The 2008 ASAO meetings will be held at the Australian National University at Canberra, Australia.  The board meeting will convene on Tuesday evening, February 12, and Wednesday morning, February 13. The general meeting will begin Wednesday evening, February 13, and run through Saturday evening, February 16. 

Canberra: http://www.act.gov.au/
ANU: http://www.anu.edu.au/

HOUSING
1. The University House (across from the meeting rooms in Coombs)

• Basic twin: Single at A$124; Double at A$133.
• Queen: Single at A$134; Double at A$143.
• Two-bedroom apartments with cooking: Single at A$174; Double at A$183; Triple at A$204.
• Only one room is wheelchair accessible, on the ground floor.  All the rest require stairs. 
• Internet access is an additional A$10 per day. 

When you call, e-mail or register online, please specify the type of room you want, and BE SURE to indicate that you are attending the ASAO meetings, in order to get one of the rooms they are holding for us. Conference rate will be available until 18 January; after that, if rooms are available, they will be booked at the regular rate. Individual cancellations up to the day prior to arrival at no cost. If on the day of arrival, or cancelled for good, then one night's accommodation will be charged.

Online: www.anu.edu.au/unihouse/accomm/reservations.htm
E-mail: UniHouse@anu.edu.au
Phone: Overseas: +61 2 6125 5276
Address: Building 1, Balmain Crescent, The Australian National University, ACT 0200 Australia

2.  The Rydges Hotel (a 10 minute walk to the meeting rooms in Coombs) 

• Standard (double) rooms at A$175 per night.
• Elevator.
• Handicap accessible.
• Buffet breakfast is A$19 per person.

ASAO conference rate available only for reservations made before 8 January 2008.

Online:
http://www.rydges.com/hotel/0/RACANB/Rydges-Lakeside-Canberra.htm  
Phone: Australia: 1300 857 922
New Zealand: 0800 446 187
Overseas +61 2 9261 4929
Address: London Circuit, Canberra City, ACT 2600 Australia
Again, when you call, e-mail or register online, please indicate that you are registering for the ASAO meetings in order to get the ASAO rate.

Exchange Rate: Note that all prices are shown in Australian dollars. Exchange rate at time of posting is A$1.00 = US$.90.

MEETING ROOMS
The Department of Anthropology at ANU will be our hosts, along with The Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies.  The Coombs Building will be the center of our meetings, including the registration and book display room, the seminar rooms and the plenary sessions.  Plenary sessions will be in The Theatre in Coombs. 

Meals
University House has a cafe/cafeteria and bar. The Student Union is an 8 minute walk from University House and the Coombs building, and it has a number of fast-food choices.  In addition, there are four other restaurants on campus within 10 minutes walk from Coombs.  Also, the University Art Gallery, National Film and Sound Archive, and Australian National Museum have cafes within walking distance.

TRAVEL
Flights
Many airlines fly into Sydney.  However, Qantas is the only cross-Pacific provider that also flies to Canberra.  www.qantas.com.au/

Local Transport to Conference Venue
1.  Those flying into Canberra will have to hire a taxi to University House ANU from Canberra airport for around A$25-$30.

2.  Alternatively, one can take a bus ("coach") from Sydney International to downtown Canberra at a considerable savings. Greyhound (www.greyhound.com.au) and Murrays (www.murrays.com.au) pick up passengers at Sydney International right outside arrivals and drops them off roughly three hours later in downtown Canberra for only A$40.  From there, it is a quick cab ride or 15 minute walk to the University House. Also, if incoming flights do not connect conveniently with the airport pickups, there are many more frequent departures on Greyhound or Murrays from Sydney Central Station to Canberra (in which case you need to take a short, no-hassle train ride from Sydney International to Central Station).

3.  From the Sydney airport it is also possible to rent a car for the 3 1/2 hour drive to Canberra.  Check the standard rental agencies.  Some car rental agencies offer one-way pickup and dropoff without one-way extra charges.

Visa Requirement for U.S. Citizens
According to the US Department of State Web site (travel.state.gov): "ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: American citizens are required to have a valid U.S. passport to enter Australia. Americans must enter with an Australian visa or, if eligible, through Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). The ETA replaces a visa and allows a stay of up to three months. It may be obtained for a small service fee at http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/. Airlines and many travel agents in the United States are also able to issue ETA's. Please note that American citizens, who overstay their ETA or visa, even for short periods, maybe subject to exclusion, detention, and removal. More information about the ETA, other visas, and entry requirements may be obtained from the Embassy of Australia at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue, NW,Washington, DC 20036, telephone (202) 797-3000, or via the Australian Embassy home page on the Internet at http://www.austemb.org/. Visa inquires may be directed to the Australian Visa Information Service at 888-990-8888. Visit the Embassy of Australia web site at http://www.austemb.org/ for the most current visa information."

MEETING REGISTRATION AND MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS FOR 2008
Membership renewal and meeting registration forms will be sent this month (November) to all current members of ASAO. If you haven’t paid 2007 dues but would like a blank membership/meeting registration form, please let me know via email.

Registration fees for the February 2008 Canberra meetings are US$60, with a reduced rate of US$30 for students, Pacific Islanders, and retired or unemployed attendees. If you will be attending the 2008 meetings, you may pay the registration fee in advance before December 31, or on-site. On-site payments will be accepted in US dollars (checks strongly preferred), or Australian dollars (cash only) for the equivalent amount at the exchange rate at that time. (Sorry, we cannot accept credit card payments.)

Membership dues for 2008 are at the same level as previous years: US$35 for regular memberships and US$20 for students, Pacific Islanders, retirees, and unemployed members.

The 2009 ASAO meeting will be held on the West Coast of North America.  (Specific location to be determined at the 2008 meeting.)