.
Travelling by Rail
Newcastle is part of the New South Wales CityLink Rail network. There are frequent hourly return services daily between Newcastle and Sydney (Central) Train Station. For timetables and fares visit www.cityrail.info or call 131 500 (Australia only). Delegates should alight at Civic Station (one stop before Newcastle terminal) for the conference venue. The CountryLink train and coach network also connects Newcastle (Broadmeadow) station to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and other NSW country centres. Connections would need to be made between Broadmeadow Station and Civic Station (the conference venue station). For timetables, fares and online bookings visit www.countrylink.info or call 13 22 32 (Australia only).
International travellers can reach Sydney (Central) Train Station from Sydney Kingsford-Smith International Airport by taxi/cab, airport train or airport bus. CityLink or CountryLink trains, or private bus companies like Greyhound, can then take you on to Newcastle. Whereas, Happy Cabby shuttle service picks you up at Sydney Airport and drops you off at your Newcastle hotel.
