UNIMATES for Fantastic Fun & Friendship

New website, again!

2010-02-11T23:28:00.004+11:00

Hey everyone, sorry for the backwards and forwards with the website. Our new website up and running at:

usydunimates.wordpress.com

Yu Heng

Hmm, website problems

2010-02-04T23:02:00.000+11:00

Hi everyone, it looks like we're having some problems with the unimates.org website, so we're temporarily using this old blogspot website. Check this site for all your Unimates updates!

Once we get the newer site up and running again, we'll be sure to let you know!

Yu Heng

New Website!

2009-02-17T23:07:00.002+11:00

Hi everyone,

If you're still reading this blog, it means you haven't yet heard about our NEW WEBSITE - you can find it at:

unimates.org

From now on, all event information will be put up on this new site, along with lots of other useful and interesting stuff.
Be sure to check it out!

Yu Heng

Final Dinner Payment Times

2008-10-26T22:34:00.000+11:00

Here are the payment times:

Fisher Library Level 4 Discussion Rooms
Monday 27th, 11 - 12:30 pm (Anna)
Tuesday 28th, 12 - 1:30 pm (Anna/Yu Heng)

Coffee and Cakes (behind International Office... inside if it's raining)
Wednesday 11:30 - 1pm (Yu Heng)

Final Dinner!!!

2008-10-22T22:52:00.002+11:00

Hi everyone!

With only a bit over 1 week to go in the semester, we're wrapping up Unimates with our Final Dinner! It's going to be a great night of food, fun and laughter, so make sure you're there =)

Thanks to everyone who came to the General Meeting - we were all happy to see such a great turnout.
Don't forget we still have one more Coffee and Cakes - the last week will have extra nice cakes especially for you guys! Also remember to send us your photos and recipes!

Final Event - Final Dinner (Week 13)

Description: The traditional final event of the semester with Unimates - finishing off the semester with good friends and great food! It's the perfect chance to relax and let your hair down, before hitting the study books during stuvac week.
It's going to be the last time we're all going to be together as a group, so don't miss it!!!

Date: Saturday 1st of November (one day after the last day of classes) - Put it in your diaries!

Time: 7pm

Place: Diethnes Greek Restaurant (www.diethnes.com.au). It's in the city, near Town Hall. We're getting a huge banquet menu - see below. If you have special dietary needs (eg. vegetarian), add that to the "comments" when you do the RSVP registration online.

Cost:
- Access member: $22
- Non-access member or access non-member: $27
- Non-member: $32

RSVP: Sunday 26th October; we will book enough places for 50 people - first in, best dressed, so get in fast!

Menu:
E n t r e e s
Taramosalata
Home made fish roe, bread, olive oil
and lemon juice dip
Tzatziki
Home made yoghurt, cucumber
and garlic dip
Grape Vine Leaves
Stuffed grape vine leaves with rice
and fragrant herbs
Tiropites
Home made cheese filled filo pastries
Spanakopita
Home made spinach and cheese pie
M a i n s
Pan Fried Calarnari
Lightly floured and pan fried
Moussaka
Layers of potato, eggplant and mince meat
topped with bechamel sauce
Pan Fried Eggplant
Served with garlic sauce
Baked Roast Lamb
Tender lamb baked slowly in the oven with
lemon and oregano served with baked
potatoes & pumpkin

Dessert, coffee or tea

Yu Heng

General Meeting and a TON of events!

2008-10-16T23:46:00.005+11:00

Hey everyone!

Firstly, I'd like to announce that UNIMATES has been shortlisted for the USU Club of the Year award. This is an amazing achievement and I would like to thank all of you guys, the members, for your continuing involvement in all of our activities.

Please continue to support us, and join in our activities as we close the semester out. Don't forget to send us recipes and photos for the cookbook and our photo competition!

Unimates General Meeting (Week 12)

Date: This coming Tuesday, 21st October
Location: CARSLAW Level 4 - Lecture Room 454 (this is not the same as Eastern Avenue building)
Time: 5-6 pm for the meeting, then pizza and short movie after (tell us what movie you want to watch)
RSVP: Register by Monday night, 20th October

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE COMMITTEE?
If you have not already done this, send us an email to say you are interested in joining the committee, and if there is a position you would like to take.
There are many opportunities for you to help out - if you have an interest, we will have a place for you!

During the meeting, all you need to do is introduce yourself - it will only take about 1 minute - very easy!

WEEK 11 - SCULPTURE BY THE SEA

Description: Have you ever been to an open-door exhibition? Sculpture by The Sea is the most popular event in November, it happens every year and attracts crowds over NSW. People come to the exhibition not only because of the incredible art of the sculpture but also the beauty of nature in Spring. You will have a scenic walk of 2.5km from Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach with many local and international sculptures along all the way. So if you are interested in art, you should come and see the best combination of human-made sculptures and nature-made sculptures. Even if you are not the art-kind person, I'm sure the colour, sound and light of the Sea scenes still can make you become a part of it.

Date: 18th October 2008, Saturday

Place: Walk from Bondi beach to Bronte Beach (2.5km)

Meeting: in front of Mcdonald's at Circular Quay station

Time: 10:00am

Cost: FREE entry for everyone

Transport fee (Bus from Circular Quay to Bondi Beach)

$4.80 adult/ $2.40 student

Bring: snacks and lunch, water, sun cream, hat, sunglasses, camera (important!!)

RSVP: By 5pm on this Friday 17th October

This are websites that you can find more information on this event:

http://www.visitnsw.com/Sculpture_By_The_Sea_P1979.aspx

http://www.sculpturebythesea.com/

Week 12 Event – Bowling and Darling Harbour
Description: Exam period is around the corner, so relieve your stress at tenpin bowling! A lot of fun and a great time with friends are guaranteed! You can also enjoy lunch and shopping along Darling Harbour afterwards.

Date: Saturday 25^th October

Place: STRIKE Bowling Bar at King Street Wharf

Meeting: Wynyard Station at 9:30 am (specific meeting point to be confirmed)

Cost: Unimates member with Access Card -$18

Unimates member without Access Card-$24

*Cost includes two games plus shoes hire.

RSVP: This Sunday 19th October. IMPORTANT, it is limited to 24 people only!

Payment: can be made at Wednesday Coffee and Cakes or at the following times:

Monday, 20th at Fisher (group discussion room, Level 4) 1-4pm (AN)

Thursday, 23rd at Fisher (group discussion room, Level 4) 12:30- 1:30pm (REIKO)

Final Event - Farewell Dinner (Week 13)

Description: The final event of the semester with Unimates - finishing off the semester with good friends and great food! The farewell dinner is a tradition at the end of every semester, and we welcome everyone to come and enjoy the time together.

Date: Saturday 1st of November (one day after the last day of classes) - Put it in your diaries!

Time: 7pm

Place: Diethnes - A greek restaurant in the city that has been there for 50 years!

Cost: We expect it to be around $25 for a really good dinner.

RSVP: We will put the registration up next week (when the details are finalised) - we will book enough places for 50 people - first in, first served, so get in fast!

Yu Heng

Going to the Zoo

2008-10-07T23:41:00.010+11:00

Week 10 Event - Taronga Zoo

It is the nation's leading zoological garden, featuring Australia's finest collection of native animals and a diverse collection of exotic species. What makes Taronga something special is its location. It is situated on elevated land along the waterfront, in one of the most beautiful vantage points on Sydney Harbour overlooking Sydney Cove, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

So come and join us for a lovely day in the zoo!

Date: This Sunday 12/10/2008

Time: 9.30am – 5.00pm

Fee:
ACCESS: $24

Non-ACCESS: $27

Non-member: $30

Meeting point: No.6 Jetty, Circular Quay at 10.00 am.
Go to Google Map and search for "no.6 Jetty Circular Quay NSW"

Attention: Please bring your Student Card on the day.

The journey to Taronga Zoo is exciting with experience of catching a Cruise that will depart at No.6 Jetty, Circular Quay, 10:15 am. Then, upon reaching Taronga Zoo wharf, we will take the Sky Safari Ride to Taronga Zoo.

It is advisable to bring own lunch because the food at Taronga Zoo is pretty costly.

RSVP: will be closed on Thursday 9th October at midnight, limit of 30 people.

The registration form link is on our blogspot, or directly at http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pQrsJ_hC4L2u2FkeVfd2ZRw&hl=en

Payment:

Wed - Coffee and Cakes, lawn behind International Office (11.30 – 1.00)

Thurs - Fisher Library, Level 4 Discussion Room (12.00 p.m. – 1.00 p.m.)

Fri - Fisher Library, Level 4 Discussion Room (1.00 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.)

Other Upcoming Events
Week 11: Sculpture by the Sea - an amazing scenic walk between Bondi Beach and Tamarama Beach, where artists from all over the world have placed art installations and sculptures along the walk by the water. Not to be missed!

Week 12: Darling Harbour Tenpin Bowling - Can't remember the last time you went bowling? Never been bowling? Not to worry! Take a break with Unimates and come tenpin bowling with us!

Even More Stuff...
Unimates PHOTO Competition!!! Send us some of your best photos from this semester of Sydney and with Unimates. We'll have prizes for best photos in various categories... more details soon.

Unimates COOKBOOK =P Since we have such a diverse group of students from all over the world, what better way to celebrate our multiculturalism than to compile all the favourite recipes of our members into a cookbook that everyone can use! Email us your favourite recipe and we'll put them all together and publish a cookbook that you can take home with you and try out!

Yu Heng

Mid-Semester Event: 3 v 3 Basketball - Finalised!

2008-09-23T22:45:00.014+10:00

Hi everyone!

I have to say I thought the Hunter Valley trip was amazing! Haha that pretty much sums it up for me.
I hope you're all going along well through the semester - one more week before the mid-semester break starts! If you're anything like me, you probably can't wait til the end of this week...

We've had a lot of ideas about what we could do for you guys during the mid-semester break. After looking into travel options like Port Stephens and Canberra, we found out it would be extremely impractical to organise something like this and accommodate anything other than a small amount of people. So in the end, we made the decision to hold something that would be able to bring lots of Unimates members back together, especially because I know many people can't make it to Coffee and Cakes or the weekend events.

So I hope you will come to our 3 v 3 Basketball event. If you are interested, put your name down on the online registration. Don't worry about forming teams or anything like that yet - we just need to know roughly how many people to book courts for.
It's going to be an awesome day!

3 v 3 Basketball (Mid-semester Event) - FINALISED
Description: A chance to get everyone back together and work off that stress you've built up over the last 9 weeks! It doesn't matter whether you are a BBall Pro or can't throw a ball to save your life - everyone can participate and have fun!
There will be prizes and food =)

Place: Sports and Aquatic Centre (on campus)
Date: 5th Oct, Sunday
Time: 12.00 p.m.

This is the final confirmed date.

RSVP: Sign up via the online registration form (see the link on the right hand column). Don't worry if you haven't got a team - we are going to arrange the teams on the day. If you already have a team in mind, that is also fine!

The joining fee for this tournament is:

Access Card Holders: Free!
Unimates members: $2
Non Unimates members: $4

I hope this clears up any confusion - registering is as simple as putting your name down on the online event form, and turning up on Sunday!

