VENUE

The meeting will be held at Rydges Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand (http://www.rydges.com) from 28 January to 1 February 2013.

REGISTRATION

Registration has now closed.

If you have registered but can no longer attend, please contact the organisers at the email address:

[email protected].

LANGUAGE

All meetings will be conducted in English. Simultaneous translation into Spanish will be provided.

ACCOMMODATION

Travel arrangements to and from the meeting are the responsibility of participants.

The meeting will be held at the Rydges Hotel in Auckland.

Unlimited Wi-Fi is provided free in public areas of the hotel and in meeting rooms. There is a charge ($30 per 24hrs) for using Wi-Fi from the accommodation.

The room rates are:

Please quote booking reference number '319485' when making accommodation reservations at the Rydges.

Additional discounts are offered if delegates choose to stay a minimum of 5 nights (Superior or Deluxe non Harbour view rooms only). Breakfast is not included, but is available at a discounted rate for delegates

E-mail: [email protected], or
Phone: +64 9 375 5902.

A location map is available here.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS

The Auckland region enjoys a warm, coastal climate without any extremes of temperature. Summers in Auckland are generally warm with high humidity. When visiting Auckland, it's a good idea to pack a rainproof jacket as well as sunglasses, sun hat and sunscreen during the spring and summer due to New Zealand's high UV rating. The average daily temperature in Auckland during the summer is 23 C (74 F).

More general information about Auckland City is available at www.aucklandnz.com.

NEW ZEALAND VISA REQUIREMENTS

Participants from countries who have a visa free arrangement with NZ do not need to apply for a visa before they travel. A list of visa free countries, as well as more detailed information about New Zealand visa requirements is available on the immigration website NZ_VisaFreeCountries.

Participants from countries who DO NOT have a visa free arrangement will need to apply for a visitor's visa. Please see the Immigration website (www.immigration.govt.nz) for an application form, details of where to send your application, and the application fee. As well as more detailed information about New Zealand visa requirements.

All Participants will need to have an outward ticket and evidence of sufficient available funds for their maintenance while in NZ.

Applications for visas can take several weeks to process, so please ensure that you make arrangements to obtain a visa well in advance. Please also ensure that the application form is completed in full and that you include a letter from your employer or sponsoring organisation in your home country.

Note that participants who plan to transit to New Zealand via other countries such as Australia, should check to determine whether they need to arrange transit visas for these countries.

A current passport is also required by anyone entering New Zealand. Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the date you intend to leave New Zealand.

BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL EXCURSION: SATURDAY, 2ND FEBRUARY

If Participants at the SPRFMO Commission meeting are keen to explore one of the many nature islands of the Hauraki Gulf the day after the SPRFMO meeting finishes, Karen Baird from Birdlife International has offered to act as guide on Saturday 2nd February.

The island trip will be to Tiritiri Matangi Island; a 45 minute boat ride from downtown Auckland. The sanctuary is home to many endangered species of birds including Kokako, Tieke, Hihi and Takahe. On the island Participants can explore the forest paths spotting various birds and enjoy the ambiance of the forest. At sea we will look for seabirds of the Gulf, including local species such as Fluttering shearwater and Buller's shearwater and we may even spot a Blue penquin from the boat.

Participants will need to bring a packed lunch, sunhat, sunglasses, sunblock, raincoat (in case it rains), drinking water and good walking shoes.

For more information, and to book your seat on the ferrry see Tiritiri Matangi Excursion Once you have booked your seat, contact karen to arrange meeting at the ferry and so she can get an idea of numbers [email protected]