Why are the membership rates so high?
Do volunteers and program participants have to buy memberships?
Why isn’t the program finalised yet?
What is the convention program going to offer?
When is the next PR due?
What’s Voice of the Platypus?
When can we book hotel rooms?
Are you providing any child care facilities?
Are you providing tourist help for overseas or interstate visitors?
What are smoking policies like in Australia?
What is airline travel like within Australia?
Can I use my US cellular phone in Australia?
What will the weather be like in Melbourne during the convention?
What is the weather like in Australia?
 

Q: Why are the membership rates so high?

A: Historically-speaking the membership cost of Aussiecon Three is rather high. But this can be explained by the necessity for the convention committee to factor in the high cost of the convention facilities.  Hotels in Australia with, or attached to, convention sites do not generally provide discounts for site rental based on hotel room bookings.

For North American fans coming to the convention, if they buy an attending membership before the start of the convention, we can assume that the cost of that membership will be less than 10% of the total cost of the trip to Australia.

On the Australian side, fans are regularly holding conventions in this country where they charge over $A100 for a two-day event, with few facilities and limited events.  We will be holding a five-day convention which will probably run close to 20 hours per day. So we felt that our value-per-dollar ratio would be higher.  For Australian fans this will still be the cheapest possible Worldcon they can ever hope to attend.

Given that, we erred on the side of fiscal responsibility and aimed for a high initial rate which we would hold steady for as long as we could.  The one thing you have to remember is that all membership fees will be put towards the cost of running the con.  The bottom line is that we had to make a decision on the rate using the best arguments we could come up with.
 

Q: Do volunteers and program participants have to buy memberships?

A: Yes, it is the policy of the convention that no free memberships will be provided (other than our Guests of Honour) to anyone prior to the convention. This includes the Executive committee, the Board and everyone who works on the convention.  After the convention’s finances are finalised membership refunds will be allocated in accordance with standard Worldcon practice
 

Q: Why isn’t the program finalised yet?

A: Programming is now well underway, and if you keep an eye on the committee list you will see additions to the programming sub-committee almost every week.  In the months ahead, we will be receiving confirmations from prospective programme participants as their travel plans start to come together.  Further details of the programme will be placed on the relevant web page as they come to hand.
 

Q: What is the convention program going to offer?

A: We will be providing approx 3 or 4 streams of programming at any one time (with a few exceptions), as well as gaming rooms, large dealers rooms, an Internet lounge, video programming amongst other things.  The main items on the program will include the Guest of Honour speeches, the Hugo Awards Ceremony, and a Masquerade.  We have people working on items detailing the History of Australian Fandom, and the History of Australian SF.  There will be exhibits , an Art Show and a Fan lounge to help fill in the hours between interesting items on the program.
 

Q: When is the next PR due?

A: Our current publishing schedule calls for PR4 to be printed and posted at the end of May 1999.  This progress report will include the Hugo Award Award Ballot and Site Selection ballot.
 

Q: What is Voice of the Platypus?

A: VotP is the official newsletter of Aussiecon Three which has been designed to provide information about the convention to non-members who may not have been in contact with us before.  In general it is distributed to Australian bookshops and libraries and contains information that has been included in previous Progress reports or on one of the web pages.
 

Q: When can we book hotel rooms?

A:  Details of the Hotel booking arrangements were published in PR3 and can be found on the TRAVEL page on this site.  Please follow the instructions carefully.
 

Q: Are you providing any child care facilities?

A:  Due to Legal, Health and Safety and Insurance requirements in Australia, it will not be possible for the convention to provide a fan-run creche or child-care facility.  To cater for this we are therefore investigating the possibility of "out-sourcing" the running of the creche to a professional, licensed child-care organisation.  Our aim in this regard, is to provide the best service we can for the cheapest possible outlay.  A number of members of the committee, including the convention’s Chair, have a vested interest in seeing this facility run to the highest possible standard.
 

Q: Are you providing tourist help for overseas or interstate visitors?

A: We will do the best we can to help out but we will not be arranging or sanctioning any tour groups for the convention.  There are a number of tourism links already added to this web site, and we are always on the lookout for more.  We have negotiated a substantial discount for overseas travellers through United Airlines and you can find details of this on the Travel page.
 

Q: What are smoking policies like in Australia?

A: The bad news for heavy smokers (good news for non-smokers or those allergic to smoke) is that Australian health policies discourage smoking in almost all enclosed areas. Court cases by victims of second-hand smoke over the past few years have discouraged many companies from allowing smoking anywhere in their buildings, even where no legal requirement exists.