Hope to see you all there!

Yu Heng

Festival of the Winds

2008-09-08T22:20:00.004+10:00

Hey everyone!

We're powering through the semester - its ALREADY week 7! That's halfway through... it's been so fast don't you think?
Thanks to all the wonderful people who have been able to come to one, some or many of our events! If you haven't yet been able to join us for any of our events, its still not too late - we'd love you to come along to either our Coffee and Cakes or weekend events!
This week we've got another exciting event coming up:

Week 7 - Festival of the Winds

The Festival of the Winds is a kite flying event where you get to see, make and fly your own kites! It is held down at the Bondi Pavilion on the 14^th of September, Sunday.

We will be catching the bus (380) in Circular Quay Stand E to Bondi Beach. You can get to Circular Quay via train from any station. Once we get there we'll have a look around the many stalls and activities happening around the area. We will be attending the kite making workshop which only cost $3 to make and fly your own kite! After we'll let you all off to do your own thing before meeting up at 4pm to catch a bus back to the city. Have a look at the attached pdf program in this newsletter and decide what you want to see there!

Details are listed below

When: 14^th of September, Sunday, 11am -4pm

Meeting Place: Outside Circular Quay Train Station at 9:30am, and will reach Bondi Beach before 11am.

Finishing: 4pm (we will be catching the bus back to the city)

Cost: FREE entry for event

Note: $2.60 adult/$1.30 student one-way train fare from Central station to Circular Quay $4.80 adult/$2.40 student one-way bus fare
$3 for kite making workshop

RSVP by Friday 12th of September, register by clicking the link below: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pQrsJ_hC4L2u2FkeVfd2ZRw&hl=en

For more information, find Attachment for the detail of activities or you may visit this link for official info:
http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/info/pavilion/fotw/

Wet Weather: In case of wet weather the event will be cancelled. You will be notified again the day before (13 Sept, Saturday night) via email whether it's still on or cancelled - so please have a look out. Visit http://www.bom.gov.au/ to check the weather forecast. Let's all hope that it's nice and sunny!

In other news...
Our Hunter Valley trip is coming up soon (Week 8)! We're still finalising the details of this, but we'll be letting you know the details as soon as its all ready.

Have a great week!

Yu Heng

Bushwalking and Opera House/Pub Crawl

2008-08-26T23:17:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all still doing well and enjoying yourselves. I can't believe how fast its been, and that we're already into the 5th week of uni!
Hearing from those who went to Muru Mittigar last Saturday, it was overall a great event. I think everyone who went learnt a few new things about Australian Aboriginal culture, including how to throw a boomerang...

From this week, we have a NEW registration system. No more emailing us to sign up! Just click this link HERE to go to the event registration form.

Week 5 Event - Spit to Manly Bushwalk

This week, we will have a 4 hours (10km) walking trip from The Spit to Manly. The bush walk starts from The Spit entrance, walking across many bays, beaches and beautiful sceneries throughout.

There will be two resting stops, at Clontarf Beach and Dobroyd Point. Reaching Manly, we can spend some time enjoying the beach either at Manly itself or at Shelley beach. To mark the end of the whole walk, we will take a romantic ferry ride home from Manly wharf. The whole walk is tiring but very much enjoyable, so be prepared and get the best out of the bush walking experience!

Bring: Comfortable shoes, sun cream, water, camera, hat , swimming suits (if you intend to swim) and your own Lunch.

Fees: Free!!!

But you need to pay your own transportation fee.

- Bus fee from Wynyard to Spit: $4.00 (8 sections)
- Ferry fee from Manly to Circular Quay: $6.40 single ticket ($48.10 for Manly Travel Ten)

RSVP: close this Friday (7 pm).

IMPORTANT: However, the weather forecast for the weekend is rainy. If it rains on Saturday, we will postpone it on Sunday. If it rains on Sunday, we will have to cancel this event... Anyone who joins the event, please check your email on Friday night for the latest update -/-

Week 6 Event - Opera House and Pub Crawl

Come to one, or both!

Description: The Australia Chamber Orchestra (ACO) is a world-class ensemble and by all means the very best Australia has to offer. So what better to do on a Sunday afternoon than hear them play in the famous Sydney Opera House! This will be followed by a pub crawl in The Rocks, visiting the best and historically most significant pubs in Sydney.

The ACO are performing these pieces.

JS Bach from The Art of Fugue
György Kurtág from Signs, Games & Messages
Berg Lyric Suite 3 Pieces
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
_________________________________________

Date: Sunday 7th September

Meeting: 2pm at the bottom of the big steps at the Opera House
Cost: $27 Access Member,

$32 Member and Access Non-member,

$37 Non Member

Notes: Pub crawl only - meet at Circular Quay train station (near Wharf 5) at 5:30pm

You're welcome to join us for the Pub Crawl after, even if you do not come to the concert.

RSVP: Sunday 31st August or until sold out. Limited to 30 tickets only!

Coffee and Cakes!
Don't forget that coffee and cakes is running as usual - it's nice to spare 30 minutes or an hour, take a break from the pressure of busy uni life, and come and have a chat!

Yu Heng

Poor Swannies, Muru Mittigar, Bushwalking and Opera House

2008-08-17T21:30:00.004+10:00

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone who went to the AFL game had a good time and enjoyed visiting the Olympic Stadium, despite the (to put it kindly) less than impressive showing by the Sydney Swans. Mind you, Geelong have only lost 1 out of 16 games all season.
It proved to be quite hard to keep all 75 of us together and to explain the rules as well, although I think most people managed to understand what was going on reasonably fast!

Photos will be up on Facebook soon. Your feedback and photos are much appreciated! Send them to us via our email address.

Coffee and Cakes is on again for another week - we'd love to see you there, even if you can only make half of it!

Muru Mittigar (Week 4 Event)
The registration for this event has now closed - for those who have signed up, remember to make your payment at Coffee and Cakes, or email us if you cannot make this time.

Upcoming Events
Week 5 - Saturday 30 August - Bushwalking from the Spit to Manly

Week 6 - Sunday 7 September - Australian Chamber Orchestra performing at the Opera House (and post-event Rocks pub crawl)

More details about these events and the RSVP will be coming soon. We will have a NEW system for signing up for events - it will be an online registration form (rather than emailing us). More about this soon...

Have a great week!

Yu Heng

AFL Payment and Muru Mittigar

2008-08-11T21:43:00.007+10:00

Hello everyone!

By all accounts, Luna Park was a great event! Apologies for the confusion with payments on the day - we're working to make it a better system for future events. Once again, feedback and photos are most welcome.

AFL Payment
Due to the large number of people who signed up for AFL this Saturday, you MUST pay either during Coffee and Cakes this Wednesday, or during one of our payment times on Tues, Wed or Thurs which we sent an email about. If you did not receive this email but signed up by the RSVP time, let us know.

To make it clear, we cannot take payment on the day of the game!

Final Details for AFL:
Place: REDFERN Station
Time: 5:15 pm
Bring: Red + white anything (these are Sydney's team colours), your ticket, money for food, water, camera

Muru Mittigar (Week 4)
Don't forget that your last chance to sign up for the Aboriginal Culture session is this Wednesday - we can only take 20 people, so don't delay in your RSVP.

Payments need to be made ASAP at Coffee and Cakes this or next Wednesday. If you cannot make this time, send us an email and we can arrange another meeting time for you.
Note: we cannot take payment on the day of the event.

Coffee and Cake
Same time same place - hope to see you there!

Yu Heng

Luna Park, AFL Football Game and Muru Mittigar

2008-08-02T21:54:00.018+10:00

Hello everyone,

For those who missed it, the City Tour went really well - it was a beautiful day and almost 50 of us had an enjoyable stroll from Glebe and the Fish Markets all the way to the Opera House and The Rocks.
I'll be posting some photos up on the blog, as well as more on the Facebook - we'd love to see your photos up on Facebook as well. If you have some really good photos, send them to our email - we might be able to use them for promotional materials next semester!
Once again, we'd love to hear your feedback about the event.

Here are the details of the next 3 weekend events - registration is open NOW (don't miss it). To register, just send us an email with three things - 1. the event name, 2. your name, 3. Access Card number (if you have one).

Week 2 Event - Luna Park
Description: Unlimited theme park rides, set on Sydney Harbour! A great day out and a must-do for those who like action! There's also an amazing view from the park, looking over the harbour. More information at http://www.lunaparksydney.com/

Date: Saturday 9th August (end of Week 2)
Place: Meet at Milsons Point Station.
Time: Meet at 1:30 pm. Finish around 6:30.
Cost: This is flexible depending on how many rides you want to go on. These are the prices for unlimited times on certain rides:

Go Wild Pass (all rides) - $35
Go Silly Pass (5 rides) - $30
Go Easy Pass (3 rides) - $20
On top of this, Access Card holders will get a further 15% off from us.

Note: We will be getting the tickets when we get there and show you which rides are included for each pass.

RSVP: Thursday 7th August.
Payment: Upon arrival at the park on the Saturday.

Week 3 Event - AFL Football Game
Description: We're really excited about this one. If you ever wanted to experience a truly Australian sport then this is it. Our very own Sydney Swans (currently 4th rank) vs Geelong (1st). The game will be held at ANZ Stadium - the stadium of the Sydney 2000 Olympics!

AFL stands for Australian Football League, and don't worry - we will be giving a full explanation of how the sport works on the day.

Date: Saturday 16th August (end of Week 3)
Place: Meet at Redfern Station - we will catch a train from here to Olympic Park.
Time: Meet at around 5:15. (Game starts around 7pm)
Cost: Access Card Unimates members - $16.80
Non-Access Card Unimates members - $19.80
Non-Unimates members - $22.00
The game ticket includes BOTH the entry fee for the game, AND public transport (no need to buy a train ticket).
RSVP: Saturday 9th August, end of Week 2 (This is EARLY since we need to buy the tickets in advance - don't miss it! This is a STRICT deadline, and we can't give refunds after this date.)
Payment: This can be done at Coffee and Cakes, or at our designated payment times during the week.
Note - if you have signed up, we cannot give refunds after the RSVP date since we will have already bought the tickets. If you cannot come at the last minute, you need to find somebody to take your ticket.

Week 4 Event - Muru Mittigar (Aboriginal Culture)
Description: Experience Aboriginal culture with this award-winning tour. The tour includes a cultural talk, a guided tour of the museum, and also activities for you to participate in - learn how to throw a boomerang, and taste some bush tucker. There will also be a didgeridoo performance, and you will learn about how Aboriginal people use plants for medicine and food. Eye opening, and a must for appreciating the history of Australia and the traditional owners of this great land.

Date: Saturday 23rd August (end of Week 4)

Place: Meet at Central station around 8am and travel to Muru Mittigar via train

Time: from around 8am – mid-afternoon

Cost (estimated maximum):

$30 - Access Card Unimates members

$35 - Non-Access card Unimates members

$37 - non-members

+ $10 for transport ($7.20 concession)

We will try to subsidise this event further to reduce costs.

