Litoria serrata, photo by Conrad Hoskin
56th Scientific Meeting of ASH 5-7th December, 2023
The next ASH conference will be held at the Rydges Hotel in Townsville, Queensland and will be hosted by Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ASH CONFERENCE VIA TRYBOOKING
What’s different for this ASH conference:
This ASH conference will be different from past conferences in a few ways:
1. It will be held in the centre of town rather than in the countryside. This is primarily due to the difficulty in finding out of town venues that can accommodate our growing conferences. This will also make it easier for participants to travel with family if they want to. Townsville is a small town, with plenty of herp-rich bushland, so the conference will still be wild. And there are lots of good places to visit before, during, or after the conference (Magnetic Island, Paluma Range, Townsville Town Common, Wet Tropics, Great Barrier Reef, etc.).
2. Everyone will need to book their own accommodation as it will NOT be included in the registration. There are many affordable accommodation options within walking distance of the venue. We have a few recommendations below.
3. The conference will run over three full days rather than two full days and two half days, so you will need to keep this mind when booking accommodation and flights. If you can, consider taking a holiday before or after the conference (or both) and enjoy the area —there’s plenty to explore in north Queensland and because it is the off season flights are cheaper and accommodation is more available.
Dates:
5–7 December 2023
The Conference will start the morning of the 5th and end on the evening of the 7th.
If you are thinking about booking flights and accommodation soon, keep in mind that you will probably need to arrive the day before the conference starts and leave the day after it ends if you want to attend the full conference.
We will organise an informal gathering at one of the local pubs on the evening of the 4th, the day before the formal conference starts.
Venue:
All talks, morning teas, lunches and afternoon teas will take place at the Rydges Hotel in central Townsville (on Palmer Street). This hotel has a small conference venue and pictures of the conference facilities are in the link.
Plenary speakers:
Dr. Emma Sherratt - Future Fellow and Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide.
Prof. David Chapple - Future Fellow and Professor at Monash University.
Dinners:
We have three great dinner/bar venues within close walking distance of the Rydges Hotel and an evening at each is already booked.
Tuesday 5 December - Heritage Exchange, a heritage building turned into a fantastic place to eat and hang out, including great outdoor area.
Wednesday 6 December - Commonwealth Hotel, a historic pub opened in 1901. Good outdoor space (including a playground for kids) to eat and drink.
Thursday 7 December - Townsville Brewing Co., a beautiful setting and great food and beer too.
All the dinners will be canape-style so it’s easy for people to mingle, and we promise lots of food. All dinners will be included in the registration fee. Everyone will need to buy their own drinks.
Registration:
This year the registration fee will NOT include accommodation but will include all food except breakfast. We are trying to keep the registration as cheap as possible for students. At this stage we anticipate that it will be approximately $385 for students and $550 for non-students.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ASH CONFERENCE VIA TRYBOOKING
Accommodation:
Every possible accommodation option is available within walking distance of the conference venue and the dinner venues, including backpacker style, affordable motels and all the way through to luxury hotels. Everyone will need to book their own accommodation.
Recommended Dates when booking flights and accommodation
The ASH conference will run from Tuesday morning (5th Dec) to Thursday evening (7th Dec). We also plan to run some fun wildlife trips on the Monday before and the Friday after ASH (but numbers will be limited). Please keep this in mind when booking your flights and accommodation.
· If you are just coming for the ASH conference – then we recommend arriving on Monday and departing on Friday.
· If you want to do one or more of the trips – then we recommend arriving a day before or a day after. You can sign up to trips when registering (registration information coming soon).
Accommodation Options
There are two accommodation options right next to the ASH venue.
ASH is being held at the Rydges on Palmer Street. The venue itself is immediately next door to the hotel. We found quite good rates on WOTIF, and other third-party booking sites, for the ASH dates.
This hotel is just across the street from the ASH Venue. We found quite good rates on WOTIF, and other third-party booking sites, for the ASH dates.
There are also at least six hotels within 200-500 meters of the ASH Venue, and a number of other hotels in the city centre just across the Ross Creek bridge; most less than 1 km away.
We recommend doing a search on Google Maps, around Rydges Southbank Townsville, and then you can see the many options that are close by.
For those looking for more budget accommodation, there are a couple backpacker style places close by, and a few more a bit more of a walk away.
Civic Guest House Backpackers Hostel
There are also lots of AirBnB options close by and some bed and breakfast options too.
Staying on the Strand is nice (beachside, with views across to Magnetic Island), but it is about 25 minutes walk to the conference venue. It’s certainly a good option is you’re hiring a car (5 minute drive), as is accommodation at Rowes Bay (10 minute drive). There is parking available in the neighbourhood surrounding the ASH venue.
Flights:
The conference will take place outside of the main tourist season for Townsville, so flights are less expensive and more available.
Tourist information:
Here are some links about visiting Townsville
Townsville Tourism (more)
Townsville places to see and things to do
Guide to Townsville and Magnetic Island
30 of the best things to do in and around Townsville
Explore the national parks near Townsville
Hope you can come!
Best wishes,
Conrad
Some local Townsville reptiles and amphibians. Carlia decora, Cophixalus australis, Litoria serrata, Phyllurus gulbaru. All photos by Conrad Hoskin.
