IMSTEC 07: Venue

Conference venue
The University of NSW
Getting there
Sydney - the host city
Sydney's icons
Sydney tourism links

IMSTEC 07 was proudly sponsored by:

Veolia Water
Australia

CO2CRC

Siemens

Student financial assistance for
IMSTEC 07 was
provided by:

The North American
Membrane Society

The European
Membrane Society

CONFERENCE VENUE

Conference Venue - Mathews Theatres and Mathews Pavilions
The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (Kensington Campus):

IMSTEC 07 will take place at the Mathews Theatres (map ref. D23) at the Kensington Campus of the University of New South Wales. Registration and the poster session will take place at the Mathews Pavilions (map ref. E24)

Click here to find out where to go during IMSTEC 07.

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The University of New South Wales

Library lawn at the University of New South Wales,
Kensington Campus (Courtesy: UNSW)

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is one of the leading teaching and research universities in Australia - renowned for the quality of its graduates and its commitment to new and creative approaches to education and research. Its motto - Scientia Manu et Mente ("Knowledge by Hand and Mind") - encapsulates the University's central philosophy of balancing the practical and the scholarly.

Located in Sydney, the University of New South Wales is situated near the business hub of Australia's largest city, providing easy access to a wide range of academic, cultural and social activities, and less than 5km from some of the most famous beaches in the world. The 38 hectare Kensington site, the main UNSW campus, consists of state-of-the-art faculty and service facilities that combine to provide an ideal educational and communal environment for all students.

An aerial view of the University of
New South Wales,
Kensington Campus (Courtesy: UNSW)

An aerial view of the University of
New South Wales, Kensington Campus
- Mathews theatres at the top left (Courtesy: UNSW)

The Scientia, The University of
New South Wales,
Kensington Campus (Courtesy: UNSW)

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Getting to UNSW

By bus:

From City CBD or Central: Any bus heading to Maroubra or La Perouse (391, 392, X92, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, X96, X97). Disembark these buses at the main entrance (lower campus) to the University of New South Wales on Anzac Parade
From Airport: Bus 400, 410 departs the domestic and international terminals and stops at UNSW on Anzac Parade. In addition to the main entrance these buses travel along High Street passing the Upper Campus, saving a considerable length of walking distance. Disembark at Gate 9 on High Street.

More bus information can be found at the Sydney buses website.

Please note that you must catch a bus going to the University of New South Wales. It is not uncommon for visitors to confuse it with the University of Sydney, which is somewhat close by.

By car:

It will be University vacation period during IMSTEC 07 so street parking in close proximity to the university should be relatively easy. On campus parking is available at a cost.

By taxi:

Simply tell the driver you would like to go to the University of New South Wales upper campus - corner of High Street and Botany Street. Enter through gate 9, 10 or 11.

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Sydney - the host city for IMSTEC 07:

An aerial view of the Sydney CBD with Darling Harbour in the
foreground (Courtesy: Tourism NSW)

Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, is Australia's oldest and largest city with a population of around 4 million. Sydney is built around a huge harbour and hosts many tourist attractions as well as a number of beaches, bays and a couple of national parks.

Sydney has many influences upon its style. Aboriginal sites and engravings can still be seen from the original inhabitants, the Eora tribe. The city also has an Anglo-Mediterranean style and a growing Chinese and Asian influence.

The city is divided into North and South by Sydney Harbour (also known as Port Jackson), connected by both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a subterranean Tunnel. Most of the tourist attractions are located in the South part of the city, with a large business and residential areas to the North.

The South part of the city consists of The Rocks and Circular Quay to the North, with the Central Station marking the South. Darling Harbour marks the West and there are a number of parks to the East.

On the corner of Market and Elizabeth Streets you will find the city's most prestigious department store - David Jones. While visiting this awesome store be sure to stop at their equally renown 'Food Glorious Food' Department. You can choose from one of their many gourmet delights and then stroll over to beautiful Hyde Park for a picnic.

An aerial view of Sydney Harbour (Courtesy: NSW Tourism)

A shopper's dream, Sydney's Central Business District is home to some of the best shopping centres in the city. There is something for everyone with over 400 specialty stores in just 8 retail centres. Pitt Street Mall is where you will find the popular re-branded Myer Store.

Don't miss the chance to shop in the famous Queen Victoria building. This stunning shopping centre occupies an entire city block. Initially completed in 1989, the Queen Victoria was restored during the 1970's and is now home to a huge array of boutiques and designer stores.

(Source: http://www.australianexplorer.com)

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Some of Sydney's Icons:

The Sydney Harbour Bridge at night (Courtesy: Billy Lai)

The Sydney Harbour Bridge may not be the longest steel-arch Bridge in the world, but it is the largest and widest. At 48.8 metres (151.3 feet) wide, the Guinness Book of Records lists it as the widest long span Bridge in the world and until 1967, it was Sydney's tallest structure.