RSVP: midnight, Wednesday 13th August (we need time to negotiate discounts!)

Payment: This can be done at Coffee and Cakes only! If you have problems with making the time, email us.
Note - if you have signed up, we cannot give refunds after the RSVP date since we will have already booked a place for you. If you cannot come at the last minute, you will need to find somebody to take your ticket.

Don't Forget...
Coffee and Cakes is on as usual - see the blog post below for details. Hope to see you guys there!
Also, the stuff on the blog post below about member records still applies - we still need Access Card numbers if you have not given them to us.

See you at one of our events soon!

Yu Heng

Thank you!

2008-07-25T21:22:00.012+10:00

Hey everyone,

Thanks for braving the cold and the rain today and coming to our welcome BBQ - you all made it a great success, with over 150 members attending! We hope you enjoyed it (and discovered how good lamingtons are)!

If you have any comments about the BBQ - both things you liked, or things we could have improved on - we would love your feedback, so that next semester we can make our BBQ even better. Please send us an email with any comments and suggestions!

Coffee and Cake (free!)
Every Wednesday during semester, we like to meet up and have a slice of cake, drink some coffee and tea, and just have a chat. It's a nice relaxed meeting and a great chance to catch up with friends. Put it in your timetable because we'd love to see you there!

Where? On the grass behind the international office.
When? Every Wednesday 11:30 - 12:30

It starts this Wednesday - we hope to see you there!

City Walking Tour (Week 1 Event)
Final details will be up on this blog very soon, and will also be sent out in our email newsletter. So far the details are as follows:

Description: See Sydney from a students' perspective - join us for a fun and enlightening walking tour around the city, and get to know your way around the city better than the locals!
Date: Saturday, August 2nd
Time: Meet at 10:15, finish in the afternoon. If anyone wants to stay, we could go out for dinner.
Place: Meet in the main quadrangle on campus
Cost: Free!
Bring: Comfortable shoes, camera, hat, sunscreen, umbrella (if wet), money for lunch (and maybe dinner)

If you would like to sign up for this event, send your name and Access Card number (if you have one) to our email address.
Please RSVP by Thursday July 31st.

Coming Up Soon:
Week 2 - Luna Park! Lots of thrilling amusement rides!
Week 3 - AFL Football game - Sydney vs Geelong

Member Records
If you have not yet received any emails from us, we may not have your correct email address. Please email us with your correct email and name at usyd.unimates@gmail.com to let us know - we don't want you to be left out!

If you have gotten an Access Card but have not told us your Access Card number, please email this together with your name so we can record it down.

Also, if we haven't got your Student ID number, please email that to us too!

Still not a member? You can sign up with us anytime at Coffee + Cake, or even our weekend events. Membership is only $5 for a whole semester of fun, good friends and free food =P

That's all from me - see you at one of our events soon!

Yu Heng

Welcome Back!

2008-07-20T22:47:00.003+10:00

Hey everyone!

I hope you have all been enjoying a well-deserved break from university and study. As Semester 2 approaches, we've been hard at work putting together a new list of weekly events for you guys. Here is what's coming up over the next couple of weeks:

Orientation Week
For all our new students starting this semester, welcome to Sydney University! We will be making a presentation during Orientation, and we will have a table at Wentworth Building Level 4 during lunch and morning tea at the following times:

Monday 21 July - 12:30-2:00 pm
Tuesday 22 July - 10:00-10:30 am
Wednesday 23 July - 12:30-2:00 pm
Thursday 24 July - 10:00-10:45 am

Membership is only $5 for a whole semester including free Coffee and Cakes every Wednesday 11:30-12:30 during semester. Come and have a chat to us - we would love to meet and get to know you!

If you were a Unimates member last semester, you will need to sign up again for this semester. Drop by our table and say hi!

FREE Welcome BBQ

When? Friday 25 July - 12:30-2:30 pm (same week as Orientation)
Where? The BBQs behind Manning House (near the corner of Fisher Rd and Manning Rd)

Come and grab some free food! It's a great chance to meet a lot of really interesting and friendly people. Bring your friends along too - everybody is welcome!

You will also be in the running to win a Sony Walkman music player and free movie tickets!

Membership
The easiest way to sign up is at our table during Orientation, or at the Welcome BBQ.
Can't make it to both? Come to Coffee and Cakes at any time during semester and we can sign you up there! Membership is $5 for a fun and event-filled semester.

Members with ACCESS Cards will get discounts on all our events, and have twice the chance of winning a prize at our Welcome BBQ! We encourage you to get an ACCESS Card, as the Union supports us with funding for members with ACCESS Cards only.

If you have any questions at all, please email us at usyd.unimates@gmail.com - we'd love to hear from you! (for previous members - note that we have changed email address)

On behalf of the new Unimates committee, we look forward to meeting you soon!

Yu Heng

Unimates President

International Student Party

2008-07-19T22:36:00.001+10:00

Hey guys,

The Union have mentioned to us that they are organising an International Student Party for this Thursday from 6pm. It's being held at Manning Bar and looks to be a fun event - they've got a surfing competition and some prizes. Its free entry and two drinks, so if you guys feel like partying on Thursday night, you know where to go!

Also don't forget we also have our welcome BBQ on Friday!!!

Yu Heng

Unimates Farewell Dinner

2008-06-03T22:30:00.005+10:00

Hey guys!

It has been a wonderful journey throughout the semester with great members like you all by our side. Thank you very much. And as this semester reaches conclusion, so is our activities in Unimates for this semester. Hence, here we present you the details for Farewell Dinner, our final event of this semester. :)

Encasa Restaurant

423 Pitt Street Sydney

Saturday 7th of June 5:30pm

Cost $32

BYO $2.50 per bottle and $2 per person if drinking

Send an email to unimates@yahoo.com.au to confirm or let us know this week at coffee and cakes!

Menu:

A selection of tapas to share-

Sevillanas (prawns in spicy tomato)

Mejillones (black mussels in tomato sauce)

Chorizo a la Plancha (grilled Spanish sausage)

Pinchos Morunos (lamb fillet skewers marinated in Moroccan spices)

Pinchos de Pollo con Mojo (chicken fillet skewers)

Aceitunas (olives)

Patatas Bravas (fried potato with garlic mayonnaise and spicy tomato salsa)

Champiňones al Ajillo (garlic mushrooms)

Tortilla Espaňola (omelette with potato and onion)

served with garlic/plain bread and salad.

Access card members will receive $5 discount from Unimates. Therefore, it is important to let us know your AC details during the registration! The registration closed on Friday 8 PM.

Also, the seats are limited as we book a space out of the restaurant. So hurry up and sign if you do not want to miss this great opportunity to meet up with all your fellow Unimates members!

We would absolutely LOVE to see you guys there. And maybe it would be the last time for some of you who are leaving after the semester. So don't hesitate anymore, SIGN UP NOW!! :D

Unimates Lawn Bowling

2008-05-26T21:48:00.004+10:00

NOTE: the registration for Lawn Bowling is now extended to Friday night 8 PM! Hurry sign up if you are interested!!

Hi everyone!

First of all, a big big thank you for everyone who turned up for the AGM last Friday! It was a successful and great night for the club as new president is now elected! :D Find out who our club's next big thing is by attending coffee and cakes and the last two events!

So, here's the details of our second last event for the semester! LAWN BOWLING!!

Date: Saturday 31st of May
Time: 1:45p.m.
Place: Camperdown Bowling and Recreation Club Mallet St. Camperdown
Map: (www.aussieweb.com.au/map.aspx?id=1216831)

Price: $10 dollars

Bring: Flat shoes or sandals, warm clothes, sunblock, $10
Length: Bowl for two hours then head to Glebe for drinks and snacks (1:45pm-6pm)
Space is very limited! Send and email now to unimates@yahoo.com.au to register (Put "Lawn" in the subject)

General Description
Ever Tried Lawn Bowling or Bowls? Two teams compete in this popular, fun and relaxing, outdoor grass sport. You maybe able to trace
its traditional origins to the 13th century, but today "barefoot bowling" has gained popularity among Australian university students because its simple, fun and great for friends!

Join us for one of our last events, no experience or shoes necessary (your feet might get cold though)!
Meet at Camperdown Bowling and Recreation Club Mallet St. Camperdown at 1:45pm this Saturday, you will learn the rules and techniques of bowls, play,
then head together for some drinks and snacks at our home nearby in Glebe, finishing around 6pm. What is lawn bowling exactly? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowls

Space is limited - Registration Closes this Thursday at 8p.m.

Unimates Ferry Ride & Re-election Meeting

2008-05-14T18:21:00.003+10:00

(NOTE: original meeting time for Ferry Ride has been changed)

Hey guys,

Here's the details for third last event of this semester, Ferry Ride.

Meeting time: 11.40 AM
Meeting place: Circular Quay Wharf no.5

Cost: $7.70 for single ferry trip to Olympic Park (we could go back to city via train services)

General description:
We will start the event by taking a relaxing scenic ferry ride all the way from Circular Quay to Olympic Park. Then we will proceed by doing some recreational activities available, such as miniature golf, cycling or you can choose to explore the Olympic venues and surrounding parklands.

Mini golf description:
Enjoy a day outdoors on our 18 hole mini-golf course. Sydney Olympic Park Golf Centre caters for all your golfing needs in the one convenient location. Come and have a hit at one of our 60 hitting stations on the driving range, practice your putting and chipping on our short game area or have some fun on our excellent 18-hole Mini-Golf course.The centre also provides you with golf instruction from an experienced instructor, as well as clinics for all types of golfers

'Listen Live' Self-Guided Audio Tour description:
Listen Live’ is a self-guided audio tour of the Olympic venues and surrounding parklands.
The tour gives lots of interesting information about the Olympic venues, all the modern Olympic Games and this unique site that hosted the ‘Best Games Ever’.
It includes entry to the Aquatic Centre and the 17th Floor Observation Deck where you can take in breathtaking views from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Blue Mountains. You can also discover more about the historic Newington Armory and the amazing Brick Pit Ring Walk.
Visitors receive a MP3 player and map and can explore for as long as they like. The handy map has numbers relevant to each location which can be entered into the player to get information relevant to that location. Listen Live can also be combined with bike hire.

It is a relaxing event where you can take a half day rest from the hectic timetable full of assessments! This is the third last event for this semester, so come and don't miss out the opportunity to meet fellow members! :)

Registration closed on Friday 10 PM. As always, send us an email to sign up. We are looking forward to see you there.

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Re-election Meeting Next Friday

As you might have already known, the re-election meeting is on Friday (23rd May), week 11.

Starting time: 6 PM
Meeting place: Isabel Fidler room, Manning building level 2

During the meeting, we will hold an election for the new committee team for the coming semester as the title suggested. If you are interested in becoming part of the committee to contribute to the club, we strongly encourage you to take part in the meeting. And please send us an email in that regards (stating that you are interested to become part of committee) so that we could provide you all information before the meeting.

For everyone else who are not so keen, we encourage you equally strongly to attend because members are everything to the club, your vote, your voice and contribution is what keep the club going and improving. That is your right as a club member, so please use it. The club president would personally love to see everyone there!

