The 16th Biennial Conference of the
Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA)
University of Wollongong, Australia
26 - 29 June 2006

Social Events During the Conference

Welcome Reception

University Hall
Monday 26 June 2006 at 6.00pm

The Welcome Reception will be held in the University Hall on the University of Wollongong campus at 6pm on Monday 26th June 2006. The Welcome Reception will be combined with the launch of a number of books. The cost of attending the Welcome Reception is included in the full registration fee and extra display staff cost. For day registrations and guests the cost will be $35.

Five Islands Brewery
WIN Entertainment Centre Crown St (Cnr Harbour St), Wollongong
Tuesday 27 June 2006

The Five Islands Brewery Company was established in 2001 and is named after the five islands just off the coast of Wollongong. The Five Islands was the name given to the Illawarra region by the explorers of the late 1700s and early 1800s.

The Brewery consists of a lounge area serving Modern Australian Cuisine, the Sixth Island Bar where a large selection of Bar food is available, the brewery itself and a huge outside terrace and is situated only 50 metres from the beach. The Brewery serves 10 local beers, which are chemical and preservative free and contain no sugar.

Buses will take conference participants to the Brewery on the Tuesday afternoon following the final session for those who are interested in sampling some local beer or other refreshment. Participants are then on their own to sample the many eating places available in Wollongong. The cost of drinks and food is not included in any registration fee.

University Hall
Wednesday 28 June 2006 at 7.00pm

The Conference dinner will be held on the Wednesday night of the conference. The dinner is not included in any registration fee. The cost of the dinner is $70 per person which includes three course dinner and drinks. Please book early. Transfers from the University back to the Conference hotels will be provided.

Social Events After the Conference

Friday 30 June 2006 leaving at approximately 6.00am as the cruise begins at 9.00am

The South Coast of NSW and in particular Jervis Bay offers some of the best whale watching experiences in Australia. Jervis bay is approximately 2 hours drive south of Wollongong and is one of the few pristine coastal areas left in NSW. The picturesque bay and its environs form the Jervis Bay Marine Park. The protected bay and its surrounds are diverse in marine and birdlife and it has some of the most amazing spectacular scenery along the Australian coastline. Unique to this area are the resident pods of Bottlenose dolphins that can be found in the bay all year round.

The day trip is not included in any registration fee and the cost is $65.00 per person. The trip will include return luxury coach travel, 3 hour whale watching cruise, which includes morning tea and time to wander around the shores of Jervis Bay and have lunch beside the sea (lunch is not included in the price). The whale watching cruise will allow you the opportunity to see the majestic humpback whales during their annual migration, and the opportunity to see seals, turtles, albatross and the travelling common and spinner dolphins.

Friday 30 June leaving at 9.00am

Both the Symbio Zoo and the Hindu Temple are situated in Helensburgh, a beautiful escarpment town situated approximately 30 minutes drive from Wollongong. The day trip will include a picturesque drive along Wollongong's northern coastline and will take in the northern suburbs of Wollongong. It will take you over the 665 m-long bridge on Lawrence Hargrave Drive, built out over the ocean and recently completed. The bridge is a massive engineering feat that is 41 metres above the sea at its highest point.

The day trip will first take you to Symbio Zoo and then to the Sri Venkateswara Temple, both located in Helensburgh and a look out from Bald Hill. The day trip is not included in any registration fee and the cost is $45.00 per person. The trip will include return luxury coach travel, entrance into Symbio Zoo and the Hindu Temple and time to wander around Helensburgh. It does not include any meals.

The Symbio Zoo was established in 1975 as a small wildlife park and has since developed into a prominent wildlife sanctuary and tourist facility. Set amongst 16acres of natural bushland and with over 1,000 animals the emphasis at Symbio is to allow you a close and personal experience with the animals where you are allowed to touch, feed and enjoy many of the native animals in their natural surrounds.

The Sri Venkateswara Temple at Helensburgh is the largest Hindu temple complex in the southern hemisphere. The temple is built in the South Indian temple architectural style as laid in the Agama Sastra. The Helensburgh temple is unique because of its location on top of a hill surrounded by forests.

Friday 30 th June, leaving at 9.00am

Located 30minutes drive south of Wollongong is the beautiful seaside township of Kiama. Offering scenery you won't forget Kiama has become particularly famous for its Blowhole. George Bass discovered the main Kiama Blowhole on his voyage of coastal exploration on 6 December 1797 after anchoring his whaleboat in the sheltered bay, which became known as Kiama Harbour. Bass was however not the first to discover the Kiama Blowhole as local Aboriginals had for generations referred to it as Khanterintee. The Blowhole is a deep ragged hole within rock formation, which provides spectacular plumes of water when the seas are running from the southeast. A smaller “little Blowhole” is located a few minutes south of the main Blowhole and performs best under moderate seas.

The Nan Tien Temple is a Buddhist temple complex located in Wollongong's industrial suburb of Berkeley. The Nan Tien Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern hemisphere and was funded and constructed under the auspices of the Mahayana Buddhist sect known as Fo Guang Shan, a sect founded in Taiwan in 1965 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, with over 120 branches throughout the world. The Nan Tien complex was built using traditional techniques and materials by Chinese craftsmen, but with numerous modern features. It occupies a semi-rural hillside site several square kilometres in size and set amidst landscaped gardens.

The day trip will first take you to Kiama and the Blowhole and then back to the Nan Tien Temple where you can enjoy a traditional Buddhist vegetarian meal before enjoying the tranquillity of the temple and its surrounds. The day trip is not included in any registration fee and the cost is $40.00 per person. The trip will include return luxury coach travel, entrance into the Nan Tien Temple including lunch. Morning and afternoon teas will be an additional cost.

To book for the conference dinner or any of the day trips please book at the same time as you register for the conference. The registration link on the registration page will enable you to book for all the social events.

For any questions or for further information relating to the social events please contact:

Peter Vrahas
Wollongong UniCentre
Conference Management Team
PO Box U100
University of Wollongong NSW 2500
Phone: 61 2 4221 8173
Fax: 61 2 4221 8001
Email: vrahas@uow.edu.au