Here are some more Sydney Harbour Bridge Facts:

Sydney locals refer to it affectionately as "the Coathanger" .
The Bridge carries 8 lanes of traffic, a footpath, a cycleway and 2 train lines.
It carries what is one of Australia's shortest, but also its busiest highway, "The Bradfield Highway".
It is a mere 70cm, or 2.3 feet, shorter than New York's Hell Gate Bridge which is, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest single span arch bridge in the world.
The Bridge's arch spans 503 metres (1,559 feet).
The arch's summit is 134 metres (415.4 feet) above mean sea level.
The weight of the steel arch is 39,000 tons.
The design was later used as the basis for the Tyne Bridge in Tyne, England.
If you want to find it on GoogleEarth the coordinates are 33^o51'08"S, 151^o12'38"E.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can do the bridge climb but it is expensive and you must book your climb well in advance. A cheaper alternative is to climb the southern pylon of the bridge for comparable views of Sydney.

(Source: http://www.bridgeclimb.com/)

Additional details about the Sydney Harbour Bridge and its attractions can be found here.

The Sydney Opera House at night (Courtesy: Billy Lai)

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most distinctive and famous 20th century buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world. Situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, with parkland to its south and close to the equally famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, the building and its surroundings form an iconic Australian image. To some, the spherical-sectioned shells are reminiscent of the flotilla of sailboats commonly cruising there. It is a major tourist attraction even though most visitors have little interest in attending performances.

As well as many touring theatre, ballet, and musical productions, the Opera House is the home of Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. It is administered by the Opera House Trust, under the New South Wales Ministry of the Arts.

The Opera House covers 1.8 hectares (4.5 acres) of land. It is 183 metres (605 feet) long and about 120 metres (388 feet) wide at its widest point. It is supported on 580 concrete piers sunk up to 25 metres below sea level. Its power supply is equivalent for a town of 25,000 people. The power is distributed by 645 kilometres of electrical cable.

The roofs of the House are constructed of 1.056 million glossy white and matte cream Swedish-made tiles, though from a distance the tiles look only white. Despite their self-cleaning nature, they are still subject to periodic maintenance and replacement. The structures are made so that a breeze will go in between them.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Opera_House)

Coogee Beach. Closest beach to UNSW.
(Courtesy: R. Chan)

Sydney beaches are famous for their golden sands, rolling waves and beautiful surrounds. Most of Sydney's 37 beaches are situated within 30 minutes of the city's CBD by public transport.

There are a number of southern Sydney beaches, the main and most famous being Bondi Beach. From Bondi Beach you can walk all the way to Coogee, which is a very pleasant clifftop walk. Once you are around Mackenzies Point you will come to Tamarama, another great surfing beach set in a small cove.

Further South again is Bronte, a small beach surrounded by parkland, and lined with cafes. Bronte is another good surfing spot, although it does get rough. If you just fancy swimming, then there is a good ocean pool. Further south, Clovelly is a pleasant family beach, with Gordon Bay offering great scuba diving. Sydney also hosts numerous beaches to the North, with the main one being Manly. Beautiful beaches and coves head 30km North of Manly, with Palm Beach marking the end.

On the south side of the harbour the main beaches from north to south are Sydney's famous Bondi Beach, Bronte, Coogee and Cronulla.

(Source: http://www.australianexplorer.com)

Sydney's AMP Tower
(Courtesy: Flickr.com)

At the heart of Sydney's CBD is the Sydney AMP Tower. You may visit its observation deck for some stunning views of Sydney and its surrounds, or in bridge-climb style you can do the skywalk, whereby a ledge mechanically protrudes out from the tower allowing unimpeded views of the surrounding area and a view directly downward to ground level.

Some facts about the AMP Tower:

Sydney Tower is the 25th tallest freestanding structure in the world and the 2nd tallest in the Southern Hemisphere.
It boasts the highest public observation deck south of the equator, sitting 250m - or a quarter of a kilometre - above land.
Sydney Tower is more than 4 times as high as the Opera House (67m) and more than double the height of the Harbour Bridge (134 metres).
Sydney Tower is the 1st place in Sydney to greet the dawn each day and the last place to see the sunset.
Sydney Tower is the same height as the Eiffel Tower.
Visitors to the observation deck can see 55km out to sea compared to someone at Bondi Beach who can see just 5km to the horizon. This means a Tower observer can see a ship approaching Sydney two hours before the person at the beach.
When it opened in September 1981, Sydney Tower was the 4th tallest building in the world.
Sydney Tower still sets the maximum height limit for Sydney buildings today; 279m.

(Source: http://www.skywalk.com.au/)

Luna Park (Courtesy: Billy Lai)

Luna Park sits at the base of the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and is Sydney's famous "smiling face" theme park. Entry is free but ride packages are available for purchase. More details can be found at the Luna Park website.

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Some links for tourism in Sydney and its surrounds

Sydney CBD:

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