Light servings will be provided so that no one is hungry. We could go for big dinner afterwards for celebration as well. So much the possibilities you could treat it as an event itself!

And before it is forgotten, apart from election we will also do a semester review over all events and activities held so far. That's why it's the best opportunity to voice out what you really think.

So please allow yourself to have time for Friday week 11, 6 PM. Again, we would really love to see you all there. Thanks guys! :)

Unimates NRL Game & Ferry Ride

2008-05-05T14:09:00.003+10:00

Hi guys,
as you all might have already known, this Saturday we have the exciting truly Aussie style rugby league match! And here's the details.

Meeting time: 6 PM, Saturday 10th May
Meeting place: Central station

Ticket price: $15 for members and $12 for AC members

How to register: Register along with your payment straightaway to the committee members during coffee and cakes session this Wednesday. If you cannot attend the session, please send us an email OR contact Tehrid (0448187143) to arrange alternative time for you to make the payment. Also, please note that we NEED to have your student ID in order to make the booking for the tickets (it is required to get the concession price). It will be returned on Saturday night itself when you get your ticket. So please bring your student ID when you make the payment, we sincerely hope for your understanding for the inconveniences.

The registration will be closed on Friday 12 pm.

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Ferry Ride to Parramatta/Olympic Park

The registration for ferry ride event is now opened. This is a relaxing event where we will take a nice scenic ride from Circular Quay to Olympic Park then continued with several light recreational activities throughout the day event. More of the activities details will be coming up soon. If you want to take some break from the hectic study week, this is the event for you!

If you are interested, send us an email to register soon! Registration closed at Friday, 16th of May. :)

Unimates Pub Crawl & General Meeting

2008-04-28T15:00:00.005+10:00

Hi guys!

The Pub Crawl event is on this Saturday! Here's some details.

Starting place: Circular Quay wharf 6
Starting time: 6 pm
Cost: Drinks at the pubs, so it's very much down to you, hehe! :)
Things to note: Wear appropriate clothes (ie. no thongs, shorts, singlets)
And please bring your ID for those who believe you look under aged (like Hardy).

Route: Cruise Bar - Harbour View Hotel - Docks - Cargo Bar
(Note: there's a possibility of more pub visits depending on how it goes that night, but those four are the fixed spots)

The registration is now OPEN! Please send us an email as usual to sign up for the event. The registration is closed by Friday midnight.

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Unimates General Meeting

A very important notice here to everyone of you. We are going to hold general meeting within three to four weeks' time. In the general meeting, we will hold election for the committee team that will be responsible for the next semester. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you all attend this meeting because we would really appreciate your participation in voting, and also the potential involvement in being with the committee team.

What would be in the general meeting:
- Semester review and evaluation
- Committee team election
- Suggestions, ideas and improvisations

Unimates is here because of you all. So as everyone owns this club, it would be great if you attend this meeting and participate. It's the greatest opportunity for you to have your say (complains, praises, etc)!

The confirmed date will be informed to everyone as soon as it is set. As for now, for everyone interested in contributing to the society, please send us an email and/or talk to any of the current committee members. We would love to hear from you about this!

If there's any questions, do not hesitate to send us an email and/or ask the committee members during coffee and cakes session. Thanks for paying attention, and we hope to see you soon!

Unimates Bushwalk

2008-04-25T12:23:00.004+10:00

Hi guys!

Here's the details for tomorrow's Bushwalk event.

Meeting venue: Wynyard bus stop stand A
Meeting time: 10.00 AM
Duration: Approximately 4-5 hours
Things to bring:
- Walking shoes
- A bottle of water (two or three if you drink a lot :))
- Sunblock
- Lunch and/or snacks
- Camera
- Towel and swimming gears (in case you want to swim at Manly beach)

Costs:
- Bus fee from Wynyard to Spit: $4.00 (8 sections)
- Ferry fee from Manly to Circular Quay: $6.40 single ticket ($48.10 for Manly TravelTen)

Description:

A 4 hours walk trip from The Spit to Manly. The bush walk starts from The Spit entrance, walking across many bays, beaches and beautiful sceneries throughout. There will be two resting stops, at Clontarf Beach and Dobroyd Point. Reaching Manly, we can spend some time enjoying the beach either at Manly itself or at Shelley beach. To mark the end of the whole walk, we will take a romantic ferry ride home from Manly wharf exactly around the time when the sun is setting. The whole walk is tiring but very much enjoyable, so be prepared and get the best out of the bush walking experience!

Route:

The Spit entrance – Fisher Bay – Sandy Bay – Clontarf beach – Castle Rock – Grotto Point (detour) – Crater Cove – Dobroyd Point – Reef Beach – Forty Baskets Beach – Fairlight – The Corso – Manly Beach – Shelley Beach

It is still not too late to register. You can also show up on the day if you feel like it! However, as we have a fixed planning, we will ONLY wait to a certain time period for those who have registered. And also, it will be very nice for us to hear from you pre-event.

Thanks to those who have registered, see you all tomorrow and the forecast states that it's gonna be SUNNY! :D

Unimates Bushwalk & Other Events

2008-04-15T18:17:00.003+10:00

Hi everyone,

Here's the important information about the coming events. These events' dates have been changed and they are now going to be hold at following dates.

- 26 April 2008 : Bushwalking from Spit to Manly
- 3 May 2008 : Pub Crawl
- 10 May 2008 : NRL Game
- 17 May 2008 : Ferry Ride to Parramatta & Olympic Park

That means the next event will be bushwalking! And here's the details.

Event starting time: 10 AM
Event duration: 4-5 hours
Event description:
A 4 hours walk trip from The Spit to Manly. The bush walk starts from The Spit entrance, walking across many bays, beaches and beautiful sceneries throughout. There will be two resting stops, at Clontarf Beach and Dobroyd Point. Reaching Manly, we can spend some time enjoying the beach either at Manly itself or at Shelley beach. To mark the end of the whole walk, we will take a romantic ferry ride home from Manly wharf exactly around the time when the sun is setting. The whole walk is tiring but very much enjoyable, so be prepared and get the best out of the typical Aussie bush walking experience!

Event cost: $4.00 bus fee from Wynyard to Spit and $6.40 single ferry trip from Manly to Circular Quay (Note: these are transportation costs, apart from that this is basically a free event, which therefore means that you will NOT have to pay Unimates anything)

The registration for this event is now open. If you are interested, send us an email as soon as possible. The registration is closed on Friday, 25th April.

Have a good week guys! :)

Unimates Shark Island

2008-04-07T19:10:00.002+10:00

Hi guys,

Thanks for those attending the Aboriginal Tribal Warrior Cruise event last Friday, it was a great experience and fun to have everyone around. :)

Here's the details again for the upcoming event, The Shark Island.

Date: Sunday, 13th April 2008
Meeting venue: Circular Quay Wharf 6
Meeting time: 10 AM
Duration: Approximately 5 hours
Things to bring: (all picnic necessities, such as...)
- Walking shoes
- Bottle(s) of water
- Sunblock (important!)
- Picnic towel
- Lunch and snacks
- Plastic for rubbish
- Camera
- Volleyball, soccer ball, frisbee, any kind of games you would like to play just bring them! :D

The registration is now closed. And what a big group we have, more than 40 people have signed up!

Please note that if Sunday rains, the event will be automatically postponed. And if that happens, the details will be updated on the website and also emails.

Alright then, see you all on Sunday!

Unimates Aboriginal Cruise Trip & Other Events

2008-03-27T19:48:00.006+11:00

*NOTE: There are changes in information, please check the highlighted ones

Hi guys,

Here's the details for week 4's trip.

Click on the image to have a bigger view. :)

It will be on Friday, 4th April 2008. With tentative meeting time being 11.45 AM and finish at around 3 PM. Final confirmed time will not vary much and will be posted closer to the event date.

As you might have noticed, the event actually has a slight change. Instead of going to Koori Centre, we will be making trip on the Koori cruise. There will be cost of $55 per person, and all information could be read from the attached image above. It is possibly the best way to learn more about Aboriginal people's culture, so if you are interested, register soon. It will be a fantastic experience. Deadline being Thursday, 3rd April 2008. :)

Registration is as usual, send us an email with 'Unimates Aboriginal Cruise' as the topic, then your name, AC number (if you have) and payment preference if you could not make it to the Coffee and Cakes.

Any queries, please do not hesitate to let us know. Unimates@yahoo.com.au.

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Unimates Shark Island (Week 5, Sunday 13/04/08)

And here's another event's detail.

Meeting venue: Circular Quay Train Station Warft ,No. 6 Jetty

Meeting time: 10:00 AM

Departing time:10:30 AM Sharp

Duration: Approximately 5 hours

Return time: 3:25 or 4:10pm

Things to bring:

Walking shoes
A bottle of water (two or three if you drink a lot :))
Sunblock
Tower for picnic
Lunch and/or snacks
Plastic for your rubbish
Poker
Volleyball(If you want to play volleyball there)
Camera
Frisbees

Costs:

Adult: $16, Student Concession: $14.5

Registration:

Open on Fri, 28 Mar. Close on Thu. 4 Apr.

Description:

With great views and a spectacular setting in the Sydney Harbour National Park, Shark Island is the perfect destination for a weekend picnic; large grassy areas, shady trees or a gazebo available. Enjoy a relaxing ferry trip each way and spend a few hours or the whole day on Shark Island.

Island Facilities

The island features five picnic shelters, each containing a table and attached bench, and four open air picnic tables with attached benches.
There is one gazebo on the island that can accommodate up to 30 people (this can not be booked, it is a first come, first served basis)
Drinking water and toilets are available.
There is plenty of shade and a small beach area for swimming.
There is no shop on the island all food and drink should be taken with you.

Interesting information:

Matilda's Shark Island Ferry departs daily from both Darling Harbour and Circular Quay. The island received its name because of its shape - not its wildlife! Lying just off Rose Bay, the 1.5-hectare island has spectacular views down the harbour to the Bridge and the Opera House.

Yup, so if you are interested, you can start register. :)

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Other Events

On news about other events, there could be slight changes in terms of the date of the events. The most likely changes that would take place is as follows.
1) Pub Crawl event and Bushwalk event switch date
2) NRL game being pushed back one day to Friday night of the week

They are not confirmed yet, and we will keep everyone posted when the decisions are made. We are sorry if it causes any inconveniences (as you might have planned long time before!), but there are alterations needed and therefore the changes.

Alrighty, that's it for now. Enjoy the rest of the break guys, see you all soon! :)

Blue Mountains Detail Confirmation

2008-03-21T12:16:00.002+11:00

Hi guys,

For those going to Blue Mountains tomorrow, here's the confirmed detail in case you didn't receive our email.

Meeting time: 7.30 AM
Meeting place: In front of Main Quad

If there is any question, please do not hesitate to contact us at unimates@yahoo.com.au or any of the committee responsible for this trip (Tehrid, Yuna, Hardy) if you have their contacts.

Alright then, have a great trip tomorrow and a Good Friday today! :)

Easter Break

2008-03-19T15:24:00.002+11:00

Hi guys!

Just a quick update as to what is happening with Unimates.

