Accommodation

As a tourist town, Wollongong has a wide selection of accommodation options available, most are readily bookable over the phone or through the internet.

The event organisers have arranged a package deal for attendees detailed below - however you are of course free to make your own arrangements. If you want to find your own, we suggest the following website:
http://www.wollongongcity.com.au/accommodation/

The CampusEast package deal

We have aranged accommodation at the University of Wollongong's residential complex at CampusEast, a secondary campus approximately 2km from the venue. (see Wollongong map on the Travel page)

CampusEast main building and front desk. Beyond the front desk is the entrance to the dining hall

Rooms at CampusEast are individual and lockable, with linen provided. Rooms are arranged in 'clusters' of 5 each cluster sharing a small common area with lounge, bar-fridge, bathroom, microwave and sink.

CampusEast can accommodate up to 560 students during session, and is typically quite empty during the last week of January - so attendees will enjoy near-exclusive use of the facilities, which include a BBQ area, a large-screen TV viewing room, a games area with pool-tables and extensive landscaped lawns. There is an large car-park onsite for those attendees with their own vehicles.

Inside the main building there are also three 'computer labs' (usually for student use during teaching session) filled with Dell PC's. These labs will be available FREE to attendees 24-hours a day, for broadband internet access.

CampusEast has several coin-op laundries where attendees may wash and dry clothes any time.
It costs $1 per wash-load plus $1 per dryer load.

CapmusEast computer lab with free 24hr Internet access & the big-screen TV commonroom

A FREE shuttle bus service runs between the venue and CampusEast regularly throughout the day. A special 07:30am 50-seat mercedes bus has been booked each day to take attendees to the Dojo in time for the first training session of each day.

a free shuttle bus carries attendees to and from CampusEast

Campus East is a short walk (approx 5min) from a secondary retail-cluster (including several takeaway & restaurant food outlets, a large sports club and supermarket) and Railway Station at FairyMeadow. About the same distance (5 min walk) in the other direction is one of Wollongong's many spectacular Surf Beaches.

PLEASE NOTE:

There is an older section of the complex (quaintly called 'TrenchTown' because it is located on the east side of a roadside wide culvert) which consists of semi-detached multi-room ground-floor bungalows, each with a small external courtyard. TrenchTown 'clusters' run from 2 to 4 rooms, with most clusters boasting one alpha room with a double bed.

TrenchTown has its own carpark and has a pleasant 'village' atmosphere - BUT the Trench-Town clusters DO NOT have the small common-area with kitchenette facilities, so there is no barfridge or microwave. The costs are exactly the same however.

Attendees are MOST WELCOME to choose 'TrenchTown' over the more modern facilities, but we need to be aware in advance, and you must acknowledge the slightly reduced level of facilities.

LEFT: a standard accommodation block containing multiple 'clusters' of 5 rooms
RIGHT: the pleasant, though less equipped, "TrenchTown" section

Costs

A room at CampusEast costs $50 per night, NOT including meals (see below).
Standard cluster rooms or TrenchTown rooms are the same price.

Attendees are most welcome to approach the MainDesk and make their own arrangements to extend their stay if they wish, and take the opportunity to spend time exploring the Wollongong district or simply catch the train to Sydney (approx. 1hour20min) and explore the Metropolis of Sydney on day-trips.

Food

the CampusEast dining hall and kitchen

CampusEast has a large and pleasant dining hall with a smorgasboard type kitchen, where attendees may obtain a (usually) hot continental breakfast or a choice of hot evening meals.

All meals at CampusEast cost $9.50 each

HOWEVER: because the facility is largely empty in late january, the kitchen needs to know numbers in advance for catering purposes ...

THEREFORE:
You must specify IN ADVANCE if you will be eating Breakfast (all week) &/or Dinner (all week). Unfortunately it is NOT possible to just wander in and decide to pay for a one-off meal.

A week of breakfasts will cost $66.50
A week of dinners will cost a further $66.50