EFAC 7075 MELBOURNE 2017 GTG

Transcription

1 11 Nov 2017 In this issue: Message from the Organisers Important information (Page 2) All set to go for the GRAND EVENT Updated Program for EFAC 7075 Melbourne 2017 Get-together... the event (attached separately) 17, 18 & 19 November Updated list of Participants (Page 3) Updated Frequently Asked Questions (Pages 4 & 5) Meeting place, Friday 17 Nov 2017, 10.00AM (pages 6 & 7) and Google Earth image of meeting place (attached separately) 68 participants have confirmed their attendance. Please read Page 2 for important last minute information We welcome all participants and encourage you to enjoy, contribute your best and last but not least, make hay while the sun shines!! The Organising Committee. Message from the Organising Committee Lead: This will be our last update before the GRAND EVENT Please read information and instructions and do your best to comply... -Preethi Jayasundera- Silverwater Resort, Philip Island Page No. 1

2 Melbourne 2017 Important Information to all participants: Accommodation Apartments/Resort Rooms are fully serviced. Bed lines, towels, toiletry etc. found in a standard 4-Star accommodation will be available. Check-in at the Resort - A special registration desk will be set up by the Resort on Saturday, in front of the reception counter of the Resort. The Registration forms will be there in alphabetical order (by surname). You do not have to prove your identification, but, you will be required to provide your credit card details (only to cover any additional expenses like room Mini-bar purchases) and sign the Registration Form before collecting the keys. Luggage Participants are advised to have their luggage tagged so that they can be easily identified after unloading from the buses. Emergency Details As a matter of urgency, participants are requested to send the details of a person not travelling with them to Chris Perera (chris.perera@vu.edu.au), to be used as an emergency contact. The requested details are name, phone number, address and their relationship to the participant/s The participants are also requested to send in their mobile phone number they intend to use in Australia during this trip. Any unspent money The Organizing Committee decided to donate any unspent money the Faculty of Engineering, Peradeniya Alumni Fund. Revised Program and Revised FAQ Attached. Mobile Numbers of the Organising Committee Mobile numbers of Committee members (international dialers add +61 in front and drop the zero) Name Phone Number Preethi Jayasundera Gamini Adikari Chris Perera Bandu Gamage Alex Alagaratnam Thuraisingham, V Varan Karunaharan Senavi Abayakoon Page No. 2

3 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS - 11 Nov 2017 Name No. Country ID 1. Alex Alagaratnam 2 AU alagaratnam@hotmail.com 2. Anura Abeygunawardane 2 AU anuraabey@yahoo.com.au 3. Bandu Gamage 2 AU gggamage@bigpond.com 4. Chris Perera 2 AU chris.perera@vu.edu.au 5. Daya Amaratunge 2 AU daya.amaratunge@gmail.com 6. Daya Wickramaratne 2 AU dwickramaratne@goldcoast.qld.gov.au 7. Dharmabalan, Dharma 2 AU dharma@taswater.com.au 8. Gamini Adikari 2 AU Gamini.Adikari@smec.com 9. GG Gunadasa 1 AU gunadasaginneliya@gmail.com 10. Gnanakumar, Gnani 2 CN sabagnanakumar@gmail.com 11. Hemraj Fernando 1 AU hemrajf1@gmail.com 12. Jayasiri Gunaratne 2 AU jayasiri.gunaratne@brisbane.qld.gov.au 13. Kandasamy Kuhan 2 AU kandakuhan@hotmail.com 14. Kumar Wijayaratna 1 AU nkpdwij@gmail.com 15. Murugesu Sivapalan 2 US sivapala@illinois.edu 16. NAK Perera 1 AU nakperera03@gmail.com 17. Nimal (NS) Jayaratne 2 AU jayaratne@iinet.net.au 18. Nimal Ratnasekara 2 SL nimalr@penaudio.com 19. Padma Karunatilake 2 AU pkarunat@iinet.net.au 20. Preethi Jayasundera 2 AU p.jayasundera@gmail.com 21. Ranjan Abeysekara 2 AU rannira@iinet.net.au 22. Rohan Bandarage 2 AU rbandarage@iinet.net.au 23. Rajeswaran S 2 CN srirani29@hotmail.com 24. Roy Abeygoonawardene 2 AU abeyr1@yahoo.com.au 25. S SelvaKumar 1 AU s_selva6@yahoo.com.au 26. Samson Fernando 1 AU samfernando87@yahoo.com 27. Sarath Piyadasa 2 SL sarath.piyadasa@gmail.com 28. Sarath Weerasinghe 2 AU weeras@optusnet.com.au 29. Senaviratna Banda 1 AU Senaviratna200@hotmail.com 30. Shantini Ratnathicam 1 US shantinirat@gmail.com 31. Thiyagarajah Sothirajah 2 AU sothy_16@hotmail.com 32. Thuraisingham Vanniasingam 1 AU thuraisingam52@gmail.com 33. Upali Vandebona 1 AU upalivandebona@gmail.com 34. Vadivelu Vijayakumar 2 AU prvina@gmail.com 35. Santhirasegaram, Sastri 2 AU santhira28@gmail.com 36. Varan Karunakaran 2 AU varan.karunakaran@yahoo.com.au 37. Yasomali Fernando 2 SL nandamalifdo@gmail.com 38. Yogaratnam Suthan 2 AU Yogaratnam.SUTHAN@rms.nsw.gov.au Total number of batch mates 38 Total number of participants 68 Page No. 3

