Venue

OAMARU, THE WAITAKI REGION AND THE OAMARU OPERA HOUSE

The Oamaru Opera House, a Category II Historic Building constructed in 1907, is newly refurbished - we are one of the first conferences to be held here since its re-opening in March 2009. The Opera House is a classic example of the grand Victorian architecture that characterises the historic centre of Oamaru. Poster sessions and refreshment breaks will be held across the road from the Opera House, at the Kingsgate Hotel Brydone, another historic stone building. The venue is within easy walking distance of accommodation, restaurants and cafes.

Social events associated with the meeting will be held in other historic buildings throughout Oamaru and the surrounding area. We intend to celebrate the distinct colonial history of the area during the course of the meeting, and the social events are themed around this.

Oamaru and the surrounding Waitaki region are geologically diverse – features include a basement composed of variably deformed and metamorphosed Mesozoic Torlesse Terrane; a late Cretaceous-Cenozoic sedimentary cover sequence that hosts renowned fossil biota from complex paleoenvironments, intraplate volcanic rocks and a diverse range of Quaternary climatic deposits and landforms. We believe there is something to interest devotees of any branch of geoscience. Our scientific symposia, which reflect this diversity, are linked to a series of mid-conference field trips. We strongly encourage participants to take advantage of the opportunity of guided tours of some classic localities of geological interest.

Internet
Wireless internet access is available within the Opera House. Access is free for light use, although large downloads will incur charges. There is also an internet cafe (the Empire Cybercafe) across the road from the Opera House.


TRANSPORT TO OAMARU
If you decide to fly to Oamaru for the conference, please be advised there are very few flights into and out of Oamaru. Consequently, we will provide transport for the c. 90 minute trip from Dunedin airport to Oamaru on Monday 23rd November and from Oamaru to Dunedin airport after the close of the conference on Friday 27th November, at a cost of $10 one-way. We recommend you make your travel arrangements early. There will be a place on the registration form for you to indicate whether or not you require transport between Dunedin Airport and the conference venue.

Pre- and post-conference fieldtrips start or finish respectively in Dunedin and/or go via Dunedin airport. Please check details of the individual fieldtrips to make your travel plans. http://www.oamaruoperahouse.co.nz/