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Quick Notes:

  • ALTA Location: RMIT Room 80.01.02 (445 Swanston Street, Melbourne)
  • 26 Nov 2014: Conference dinner will be at the Clyde Hotel

ALTA Workshop 2014 at RMIT - Local Information

For the most recent version, download the PDF

The Venue

ALTA 2014 is being held in RMIT Building 80, located at 445 Swanston Street, between Franklin St and La Trobe St (closer to Franklin)(see Google Maps).

The ALTA tutorials and other talks are being held in room 80.01.02: enter Building 80 through its left-most door on Swanston St, next to the Oxford Hotel, go past the cafe and down a few steps to the lecture room.

WIFI is available; use eduroam or the provided guest account: details available at the registration desk.

Getting there ... from Melbourne Airport

A taxi is probably about $55; have the taxi drop you off at the corner of Swanston and Franklin Sts.

Cheapest option is Skybus, express bus service from the airport to Southern Cross train station on Spencer St: $18 one-way, $30 return. From Southern Cross station, you could walk in about 20 minutes, get a taxi, or walk north along Spencer St to La Trobe St and catch the free (brown) city-circle tram to Swanston St.

... from the Conference Hotels

From the Ibis Hotel it's a 5 mins walk around the corner of Victoria St; from the Tune Hotel it's 5 mins walk south along Swanston St; from Rydges, it's a 10 min south along Swanston St, or you can catch a  tram - for that, you'll need a myki ticket ($6 from a convenience store).

Lunch on Wednesday

Lunch is not provided on Wednesday but there's a cafe in the building, or walk south along Swanston ST for a couple of options. Or cross La Trobe St to Melbourne Central and its food court. If you turn the corner of Franklin west and walk a block to Elizabeth St, you'll find a cluster of great cheap Asian lunch options (Rose Garden is a favourite).

Dinner on Wednesday

Victoria Market has its Night Market on Wednesday nights, a fun experience for a range of food, music and arts/craft stalls: it's only a few minutes walk from the venue, west along Franklin St.

Another fun option is the Night Noodle Markets at Burrarung Mar, down on the river behind Federation Square.

Or you can walk to Lygon St: the south end has a cluster of Asian restaurants, or stroll north to the many Italian restaurants. If you feel like a longer walk, it's 20 minutes to Fitzroy, hipster central of the southern hemisphere, with a ton of restaurants, cafes, and great bars.

Lunch on Thursday/Friday

Lunch during the conference proper will be provided at the venue (along with morning/afternoon tea).

Dinner on Thursday

The official conference dinner, joint between ALTA and ADCS, will be at the Clyde Hotel, a 15 minute walk north from the conference venue, or a 10 minute walk from the hotels. Or you can catch a tram up Swanston St if you have a myki card!

We'll be requesting pre-orders during Thursday to try and ensure there's not too long a wait for the food. Most mains are between about $15-20 (there will be free snacks/entrees provided on arrival).

Drinks and After Dinner

The Oxford Hotel is next door to the venue. Grab a burger and talk union matters at the John Curtin Hotel on Lygon St, across the road from Trades Hall. Dessert and coffee at Brunetti's is a Carlton must. Jimmy Watson's Wine Bar is another Carlton institution. Or go to Markov's on Drummond St for the name and stay for the cocktails. Head to Brunswick St Fitzroy (15-20 min walk) for a whole bunch of great bars: Naked for Satan has pinxtos and a rooftop bar with great views (try to go for sunset); Little Creatures Beer Hall has a great selection of local beers; Black Pearl and the Evelyn Hotel were both recently named in a list of top-50 best bars in the world.

Coffee

This is Melbourne, so great coffee can be had just about anywhere. But if you're a person that needs to know the name of the farmer in Guatemala that grew your beans, or want the details of the roasting process used for your cup (on the premises of course), or demand a very specific temperature to the water poured over your beans, then visit one of the following: it's only a few minutes to world-renowned (really) Seven Seeds; Market Lane has a presence in Vic Market and a literal hole-in-the-wall on Faraday St in Carlton; or if you're in Fitzroy, visit Industry Beans, De Clieu, or nearby Proud Mary.

(See also this google map.)

What about the Weekend?

If you're staying on in Melbourne for the weekend:

If you have a morning: Visit Queen Victoria Markets. Or walk to Fitzroy via the Carlton Gardens, past the Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum: visit the Rose Street Art Market and take a walking tour of Melbourne's oldest suburb and mingle with the hipsters having breakfast or brunch: do a loop around Brunswick St, Johnston St, Smith St and Gertrude St.

Or head down Swanston St to the Yarra River to Federation Square and surrounds, including the National Gallery of Victoria and the Botanical Gardens.

If you have the afternoon as well, you can catch a tram (no. 1 down Swanston St) to St Kilda, on the beach, another great Melbourne suburb. Sunday has an art market on the Esplanade, but if you're at St Kilda at dusk, take a walk to the end of the pier---if you're lucky you might some fairy penguins climbing up onto the rocks.

If you want to get out of town and you have a car, then the Yarra Valley wine district is just over an hour out of town; Phillip Island (and its surf beaches and penguin colony) is a couple of hours drive way; Wilsons Prom is closer to 3 hours away. If you have the whole weekend, then a trip to the best parts of the Great Ocean Road is about 4 hours each way.

 

© ALTA 2014. Workshop Organisers.