First, it's the Blue Mountains event this Saturday. The booking has been made, and unfortunately we have reached our maximum for the trip. Still, if any of you are really interested, please send us an email and we will put you in the waiting list. If there is any vacancy, then we could put you in. So don't give up just yet!

And for everyone who has registered, you should be receiving an email in regards to the detail for this Saturday. If you haven't, please send us an email to notify us!

As you all know, next week is our Easter break! Unimates will have no event during that period. HOWEVER, if you are interested in perhaps having some gatherings or outings, don't hesitate to tell everyone. The easiest way to discuss is to create a discussion topic under Unimates' Facebook group account. Make a good use of it. :)

For members who do not have a Facebook account, you could email us to give suggestions for Easter or maybe let us know if you are interested in activities that Unimates might hold during that week, so that we would send you an email in that regard.

Alright then, have a good week everyone! And enjoy your Easter holiday! (before the horrible assignments and exams start to ruin your semester)

PS. Coffee and cakes will continue after the Easter, don't forget to come! :D

City Tour + Featherdale & Blue Mountains

2008-03-06T21:45:00.003+11:00

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the wait, here's the details for this Saturday's City Tour. :)
Venue: Main Quadrangle entrance (Under the clock tower)
Time: 10.30 AM to approximately 4 PM
Things to bring:
- Camera (if you want to take pictures)
- Lunch (you can buy just anywhere during the tour if you do not want to bring one, don't worry)
- Sunglasses
- Sunblock, and most importantly
- Your sunny face! :)
Costs: Free. However, be prepared for transport cost because you might not want to walk all the way back to the starting point.

As it is a tour around the city, it takes some time and quite a lot of walking. You may leave the group in the middle of the tour (but we doubt you will want to do that, hehe :P). In short, be prepared for a long (and fun) day!

Please kindly send us an email with short message saying that you will attend this City Tour, as we will only wait for those registered. Thank you for your cooperation! :)

ALSO, A REMINDER FOR ALL ACCESS CARD MEMBERS, IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE YET TO TELL US YOUR ACCESS CARD NUMBER, PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL WITH THE DETAIL ON IT. WE WILL GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT!

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Featherdale Zoo & Blue Mountains

There's a news in regards to these two events. We are pleased to inform everyone that both events are combined into one! That means we will be going to both places in one day! Following are the details.

Date: Saturday, 22nd March 2008 (Week 3, and the week after is mid-semester break)
Time and venue: To be advised (it will be most likely a day tour from morning till evening)
Cost: $79* (AC members receive $7 discount, Non-AC members receive $2 discount)

*The fixed price for the trip is $79, however we could get more discounts if the group is big enough. If we do get discounts, don't worry we will give you the refund!

Thus we are opening the registration now, and if you are interested, sign up fast because there is a limited number of people (25 max) that could be included in the tour! We need the detail of number of people making the trip as part of the booking requirement and the booking has to be done at least one week before the tour, therefore the registration will open from NOW until this coming Thursday!

The payment has to be made before the tour, otherwise the registration would not be considered. You can make your payment during coffee and cakes next Wednesday. We will provide more alternatives in how you could make your payment soon, so don't worry if you couldn't attend the coffee and cakes.

That's it for now. More information will be up as soon as we have them. Hope to see you guys soon, and remember to go for the weekly coffee and cakes! :D

Unimates Welcome BBQ

2008-02-26T13:04:00.004+11:00

Hi all!

Here's our details for this Friday's (29th February 2008) Unimates Welcome BBQ!
Place: Manning Lawn (just before you reach Manning building, next to squash court)
Time: 2 pm to 5 pm

Make sure you come early to get the fullest of our fantastic Welcome BBQ! :D

Also, we are encouraging all members to get an Access Card. There are a lot of benefits for being having Access Card. Apart from discounts around the university and outside, during Unimates events as well you will get discounts!

A brief explanation of why we support Access Card. University of Sydney Union funds all the clubs and societies, including Unimates. Students having Access Card will be one of the main support for the fund that Union have, and in turn they flow into clubs. That means, if you as a member of a club has an Access Card, the club will be supported with the funding and that translates into better events and activities!

That is why we encourage everyone to get an Access Card, because at the end of the day it will be worthy and beneficial for your university experience. :)

What's more, Unimates are having a lucky draw and Access Card members get the privilege!

On Welcome BBQ, there will be one iPod Shuffle and 4 movie tickets to be won! All members attending the event are eligible for winning the movie tickets, and ONLY Access Card members will be on contention for the iPod! That means by having an Access Card you stand bigger chance to win the prizes!

If you have an Access Card, send us an email to unimates@yahoo.com.au with your name and AC number. Simple as that.

Also, if there's any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by sending an email. We look forward to see you all at O-Week and also the Welcome BBQ! :D

Welcome to Unimates 2008!

2008-02-20T20:09:00.002+11:00

Hi everyone!

A big welcome and hope you all have been enjoying your time thus far! :D Finally after a long summer holiday, Unimates is ready to kick off again!

We will be setting up a stall during the international students' orientation week, starting Monday (18th of February 08) until Thursday (21st February 08). If miss out this orientation week, do not worry, because we will be in the O-Week as well! The O-Week starts from 27th to 29th of February, so come and find us!

Then, on 29th itself, we will be holding our Welcome BBQ! The time and venue will be advised soon, so don't forget to check out our website regularly. Any updates will be sent to your emails as well for all the new members.

Alrighty, that's it for now. We are looking forward to see you guys soon. Have a fantastic time! :)

Unimates Farewell Dinner

2007-10-18T12:19:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone, here's the details of our final event this semester, the Farewell Dinner.

Day/Time: Friday (26th October 2007), 6 pm
Location: Star City, Garden Buffet Restaurant
Prices:
- Adult: $32.90
- Member (Total Star Rewards Membership): $27.90
* Access Card member receives $5 discount from Unimates

Please note that the Total Star Rewards Membership is FREE. So, become a member first would save you $5 from the dinner. Bring your photo ID (passport preferred), in Star City it is essential. Further informations (eg., meeting point) will be notified through confirmation emails after members have signed up.

For Access Card holders, you will get $5 discount from Unimates. However, we require AC members to pay beforehand, that is to pay before the Farewell Dinner itself. So make your payment during coffee & cakes or anytime before that (contact us if you can't make it to coffee & cakes). You will pay $27.90 and provide us the AC number if you haven't. On the night of the dinner, all AC members will then be refunded $5 if you only pay the member price for the buffet. If you need any further clarification, send us an email to enquire. :)

For everyone else, the payment can be done straight at the restaurant on the night.

We encourage members to attend this Farewell Dinner as this is our last event and last opportunity to catch up with other members, especially to those members who are leaving us at the end of this semester. It is going to be a lot of fun, unlimited food (buffet :D), and fantastic atmosphere. So join the dinner by sending us an email (unimates@yahoo.com.au) to confirm your attendance!

Also, don't forget that next Wednesday is our last coffee & cakes session. Come as we will have great cakes specially for that day.

Hope to see you all soon!

Unimates AGM

2007-10-16T17:52:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone!

It has been some time after our last event. Before we go into our Farewell Dinner event, we are holding the Annual General Meeting this week. Here's the details.

Time: Friday (19/10/2007), 5.00 pm
Meeting place: Outside Fisher Library

What we are going to do during the meeting will be discussion and evaluation on the club's performances throughout the semester. Also, as our current committee team will be vacated by several of our committee members at the end of this semester, we will be looking for candidates to fill the places.

We encourage everyone to come if you have anything you want to suggest, criticise or even interested in becoming part of the committee team. Send us an email to let us know your attendance, as we might go somewhere else for the AGM. Fisher Library is just the meeting point.

Thanks everyone, we are looking forward to see you this Friday. :)

PS. For anyone who is interested in becoming part of the committee yet might not be able to attend the AGM, let us know about that and we will put you under consideration and send you details regarding results of the meeting.

Coogee-Bondi Walk & Picnic (6th October 2007)

2007-10-02T13:48:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a great semester break. This is the details of this Saturday's Coogee-Bondi Walk and Picnic event.

Meeting point: Bus stop opposite Wentworth building along City Rd (in University)
Meeting time: 10.30 AM
Things to bring:
- Sunscreen
- Hat, sunglasses
- Water
- Light lunch
- Camera
- Anything necessary for walking under the sun and enjoying the beach
Cost: Transport trips, to Coogee and back from Bondi. (exact fees will be advised later)

The trip will start from Coogee beach. We will walk all the way to Bondi before settling down and have the picnic. So don't bring too much things as well, otherwise it will be a very long walk (unless you are very strong!). After the picnic, whoever interested can also go to Bondi Junction to explore around before going back.

NOTE that this is our last outing event of this semester before the Farewell Dinner. So if you have time, we encourage you to come and join this event.

To sign up, just send an email to us as usual. If you want to go to Coogee by yourself, or any other complications, just let us know. We will only wait for those who sign up, as well as giving the contact number of the day.

That's it from us, hope to see you all. :)

Hunter Valley

2007-09-17T19:19:00.000+10:00

Update: We are sorry to announce that the number of people going to Hunter Valley has reached maximum since yesterday (Wednesday), so there's NO MORE SEATS AVAILABLE. Thanks everyone for the interest! Hope to see you all in the next event.

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a great weekend. Here's the detail for this week's anticipated big event, Hunter Valley trip.

Price: $80 per person
Date: Sunday, 23rd September 2007
Include: all wine tasting (up to 5 wineries), cheese tasting, chocolate tasting, boomerang throwing (weather permitting), expert guides and all sightseeing!

We are sorry to push the day to Sunday because the Saturday tours are fully booked. The day tour will start in the morning at 7.45 am in YHA Central and finishes at approximately 6 pm. The price will include lunch, and the sceneries will be nice, so the trip will be a really good one.

The due date for signing up will be this Wednesday. The payment should be made on Wednesday itself, so if you can come to coffee and cakes, that would be great. In any case if you can't go to coffee and cakes but wants to go to the trip, please send an email to unimates@yahoo.com.au stating when you can possibly meet us and pay at the time given below.

Tuesday: 11-12 pm, 2-3 pm, 4-5 pm (find Hardy)
Wednesday: 10-3 pm, and 4-6 pm onwards (find Hardy)
Location: Wentworth food court lower level around Smart Eats

If still can't find time, try pass your friend the money and ask them to give any of the Unimates committee members (Hardy, Berkay, Yuna, Catharina, Tehrid) instead. The best way is to find Hardy at those assigned time.

Please make up your mind soon as we really need to book at latest this Wednesday and we only have MAXIMUM 18 SEATS AVAILABLE. So if the numbers are up, you could miss the tour. On the other hand, if we do not have at least 15 people, we could cancel the trip as the cost for the tour comes in a package.

As mentioned earlier, the tour is popular and we could miss out the booking if we do not make it soon. Thus Wednesday is the deadline and hope you all can understand for the rush. If you are really interested, sign up soon. Thanks for this everyone.

Unimates Bush Walking

2007-09-11T17:06:00.000+10:00

Are you up for some Bush Walking on Saturday? We are going to do the Manly Scenic Walk which is a 4 hour bush walk from Spit to Manly. It’s an awesome scenery so you shouldn’t miss out!