4 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - 11 Nov 2017 Q1: Do I need a Visa to enter Australia? Unless you are an Australian or a New Zealand citizen, you will need a valid Australian visa to enter the country. New Zealand passport holders can apply for a visa upon arrival in the country. All other passport holders must apply for a visa before leaving home. Please refer to planning/visa-information.html for visa information, customs and quarantine. Q2: Do I need Medical Insurance? Definitely yes, especially for overseas participants. Australian citizens and permanent residents are covered with Medicare, in case medical services are needed. It is recommended that you include Ambulance cover separately if your medical insurance does not cover it. The ambulance charges are extremely high if it becomes necessary to use their services due to an unfortunate incident. Meeting Place: The bus park on the other side of St Kilda Road in front of the Art Centre in Melbourne (100, St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004) Time: 9-10 am Q3: When and where do we meet on Friday 17 Nov, 2017? Note 1: Those who get dropped off at this location by car, please note parking is permitted only for drop- off / pick- up at this location. Note 2: After we meet and greet and load the luggage onto the busses, those who wish can explore the nearby attractions through a walking tour. Note 3: At 10 am sharp, buses will leave to see iconic attractions of Melbourne. Those who miss the buses are requested to meet the Group at Queen Vic market or at the Crown Casino complex for lunch at pm. (at the Kitchen Workshop restaurant ) PLEASE REFER TO PAGE 6 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Q4: What sights will you be covering on the Friday morning (approx. between 10am to pm) bus tour? During the bus tour, you will see Melbourne Arts Centre, Shine of Remembrance, Melbourne Tennis Centre, Parliament House, State Library, Royal Exhibition Building, Queen Victoria Market, Southern Cross Station and Crown Casino. You will have the opportunity to spend a short period of time at the Queen Victoria Market before arriving at the Crown Casino for lunch. Page No. 4

5 After you check in at the Silverwater Resort around 4.30pm, the busses will take everyone to the Function Hall around 5.15pm which is about 15 minutes away. This means you will have about 30 minutes to check in, find your rooms, and change to suitable clothing (see Q6 below) for the Penguin Parade visit and return to the foyer of the resort. Please ensure you assemble at the foyer by 5.15pm to travel to the Function Hall by bus for dinner. Those who wish to travel to the Penguin Parade venue will have about 1 hour and 45 minutes to have drinks, dinner and dessert. Other who opt not to attend may stay back at the function hall to enjoy the evening there. Q5: What do we need to know about the travel arrangements for the Friday Dinner and the Penguin Parade? Busses will leave around 7.15pm to the Penguin Parade venue, which is about 15 minutes away from the function hall. Gates to the Penguin Parade venue close early, so everyone is required to be at the venue by 7.45pm. After the Parade, you will have about 30 minutes to look around the Visitor Centre, buy any souvenirs if you wish, and leave the Parade venue by about 9.45pm. The busses will then take you back to the Function Hall around 10pm. There you have the option of getting off the busses for further drinks, tea/coffee and catch up with others till midnight, or return to the Silverwater Resort for an early night. Those who get off at the Function Hall will be provided with transport to get back to Silverwater Resort at 12 midnight. Please note photography or videography is not allowed at the Parade. Q6: What should we wear for viewing the Penguin Parade? Penguin Parade is an outdoor event that happens at the sea shore, so it is important that you wear comfortable clothing for this event. You will be exposed to the night time sea breeze which can be strong and cold at times, so we recommend that you wear warm clothing. Recommended attire is a casual pant, long sleeve top/shirt, jumper, hooded windproof jacket, socks and walking shoes. Wearing layered clothes will allow you to adjust your attire to suit the weather conditions on the day, which could also be rainy. A couple of days before Friday the 17th of November we will know what the Phillip Island weather conditions would be, but it is a good precaution to pack suitable clothing before you travel to Melbourne. Q7: What will the weather be in Philip Island in the 3 days? Please check weather forecast frequently on Australian Bureau of Meteorology website ( for weather updates. Please note conditions in Victoria change very rapidly and actual conditions could be totally different. Also note that condition on Friday night at the beach where Penguin Parade is held would be more severe. Q8: Can we leave after the formal farewell on Sunday at Mount Dandenong? After the formal farewell at Mount Dandenong, you may leave the Group. After the formal farewell at the Mt Dandenong restaurant, we will travel to Melbourne for the MCG tour and the other 2 venues. This tour is expected to finish approximately 5.00pm Page No. 5

6 Time: 9-10 am MEETING PLACE FRIDAY 17 NOV 2017 Meeting Place: The bus park is near 100, St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC Address given above is that of Melbourne Art Centre. However the actual bus stop is across the road from the Art Centre (i.e., along St Kilda Road, heading out of the city, towards Queen Vic Gardens.) (See map BELOW and photos in PAGE 7.) A Google earth image attached separately Page No. 6

7 11 Nov 2017 Note 1: Those who get dropped off at this location by car, please note parking is permitted only for drop- off / pick- up at this location. Note 2: After we meet and greet and load the luggage onto the busses, those who wish can explore the nearby attractions through a walking tour. Note 3: At 10 am sharp, buses will leave to see iconic attractions of Melbourne. Those who miss the buses are requested to meet the Group at Queen Vic market or at the Crown Casino complex for lunch at pm. (at the Kitchen Workshop restaurant ) The Arts Centre, Melbourne located left side of Meeting Place in Map (page 6) That s the bus stop where we are meeting (Meeting Place); the Arts Centre is seen in the background Page No. 7