Known policies are set out below.

Air Travel

International agreements between the USA and Australian governments ban all smoking on flights between the two countries. There are absolutely no smoking flights between the USA and Australia.

As far as I can determine, flights from Japan to Australia are not subject to government agreements regarding smoking. Smoking policy in these flights is determined by the airlines concerned.

Smoking is totally banned on all domestic air travel within Australia.

Smoking is banned within all airport terminals within Australia.

Ground Transportation

Smoking is banned on all urban and suburban trains, buses and trams. Smoking is banned in taxi cabs. Some interstate trains may have a smoking carriage (not confirmed) but this is unlikely.

Restaurants and Bars

There are generally smoking areas in restaurants, while most bars, nightclubs and pubs allow smoking throughout. In general it is best to assume that if you are a smoker then you will need to ascertain that you can smoke in any given area.  If you are a non-smoker you should feel comfortable with requesting a smoke-free area in a restaurant.
 

Q: What is airline travel like within Australia?

A: There are two major airlines operating within Australia - Qantas and Ansett.

Qantas is the Australian international airline (with the flying red kangaroo as corporate emblem) which reached an unexpected level of US exposure when it featured heavily in one scene in the film Rain Man.  And, yes, it is one of the world's safest airlines and is not spelt with a "u" after the "Q".  The name is actually an acronym based on the original airline name of the Queensland And Northern Teritory Aerial Service.  It is affiliated with the OneWorld Airline partnership which also includes American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, and Cathay Pacific.  More information is available at www.qantas.com.au.

Ansett Airlines is named after its founder Reg Ansett and has been the second Australian airline for as long as I can remember.  Ansett is also involved in a large Global airline partnership with Air Canada, ANA, Air New Zealand, Lauda Air, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, Malaysian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Thai Airways, and our official convention airline United Airlines.  Further details about the airline can be found at www.ansett.com.au.

Baggage Limits

I noticed while travelling in the USA that almost anything goes on some airlines regarding cabin baggage. Some people may get a rude shock here, as the cabin baggage limits are much more restrictive, and appear to me to be enforced more often. Be warned.

Only one bag per passenger for cabin baggage. Allowable size limits are 23cm deep by 34cm high by 48cm long. This translates in inches to 9 x 13 x 19, which is considerably smaller than US cabin baggage sizes. This appears to apply on both Ansett and Qantas internal flights.

In particular, some routes away from the capital cities use smaller planes, some with overhead lockers that can not take more than a thinnish briefcase. In our last trip from Brisbane to the Whitsundays we encountered such a flight, and although our own carry on bags were well within Australian luggage sizes, the overhead lockers were too small for them.

Checked in baggage is limited to one item in Economy with a maximum weight of 20 kilograms and a size limit where the total linear dimensions (ie depth plus height plus length) may not exceed 140cm (55in). Unofficially both may be more flexible, and take a second bag without additional charge, but this is not guaranteed.

No Smoking

There is no longer any mode of public transport in Australia that permits smoking on board. This even applies to places like the open decks of ferries!   Heavy fines are leavied against anyone attempting to light up on a plane in flight.
 

Q:  Can I use my US cellular phone in Australia?

A: Australia uses two incompatible cellular phone systems, both of which are continent wide (at least in metropolitan areas). The cheaper analogue system is due to be "turned off" in Australian metropolitan areas on 31 December 1999. Until that time access to the system is widespread and of good quality.  This system is relatively compatible with many US systems.

The more expensive, more recent system is digital, using GSM techniques that are standard in Europe and many countries (except the USA). This is being promoted as being of better quality, more secure (eavesdropping is much harder), and more efficient (more phones for a given spectrum space).

As the analogue system still exists in 1999, US users have a fair chance of getting temporary access. You contact the international roaming department of Telstra Australia, and give them billing information. They will give you a temporary phone number. No phone reprogramming is required, at least if you are on the A-side carrier. That should then work anywhere in Australia that any of the cellular phones will work.

Details about International Roaming can be obtained on the Telstra Mobilenet web page: mobilenet.telstra.com.au/interoam.htm.

Your battery charger may not work. Our power lines are 240 volts, and 50 Hz. Even if your charger has a 110/240 volt switch, if it includes a transformer designed for US 60 Hz power, that transformer will work less efficiently at 50 Hz, and may well get exceedingly hot. Better consult your cellular supplier on that.

Final note: Australians refer to their handheld phones as "mobile" phones. The term "cellular" is in use but don't expect to be automatically understood.
 

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