Here are the details:
Meeting time: Saturday, September 15, 10.30 am
Meeting point: bus stop at Wynyard Stand A
Costs: you should bring some money for transportation (bus to Spit, ferry from Manly to Circular Quay)
What else to bring: water bottle, walking shoes (thongs are not recommended!), sun screen, snacks for the way, towel for Manly beach, photo camera, lots of fun

Register with your Name, Access Card number and email address by posting a comment online or sending an email to unimates@yahoo.com.au! We will probably send you a contact phone number by email!

Postponement of Bush Walking

2007-09-06T20:50:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone,

As earlier mentioned regarding the possibility of postponing the Bush Walking event, we have come to the conclusion that it is going to be postponed to NEXT SATURDAY (15/09/07).

We will post up more details regarding Bush Walking event gradually to let everyone know what it is going to be. For those who have signed up, we sincerely apologise if the postponement of the event causes any inconveniences.

Hope everyone can enjoy this long weekend. See you all later. :)

Bush Walk Update

2007-09-05T18:32:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone, the final detail of the Bush Walk event will be posted up very soon. (Tomorrow latest) Sorry for this delay.

As the recent weather doesn't look good with rain forecasted on this Saturday, we could postpone the Bush Walk event to next week (since we do not have any event next week). Also, APEC will cause some changes to the transport around City, so we might have to really reconsider.

Anyway, we will give confirmation regarding that by Friday evening latest. Check back this site and also your emails to stay informed.

Also, it came to our attention that some members still don't receive newsletters. We have been sending them regularly every week, therefore if you did not receive any emails from us, please send us an email to let us know about your correct email address. We might have got the addresses wrong, we hope you all can understand.

Alright, keep checking back for the updates. Have a nice day everyone.

Bowling & Star City

2007-08-29T19:48:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone!

So here's the details for the highly anticipated Bowling & Star City.

Meeting place: Railway Square Stand A (Also known as Central bus stop)
Meeting time: 3.30 pm
Costs:
- Bowling: $22.00 per person 2 games, shoe hire and burger and beverage OR $19.50 per person 2 games and shoe hire (with further 20% off using coupons). You can decide which one you like on the day
- Transport: Single bus trip to Randwick is $2.90 (or equivalent to one travel ten brown trip) AND, to go to Star City, the Light Rail return ticket will cost $5.50

There is the option of going the whole trip, Bowling then Star City, OR you can just go to either of the two parts. For Star City only, the meeting point will probably be around 7 or 8 pm. To be sure, contact the committee in charge of the day, which the contact number will be given through notification email to those who signs up.

To sign up, just send us an email to unimates@yahoo.com.au with subject 'Bowling & Star City'. Include your names and access card numbers if you have. For those who want to go to Star City ONLY, please indicate about that in your email. The deadline for signing up is Friday, 31st of August, 8 pm.

It will be a great fun. See you guys there!

Upcoming Events

2007-08-24T11:44:00.000+10:00

1) Bowling & Star City
Join us for Bowling and Star City on Saturday, September 1st. We will find out who’s the pin king/queen and afterwards explore and who wants gamble at Sydney's famous Casino!
An update about prices, meeting time& point you will find here soon!

2) Bush Walking
Are you ready for a bush adventure? Join us on our bush walk for beginners from Spit to Manly on Saturday, September 8!

3) Hunter Valley
Join us for our trip to the Hunter Valley on Saturday, September 22. We will taste lots of different wines and cheese and explore the beautiful surroundings.

Pay attention: the dates for Bush Walking and Hunter Valley have changed!
See you soon!

Ice Skating

2007-08-22T19:29:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone, sorry for the late update.

Here are the details for the ice skating event this coming saturday:

Date: 25th August 2007 (Sat)
Meeting time: 9:45am
Meeting venue: Bus stop outside Queen Victoria Building (opposite Hilton Hotel)
Destination: Macquarie Ice Rink (inside Macquarie shopping centre)

Price per person: $17 including skate hire, excluding transport. So prepare your own Travel Ten or some cash for the bus trip. Won't be more than equivalent one travel ten brown trip.

Also note:
1. The bus leave from the bus stop at QVB at 10:10am. Everyone should be punctual as we cannot afford to wait for late-comers.
2. Everyone MUST bring exact change of $17 and their student ID.
3. You might also want to bring a pair of gloves (if you have) and thicker jacket as it might be quite cold in there especially if you fall and touch the ice.

Additional Information:

Information to those who wants to go straight to the ice rink:
Meet outside Macquarie Ice Rink at 11:15am.

Information for those who are late:
Take bus 288 from QVB bus stop C and alight at Macquarie centre stand 4 (which is around opposite Macquarie University). Thereafter, walk to Macquarie shopping centre (around 32 metres).

To sign up, send us an email. We will wait for those who signed up, and the contact number of the day will provided ONLY to the signees.

Also, we apologize to members who have signed up on last week's event, Featherdale Zoo, yet did not receive further email from us. We don't have some of the members' email address in our database, so if you did not sign up through email, or have not been receiving any email from us, please let us know your email addresses to unimates@yahoo.com.au.

If there's any feedbacks or comments you want to tell us, do let us know through email, we will be happy to respond. Thanks everyone, see you this Saturday. :)

Featherdale Zoo

2007-08-15T20:18:00.000+10:00

Join us for another amazing event: Do you want to get close to Australian wildlife, cuddle a koala or hand feed kangaroos, wallabies and emus? Then this is the right spot for you to go! The Featherdale Wildlife Park is about 45 minutes by train outside of Sydney! To find out more about them visit there website on http://www.featherdale.com.au/aboutus/!

Meeting time: Saturday, August 18, 9:45 am
Meeting Point: inside Central station, in front of Hungry Jack's
Costs:
Access card member: $14, Non-access card member - $15.50, (PLEASE BRING STUDENT ID)
Public transport: Train return ticket from Central to Blacktown $8.80 ($4.40 for concession) and bus from Blacktown to zoo $1.70 per trip (so $3.40 return)

We realise that there are some coupons that could be used for getting discounted price. If you have any, please bring and use them to save your ticket cost. Payment will be made on the day.

Please sign up by sending an email with your name, access card number, email address and phone number or post a comment here. The deadline for registration is Friday, 17th August 2007. The contact number on the day will only be provided to those who sign up. Please be ON TIME, as we have to catch certain train that departs on specific times, therefore can't afford to wait too long.

And for those who want to go by themselves, you are very welcome to join us as well, as long as you can find our group on the day.

See you on Saturday!

Unimates Side Activities + Committee Team Information

2007-08-08T23:24:00.000+10:00

Hi guys, hope you have been having a good time so far.

Today at the coffee and cakes, some members mentioned about holding sports activities such as soccer game some time during the week. I believe it's a good idea, and if there is enough enthusiasm and participations, we can hold them maybe regularly. For further discussion regarding that, please go unimatespres.blogspot.com (Hardy's personal Unimates site) and comment on the post I make for that. Everyone who is interested can go and express your opinions as well.

Also, as I have mentioned during Welcome Dinner, we are open to members with interest to become part of the committee team of Unimates. The executive committee board changes regularly, therefore new committee members are needed to takeover the responsibilities within the club in the future. And thus our intention to form a group of committee members now. What will happen is that we will inform the team as to when we might need to work together on certain events and get members familiarise themselves with how the club works.

So, for members who are interested, you can register your interest by sending us an email with subject 'Unimates Committee Team'.

That's it for now. For those who are going to the AFL game this Saturday, have a great time. And those who are interested with Featherdale Zoo event next Saturday, can start signing up with us now. The prices will be $15.50 for non access card members and $14 for access card members. More details will be posted later. Keep checking back. :)

AFL with Unimates

2007-08-04T14:44:00.000+10:00

AFL with Unimates

Cheer for the Sydney Swans when they play St.Kilda on Saturday, August 11 at the Telstra Stadium at the Olympic Parc! Don’t miss out on this typical Aussie sports!!!

Date: Saturday, 11 August (match starts 7pm)
Costs: $10 Access Card members, $12 Non-Access Card members,
$15 Non- members
Meeting point: Redfern Station (exit in direction USYD), 5:20 pm (only for those who have registered and paid their ticket!) Please be on time!

Registration closed!

Welcome Dinner

2007-08-01T21:56:00.000+10:00

Hi guys, sorry for the wait, here's the finalised details of the Welcome Dinner.

When: Friday, 3rd August 2007 (Starts at 6 pm, ends at 8 pm)
Where: Quad (Main Quadrangle) McRae room 418
How to get there?

Go through the main gate of the Main Quadrangle, turn left. You will spot the Jacaranda Tree. You don't need to know which one is Jacaranda, because there's only one corner inside Main Quadrangle that has tree, so that's the one. Behind the tree, you will immediately see a corner with a room where you can go upstairs. Go up the stairs, the first room on your left is McRae!

It's not that hard to find the room. And there will be Unimates people standing around there, which makes life easier as you can't possibly miss us!

Thank you all for coming! We hope you had a good time!

Unimates City Tour

2007-07-26T12:43:00.000+10:00

Join us on our city tour this Saturday and get to know more about Sydney. We meet at Circular Quay and will see some of Sydney’s major attractions. We will take you to good photo spots to take great pictures of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Depending on the time and our mood we will end the tour either in the Rocks or Darling Harbour where you can join us for some drinks.
Don’t forget to bring your photo camera! You should maybe also bring a bottle of water as we will do a fairly bit of walking and some money for drinks or snacks, bus fares, etc.

Time: Saturday, July 28, 1:45 pm
Location: Circular Quay, in front of McDonalds

Unimates Welcome Dinner

2007-07-25T16:03:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone, nice to see many of you coming to the coffee and cakes. It's been a great pleasure. Hope to see you again in oncoming weeks.

The Unimates Welcome Dinner will be on Friday, 3rd August. Please pay attention, we had to change the date due to some complication and the unavailability of committee and many members.

Join us for our mix&mingle welcome evening and get to know lots of new people, enjoy the food and win prices at some of our games. Don’t miss out on this fun event!

Date: Friday, August 3 (Attention: date has changed!), at around 6pm
Venue: TBA – check here for the latest details!

Costs: $2 – Access Card Holders, $5 Unimates members (Non-Access Card), $10 Non-Members
Sign up until Wednesday, 1st August by posting a comment here or writing an email to unimates@yahoo.com.au with your full name, whether you are vegetarian or not and your Access Card ID if you have one. Registration is necessary as we need to order the food for the dinner and the venue has only limited capacity. Registration will only be confirmed when you pay the money as it is very costly for us if members sign up but don't show up at the event. We hope you all can understand that. You can pay at the City Tour on Saturday or during the Coffee&Cakes session. If you can't make it at those times, please contact us and we will make arrangement to meet you.

Access Card

2007-07-23T17:49:00.000+10:00

Hi all,

As many of you may have already known from the presentation during orientation, Access Card has its benefits in the events that we hold, where Access Card members will receive discounts. For the club, it is important for us to report Access Card details of members to the University of Sydney Union, as they will only fund our activities if we have members with Access Card. Therefore, we hope all of the members that have the Access Card please post a comment under this entry OR send us an email with your name and Access Card ID number as soon as possible.

