2010 Australian Rickenbacker Confluence - Melbourne
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:33 am
After considerable contemplation and discussion, we've finally nailed down dates for the long-awaited Australian Rickenbacker Confluence. We are planning to hold this event on Saturday 3 April and Sunday 4 April 2009 in Melbourne, Australia.
This event was first discussed when Aitch and I attended the Rickenbacker 75th Anniversary event in Santa Ana in 2006, and the concept gained momentum during successive visits to the SoCal and MARF Confluences. During our numerous trips across the pond Aitch and I met many American and Canadian forumites (and even a few from England) who had harboured a desire to visit Australia, but had not yet done so. There are also quite a few Australian forum members who have not had the chance to experience a full-blown Rickenbacker Confluence and to meet their international colleagues.
Today, the organising committee of Aitch, Greg Rahilly, Ron Viney, Shane McAlpine and I met and we talked through the logistics and general concepts. We have identified some potential venues for the event as well as accommodation costs for those planning to attend from interstate or overseas, however we'll need to get an idea of firm numbers before making reservations. The earlier we can do this, the greater the chance of obtaining the right venues at the right prices.
The current exchange rate between the US and Aussie dollar is about USD$1.00 = AUD$0.80. The cost of air travel between the US and Australia has dropped significantly in recent months due to the global economic situation. We're talking about a return ticket costing less than HALF what it did only a year ago. We understand that Qantas offers an even better deal to Americans booking their flight from the US to Australia, so start doing your math and check out rates. Yes, it's a long flight (about 12 hours from LA to Melbourne) but it's well worth the trek once you are here. For those who want to break the flight up, it's possible to stopover in New Zealand before continuing on to Melbourne.
The dates we have chosen are Easter Saturday and Sunday, which will make it easier for many interstate attendees, as we have a four day public holiday break from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
We anticipate holding a dinner on the evening of Friday April 2, which should be the first official event, as the majority of those attending will have arrived by then. The traditional Rickenbacker show-and-tell will start on the Saturday April 3 around midday and will continue into Sunday April 4. We're planning to book a local live band venue for the Saturday night to allow attendees to take to the stage. The official event will wind up late Sunday afternoon. I'm sure we'll also have some activities for partners who don't want to spend all weekend overdosing on guitars and basses.
The venues we are planning to use are about 25 minutes drive south east of Melbourne. This should mean that accommodation costs are not as expensive as central Melbourne and it will be a little easier logistically for some of the organising committee. The beach will be close by, and the area is well served by a pretty good public train service. We'll also assist to ferry guests around and you're welcome to hire a car, but remember we drive on the left hand side of the road.
Now, it's a long way to come for just a couple of days and we expect that many overseas attendees will want to see more of Australia. A number of us are intending to take two weeks leave during this period, so that the weeks either side of the Confluence we'll be free to act as tour guides and chaperones for those who'd like to explore. The first week we'll cover Melbourne and some other special Victorian spots like the Great Ocean Rd, wildlife parks, Mornington Peninsula wineries etc. The second week will see us head for Sydney, which has it's own unique features and experiences. I hear they have some kind of bridge and a house where opera is sung up there. Whew! Sounds exciting!
The next steps require us to get some firm idea of the number of people we expect will be attending. Lots of people have expressed their desire to see Australia, but it's another thing to actually book your flight and lock it all in. Unfortunately the economic conditions are affecting us all and that might make it impossible for some who would have otherwise come across. On the bright side, the airfares have fallen significantly and there's still a few months to save.
I'd appreciate it if you could let me know, either here or via PM, if you are 100% definitely coming or if you're planning to come, subject to doing the math etc.
Any questions? Please ask here or PM any member of the organising committee. We'll do our best to help out.
PS We've also tried to come up with a smart acronym for the event, but so far the ideas generated weren't suitable. First Australian Rickenbacker Confluence just didn't have that ring to it.
We'd welcome your input and suggestions!
This event was first discussed when Aitch and I attended the Rickenbacker 75th Anniversary event in Santa Ana in 2006, and the concept gained momentum during successive visits to the SoCal and MARF Confluences. During our numerous trips across the pond Aitch and I met many American and Canadian forumites (and even a few from England) who had harboured a desire to visit Australia, but had not yet done so. There are also quite a few Australian forum members who have not had the chance to experience a full-blown Rickenbacker Confluence and to meet their international colleagues.
Today, the organising committee of Aitch, Greg Rahilly, Ron Viney, Shane McAlpine and I met and we talked through the logistics and general concepts. We have identified some potential venues for the event as well as accommodation costs for those planning to attend from interstate or overseas, however we'll need to get an idea of firm numbers before making reservations. The earlier we can do this, the greater the chance of obtaining the right venues at the right prices.
The current exchange rate between the US and Aussie dollar is about USD$1.00 = AUD$0.80. The cost of air travel between the US and Australia has dropped significantly in recent months due to the global economic situation. We're talking about a return ticket costing less than HALF what it did only a year ago. We understand that Qantas offers an even better deal to Americans booking their flight from the US to Australia, so start doing your math and check out rates. Yes, it's a long flight (about 12 hours from LA to Melbourne) but it's well worth the trek once you are here. For those who want to break the flight up, it's possible to stopover in New Zealand before continuing on to Melbourne.
The dates we have chosen are Easter Saturday and Sunday, which will make it easier for many interstate attendees, as we have a four day public holiday break from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
We anticipate holding a dinner on the evening of Friday April 2, which should be the first official event, as the majority of those attending will have arrived by then. The traditional Rickenbacker show-and-tell will start on the Saturday April 3 around midday and will continue into Sunday April 4. We're planning to book a local live band venue for the Saturday night to allow attendees to take to the stage. The official event will wind up late Sunday afternoon. I'm sure we'll also have some activities for partners who don't want to spend all weekend overdosing on guitars and basses.
The venues we are planning to use are about 25 minutes drive south east of Melbourne. This should mean that accommodation costs are not as expensive as central Melbourne and it will be a little easier logistically for some of the organising committee. The beach will be close by, and the area is well served by a pretty good public train service. We'll also assist to ferry guests around and you're welcome to hire a car, but remember we drive on the left hand side of the road.
Now, it's a long way to come for just a couple of days and we expect that many overseas attendees will want to see more of Australia. A number of us are intending to take two weeks leave during this period, so that the weeks either side of the Confluence we'll be free to act as tour guides and chaperones for those who'd like to explore. The first week we'll cover Melbourne and some other special Victorian spots like the Great Ocean Rd, wildlife parks, Mornington Peninsula wineries etc. The second week will see us head for Sydney, which has it's own unique features and experiences. I hear they have some kind of bridge and a house where opera is sung up there. Whew! Sounds exciting!
The next steps require us to get some firm idea of the number of people we expect will be attending. Lots of people have expressed their desire to see Australia, but it's another thing to actually book your flight and lock it all in. Unfortunately the economic conditions are affecting us all and that might make it impossible for some who would have otherwise come across. On the bright side, the airfares have fallen significantly and there's still a few months to save.
I'd appreciate it if you could let me know, either here or via PM, if you are 100% definitely coming or if you're planning to come, subject to doing the math etc.
Any questions? Please ask here or PM any member of the organising committee. We'll do our best to help out.
PS We've also tried to come up with a smart acronym for the event, but so far the ideas generated weren't suitable. First Australian Rickenbacker Confluence just didn't have that ring to it.
We'd welcome your input and suggestions!
