OPTIONAL PRE- and POST-CONFERENCE TOURING
There are many half and whole day tours that can be taken to enjoy the sights of the Gold Coast and surrounding areas. Tour Ideas

If you plan to spend more time in Australia, there are many options including the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands off the Queensland Coast, the Daintree Fainforest in far North Queensland, Uluru in Central Australia, or Kakadu in the Northern Territory.

Pre-conference trip to Fraser Island National Park, Sunshine Coast and farming hinterland

Length: 2 nights, 3 days leaving Friday 15th July 2011, returning Sunday 17th July no later than 2 pm.
Bookings may be made through the on-line 15ICM registration form. The booking deadline will be 27 May 2011.



Summary: We have chosen the World Heritage-listed Fraser Island as the focus of the pre-conference trip. The entire island is a national park and although it is a sandy island with long sandy beaches, it contains a diversity of vegetation including lush subtropical rainforest with palms and ferns, eucalypt forests, mangrove forests and heaths, as well as a number of picturesque crystal-clear lakes and creeks.

The island is home to possibly the only pure-bred dingoes: native Australian canines regarded as a subspecies of Gray Wolf. It is also a good spot for whale watching, but unfortunately for us the whales usually do not appear until the end of July (unless we are very very lucky!) . However, we should see sharks, dolphins and green turtles offshore, and plenty of raptors such as Wedge-Tailed Eagles.

As there is so much to see on Fraser Island we will spend both nights on the island at Eurong Beach Resort on 75 Mile Beach. We will travel to the island in a Sunset Safaris 4WD coach via the forests and beaches of Cooloola National Park. We should see wild kangaroos along the way. We will spend the afternoon of day 1 and all of day 2 driving to various points of interest on the island.

Day 3 will be spent on a leisurely drive back to Brisbane via the beautiful Glasshouse Mountains and farming country with sugar cane fields, pineapple plantations and mango orchards. We will drive through country villages and towns on the Sunshine Coast, with morning tea and lunch providing an opportunity for a quick visit to a typical Australian pub. Sunset Safaris has also offered to teach us how to throw a boomerang and to play a Aboriginal didgeridoo!

Thoughout the trip there will be opportunity for walks for the more energetic, but the trip will also be suitable for the less fit.

Cost:
AUD$255 per person (accommodation in quad rooms - 4 people in a room)
AUD$459 per person (twin share accommodation - 2 people in a room)
AUD$589 per person (single accommodation - 1 person in a room)

There is an additional charge of $60 per person for National Park fees.

Included in the price are 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts and 1 lunch. We will take a picnic lunch on day 1 which will cost AUD$5 per person, and on day 3 we will be in a small country town, where lunch will be at our own cost. Payment required no later than June 30th 2011.
For more information about Fraser Island, see http://www.fraserisland.info/