We understand that not all members have the Access Card, and the option to have one is purely your choice. You don't need AC to join us, but if you have it, please let us know. It is for the continuity of the club, so we really appreciate your help.

Post Welcome BBQ & Welcome Dinner Competition

2007-07-21T14:13:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a good time yesterday during the BBQ.

Overall, the BBQ was a success, and we were blessed with a perfectly fine weather after the scare of pre-BBQ rain. We are very glad that more than 20 new members signed up yesterday and many turned up on the event. A special thanks to our volunteer from ISSU, Bec, for joining us and was a big help in BBQ-ing the food for all of us when the committee members were busy. Also to our new member John, who did the same in helping us preparing the food. They were fantastic and we hope to see them more often in the future.

And a big thank you for all members who attended the event, we sincerely hope all of you had a great evening and looking forward to see you in coffee and cakes or during the events.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Welcome Dinner Competition

As some of you may already heard it during the BBQ yesterday, we are going to hold the Welcome Dinner Competition. It's a group competition, and the details are as follows.

- Form a team of 3-4 people
- Make a short presentation of anything within 5-10 minutes
- Only the first 5 teams that register with us will be entered into the competition, so hurry!
- The prize will be shopping voucher with total value worth up to AUD$100 for the winning group
- To register, send an email of your group details (names) to unimates@yahoo.com.au
- Competition topic: Sydney Experience

Just to give you all a bit more idea of the competition, the presentation can be anything and not necessarily the kind of PowerPoint presentation (although you can still use it if you want). It can be a performance (such as making up a song about Sydney), a slideshow of funny pictures, or just a short clip of what you find interesting, unusual, fun or different in Sydney that makes you feel surprised. Thus, use the chance in event such as City Tour to talk with your group and maybe think of what you will want to do to join the fun!

This competition is meant for all of us to share our experience so far in Sydney with everyone. So take it as something fun and no pressure. Think of whatever form of presentation your group want to make as long as it can fully express what you want to share with the fellow Unimates members at the Welcome Dinner.

The groups that will take part in the competition are going to be notified and provided with further information. The registration will open until 29th of July, or the day after City Tour. Keep checking back this site for next Saturday's City Tour. Until then, have a nice weekend!

Welcome BBQ (20/07/07)

2007-07-19T19:06:00.001+10:00

Here's the finalised details on Welcome BBQ.
Venue: Maze Lawn
Time: 2 - 5 pm
Things to bring: Camera, umbrella, Unimates membership card
The weather forecast is still shower for tomorrow, so bring umbrella just in case. Camera to snap pictures and you might find it useful later. And your membership card to keep us in check. I realised some members forgotten their cards when signing up. Please come to the BBQ and let us know and you can get yours back. :)

Unimates committee will be wearing black Unimates shirt. And some of the volunteers from ISSU will also be helping us. So if you see a group of black and green shirt people standing around a field, that should be us.

And here's some extra information to all of you. Our coffee and cakes session is on every Wednesday, 11.30 to 12.30 pm. The time on the banner of this blog is wrong, we haven't change it, and we apologize for causing some confusion. And when you see the link 'Contact Us' on the right hand column, don't use that. Our email is unimates@yahoo.com.au. Once again, sorry for causing the confusion because we are yet to change them. Our dear marketing committee, who is the person-in-charge of this site, was away so we couldn't do anything. We will correct them very soon.

Also, I have created a personal page where we can be more interactive in unimatespres.blogspot.com. The fix list of the events, FAQs and polls will be there. I will personally share my experience on the events throughout the semester, and put up anything you want to share with everyone too.

Lastly, thanks for joining us during the orientation. We are very happy to see you all signing up at our stall. We believe it's gonna be a lot of fun this semester. Hope to see everyone at the BBQ tomorrow!

Info on Welcome BBQ

2007-07-17T20:37:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone!

As promised, here is the map of Maze Lawn, the venue where the Welcome BBQ will be hold.

The Maze Lawn is basically the big green field outside of Biochemistry building (where the Daily Arrival sessions are hold). Shouldn't be too difficult to find as long as you walk around the area from Co-op Bookshop to Wentworth building. On Friday during the Welcome BBQ, the committee will be wearing black Unimates t-shirts, so if you see us, that's the place!

Just to confirm with you all once again,

Venue: Maze Lawn

Time: 2 - 5 pm

As the time for the BBQ is limited to 3 hours, we hope all of you try not to be late, so not to miss out on anything. Do bring your Unimates card along, we might need to record the attendance. Also, there is a possibility of shower on Friday according to the forecast. We hope the forecast is wrong and it will be a nice sunny day. We will keep monitoring the situation and post any updates regarding the BBQ here. Worse come to worse, we will have an under-umbrella BBQ. (hope not!)

Alright, that's it for the Welcome BBQ information. If there's any questions, please send us an email to unimates@yahoo.com.au.

Unimates on New Semester

2007-07-11T16:59:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone!

Before we start, I want to thank the previous committee team (Mario, Han, Hin, Carina) for doing a great job in providing us the best possible under Unimates experience last semester. It has been wonderful, and I believe all of us are feeling the same. :)

In this coming semester, we will keep the tradition of Unimates by providing a long list of events for us to gather and have fun around Sydney. The details will be posted in the next entry. We welcome the new members and also would love to see previous members joining us again by extending the membership. And so, here's how you can register with us this semester.

@ Orientation (16th July - 19th July)
As usual, Unimates stall will be at Wentworth building level 4 during the orientation period. You just need to pop up and sign up. Here's the time that we will be on the stall.
Monday: 12.30 - 2.00
Tuesday: 10.00 - 10.30
Wednesday: 12.30 - 1.45
Thursday: 10.00 - 10.45

@ Welcome BBQ (20th July)
Welcome BBQ will be on Friday, the day after the orientation program finishes. During then, you can also pop up and sign up and join the BBQ straightaway. Here's the detail.
Venue: Maze Lawn (Lawn outside Biochemistry building, the pathway from Co-op Bookshop to Wentworth building)
Time: 2 pm

@ Weekly Coffee and Cakes (starting 25th July)
If you missed the orientation and Welcome BBQ, you can still come to weekly coffee and cakes sessions on every Wednesday to sign up with us.
Venue: ISSU Lawn (the lawn behind the ISSU, around carpark)
Time: Every Wednesday, 11.30 - 12.30 pm

Although we provide many options to sign up, we encourage everyone to join us as early as possible so that you won't miss our events. Also, the Welcome BBQ will be catered for a number of members that have signed and expected during the orientation. Therefore, we advise everyone to not leave everything until Welcome BBQ so that we could arrange properly.

Lastly, our new email is unimates@yahoo.com.au. I apologize if it causes any inconvenience. Do contact us there if you have any questions about Unimates. And most importantly, check our website often by either putting us in Favourite or Bookmark. By checking our website, you won't miss a thing!

Regards,
Unimates

New Exco Unimates Committee Members

2007-06-11T17:26:00.000+10:00

Dear existing and future Unimate members,

Here are the new exco members of Unimates for Semester 2, 2007 and so on:

Exco Members
President: Hardy
Vice-President: Berkay
Secretary: Yunna
Treasurer: Tahrid
Marketing: Catharina

For info or details about joining the club, email unimates-soc@usyd.edu.au.

We hope everyone have a wonderful winter break and good luck to those who have final exams!

We have enjoyed knowing you all and it has been such a great experience to be parts of Unimates.

Take care,
Current Exco Members of Unimates

Farewell Dinner on the 8th of June (Friday)

2007-06-07T13:39:00.000+10:00

Dear all,

1. Thanks for registering with us for the Farewell Dinner, we've deleted the comments for spamming reasons.

2. We've booked the place for 31 members who have registered for the dinner. Only these registered members will get sponsored! For those who have registered, you will get an email or a text message from us.

3. We'll be meeting at 6.15pm at BaiaShop, 114 Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Park, NSW 2000. Please see http://www.sanmarco.com.au/2.html for information.

ONCE AGAIN, MEETING TIME IS 6:15PM!

4. You can choose an a la carte menu (they are usually between $15 and $30), Unimates pays the first $15. Please bring cash. NO CREDIT CARD ACCEPTED.

5. Please come in time. The dinner is served at 6:30pm sharp.

Cheers,
Unimates

The Rocks Ghost Tours

2007-05-18T10:59:00.000+10:00

Come out and enjoy some gruesome horrific stories in the Rocks.

Join us for the 2nd last Unimates event on Saturday 26th. We will do a journey through haunted houses in the Rocks, where shadows creep through narrow alleyways and courtyards. The trip is organised by http://www.ghosttours.com.au, check it out!

Ghost Tour in the Rocks
Meeting Places: Bus Station Wentworth Building, Sydney Uni, 5.45pm OR Orient Hotel, 110 George Street, 6.15pm.
Duration: ~ 2.5 hours
Things to Bring: Camera, Money for transport if you meet at Uni ($2.90)
Costs: $25 for members, $30 for non-members
(ALL MONEY MUST BE RECEIVED BY 23TH OF MAY, WEDNESDAY)

How to register and pay?
~ Come to Coffee/Tea & Cakes session this Wednesday at 11.00am-12.00pm with your money OR
~ Meet with Mario on Monday 9.00-10.00am International Office and Wednesday 12.00-1.30pm International Office
~ Meet with Han on Monday 4.00-5.00pm and Tuesday 3.00-4.00pm both at Lobby of Education Building OR
~ Meet with Hardy on Tuesday, 10.00-12.00pm Wentworth, Food-Court (Uni-Brothers)
~ Meet with Berkay on Tuesday at Carslaw Entrance, 11.00-1.00pm

Committee Meeting on 17th of May

2007-05-11T11:48:00.000+10:00

Dear all,

We are gonna have a meeting next Thursday, 17th of May. All Unimates members are welcome to attend.

Committee Meeting
Meeting place: Front entrance of Fisher Library
Meeting Time: 4:00pm

For those who have signed up to be committee members, please try to make it to the meeting. For those who are interested but not yet a committee member, feel free to attend.

We hope to see you all.

Blue Mountain Meeting place!

2007-05-09T17:51:00.000+10:00

Please see the MAP above for the meeting place (circled one) for the Blue Mountain Day Trip on the 12th of May, Saturday.

Blue Mountain Day Trip

Meeting Place: Central Station, 804 George Street

Meeting Time: 7:20am

Please be ON TIME or you will MISS the van!!

NOTE: Money is NOT refundable.

Sydney Olympic Park on 5th of May, Saturday

2007-04-30T22:00:00.000+10:00

Come out and enjoy the wonderful weather at Syndey Olympic Park this Saturday, the 5th of May!

Sydney Olympic Park (free and easy trip)
Meeting Place: Central Station (Ticketing counter)
Meeting Time: 11:00am, 5th of May
Duration: ~ 5 hours (you can stay longer or leave earlier, no hard pressure)
Things to Bring: Money for food and other expenses, good walking shoes, water, light jacket, suncream, sun glasses, hat, umbrella, lunch box if you like, swim suit, etc.
Costs: $9.80 ($4.90 X 2) by train (Central--Olympic Park--Central) plus others depending on your interests of that day.

FYI: There is a swimming pool at the park for those who feel like to swim. It costs about $6.00. So bring your swim suit!

Also, If you wanna check out the Telstra Stadium, it costs about $30 to visit.

We can go for sightseeing and have lunch there. Alternatively, there are many activities that you can do there on that day. So it will be a free and easy trip i.e. you can choose to take up any activity whilst you are there depending on what interests you (and how much you are willing to spend).

You can check out these activities at the website in the following address:
http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/Visiting/Whats_on/today_and_this_week

Here are two (free) things we would especially recommend (only if you like and it depends on the people going to this park):
1. Brickpit Walk
http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/Visiting/venues_and_parks/brickpit_ring_walk
2. Mangrove Tree Board Walk
http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/6424/bicentennial_park_map_2005.pdf

Please register by posting a comment here with your name and email address.

We hope to see you there!

NOTE: Don't forget to sign up for the Blue Mountain. See more details below.

Blue Mountain Day Trip on 12th of May (Saturday)

2007-04-29T18:47:00.000+10:00

Come and explore one of the Australia's best kept secrets! Blue Mountain is only ~ 1 hour drive away from Sydney!

Blue Mountain Day Trip
Meeting Place: Central Station, 804 George Street
Meeting Time: 7:20am, 12th of May
Trip Duration: until ~ 7:00pm
Things to Wear/Bring: Walking shoes (no sandals), warm clothes, light jacket in case of cold weather, camera, water, umbrella, day pack and a sense of adventure

Costs: $70 for Unimates members and $80 for non-Unimates members (ALL MONEY MUST BE RECEIVED BY 6TH OF MAY, SUNDAY)

The trip includes:
~ Transport to and from the Mountains
~ A guided 2-3hr Eco-walk to Wentworth falls, look out points and surrounding vegetation
~ Board the Scenic Railway, the steepest railway in the world with views of the Three Sisters
~ A feast on a Nutritious Lunch

How to register and pay?
~ Come to Coffee/Tea & Cakes session this Wednesday at 11.00am-12.00pm with your money OR
~ Meet with Mario on Wednesday 5.30-6.00pm at Carslaw Building and Thursday, 5.30-6.00pm in front SIT OR
~ Meet with Han on Monday 4.00-5.00pm and Tuesday 3.00-4.00pm both at Lobby of Education Building OR
~ Meet with Hin on Thursday 5.00-5:30pm at Wilkinson Building

(WE WILL BE WEARING A UNIMATES T-SHIRT)

Pub Crawl This Friday Evening (27th of April, 8pm)

2007-04-25T18:54:00.000+10:00

What is Pub Crawl?
It simply means going to a few pubs/bars one by one in a night but you don't have to drink.

What to do for Pub Crawl?
You can either hang out as late as you want or you can leave anytime when you feel like it. All you need to do is to relax and to meet new friends. No pressure at all.

Pub Crawl
Meeting Place: McDonald (outside) at Circular Quay
Meeting Time: 8pm
Things to Bring: money, light jacket if you feel cold, appropriate shoes, passport or photo ID with age identification in English, umbrella in case of rain, etc.

NOTE: Some pubs DO NOT allow walk-in customers with open shoes like thongs, sandals, flip-flops, etc. So, wear appropriate shoes.

Please register by posting a comment here with your name, email address, and student ID. We will send the registered people another email for phone number.

We hope to see you there and enjoy the evening with us. Thankssss.

Happy Anzac Day!

2007-04-23T22:43:00.000+10:00

We won't have a Coffee/Tea & Cakes session this Wednesday. We hope everyone has a wonderful Anzac Day!

NOTE: For those who are interested in going to Blue Mountain (day trip), please check the blogs in the next few days for details.

Bush Walking and Manly Beach this Saturday (21th of April)

2007-04-23T22:39:00.000+10:00

There are two activities this Saturday, the 21th of April. One is for Bush Walking and the other is for Manly Beach. You can either come to one or both activities. Please see below for details.

The Bush Walking
Meeting Place: Wynyard Station, Stand C
Meeting Time: 11:00am
Duration: around 4-hour easy walk from "The Spit" to Manly.
Things to Bring: suncream, good walking shoes, drinks, sunglasses, hat, umbella, money for food.
Costs: From $3.90 for the bus (or red travelten) + $6.40 for the ferry back to Circular Quay

The Manly Beach
Meeting Place: Manly Beach
Meeting Time: 4:00pm
Things to Bring: suncream, swim suits, drinks, hat, sunglasses, money for food, umbella, etc.
Costs: For return ferry, it is $12.8 (Circular Quay-Manly-Circular Quay).

Please visit http://www.131500.info/realtime/default.asp for ways to get around Sydney via public transportations.

Please register by posting a comment here with your name, mobile phone number, and which activity you like to go (one or the other or both).

We hope to see you there.

NOTE: The Coffee/Tea & Cake session is back. Please come and join us on Wednesdays at 11am at the lawn behind ISSU. We hope everyone had a wonderful time and enjoyed the break!

Female Volunteer needed for FREE MAKE-UP Practise

2007-04-09T13:46:00.000+10:00

One of the international students at Uni Sydney, Brittany, will be doing a make-up course and she is looking for volunteer models (female) who would like to get a free make-up.

The course runs for 6 weeks on Saturdays (starting from 21th of April) and she needs volunteers for each Saturday, from 1.30 - 4.00 pm. The course is held at 88 Shepherd Street, Chippendale.

She is happy to have different volunteers each week, or to have the same volunteers come more than once.

Brittany can be contacted by anyone who is interested in volunteering on 0413 835 932 or by email on clim0523@mail.usyd.edu.au.

NOTE: This blog does not discriminate against guys. It is just the host's preference. Unimates holds no discrimination in any kind. :-)

Happy Holidays and Happy Easter !

2007-04-04T23:39:00.000+10:00

Happy Holidays and Happy Easter to everyone!

If you are planning on going on a tour or taking a trip to somewhere during the break, we strongly recommend that you collect and use your 5% VIP card issued by Student Flights. Why spend more if you can save!

For those who are gonna stay in Sydney during the break, we are encouraging you to go to Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour. It is one of the most popular attractions you may like to go. If you buy the ticket online, you will receive 10% discount. The normal price for students is $19.00 but $17.10 if you do it online. For more details, go to http://www.sydneyaquarium.com.au/ .

We will see you after the break. Hope you all enjoy the holidays!

NOTE: there is no Coffee/Tea & Cakes on the 11th of April

Update Your Details ASAP!

2007-03-27T23:03:00.000+10:00

== For those who did not receive the email from us and/or those who have not entered your details to the link below, please do so as soon as possible ==

Hi all,

Just to inform you that we need you to update your details because we face some difficulties in capturing all your data. We need the info soon as we need to register all members' names and details to Sydney Uni Union so that we continue to get some funding for our activities. It means you will receive more discounts as a Unimates member!

The URL for you to update your particulars is : http://www.carmari.ch/unimates

Thank you for your cooperation!

Collection of your 5% off VIP Card issued by Student Flights

2007-03-27T00:24:00.000+10:00

If you have not got your 5% off VIP Card issued by Student Flights, you can collect it from us ONLY during the Coffee/Tea & Cakes sessions on Wednesdays 11am to 12pm.

To get your VIP Card, you MUST show your Unimates Card to us!

For your info, this VIP card can be used ONLY at the Student Flights agency in Broadway. With this VIP card, you will receive 5% discounts if you book the tours or buy tickets including domestic and maybe international flights thru this agency. This VIP card is valid until December 31, 2007.

Committee Sign-up Sheet

2007-03-25T12:38:00.000+10:00

If you are interested in becoming a committee member of Unimates, please reply here by posting a comment with your name, student ID, email address, and access card ID.

Things you MAY need to do this semester after becoming a committee member:
--- participate in activities
--- organize and plan the events
--- attend the meetings
--- understand how executive committee members run the club
--- evaluate mistakes
--- become the next executive committee members next semester
--- and more

Surfing Day Trip is POSTPONED to 31th of March (Saturday)!

2007-03-20T13:50:00.000+11:00

Bad News! The driver of Student Flight/MojoSurf is sick. He/she cannot take us this weekend to the beaches and all other drivers are busy for their own schedules. The surfing course is then POSTPONED to 31th of March, Saturday. We deeply apologize!

Good News! The registration is still open.
You can register with us by 26th of March, Monday with your name, your student ID, your food preference (veggie or not) and your payment (CASH only). You can do so at the ISSU reception.

All payment must be received by the 26th of March, Monday before 4:30pm!
All payments are non-refundable.

Costs: $79 for non-Unimates members and $65 for Unimates members!
FYI: Original price for members is $70 as shown in flyers but we are gonna sponsor you $5.
Also, If you like to go with us but not for surfing, it costs about $54 for non-Unimates members and $40 for Unimates members.

NOTE: See the blog below for info about Surfing Day Trip.

FREE Unimates Dinner on 20th of March, Tuesday!!

2007-03-15T18:04:00.000+11:00

As we have promised, your FREE dinner is on the way!

FREE Unimates Dinner
Location: Old Teacher's College, Assembly Hall
Time: 6pm to 8pm
Date: 20th of March, Tuesday

Due to a limited space at the Hall, ONLY 100 SEATS will be provided and it is a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE service. So ONLY the first 100 Unimates members who register with us will be taken!

For your info, the dinner is exclusively sponsored by STUDENT FLIGHTS and there will be FREE TRIPS given away.

What are you waiting for?
REGISTER now by posting a comment here with your name, student ID, and food preference (vegie or not) OR you will miss the FREE dinner!

Week 3: Surfing Day Trip on 24th of March, Saturday

2007-03-14T14:55:00.000+11:00

Wanna go out of the city for a day of sun, sand, and surf?
Come and join the Unimates surfing course on 24th of March, Saturday at Sydney's beautiful Northern Beaches to experience first hand the surf lifestyle!

The course will be conducted by instructors from Mojosurf (www.mojosurf.com).

The trip includes:
--Surf lesson with Manly Surf School
--Equipment (surfboards and wetsuits)
--Food (prepared lunch for all diets)
--Travel from Central Station
--Things to bring: Suncream, Camera, Sunglasses, Cozzie

We will meet opposite Central Station (509 Pitt St.) at 9am and should be back around 5pm.

Costs: $79 for non-members and $65 for members!

So, register with us now by posting a comment here with your name, your student ID, and your food preference (vegie or not) by 18th of March, SUNDAY!

Week 2: Taronga Zoo/Luna Park at 8:30AM this Saturday, 17th March

2007-03-13T14:36:00.000+11:00

Dear members,

We are organizing a trip to one of the most popular destinations in Sydney, Taronga Zoo, for our Week 2 activity. Below are the details for the trip.

Taronga Zoo Day Trip:
Date: 17th March, Saturday
Time: 8:30AM to late afternoon
Meeting Place: Wynyard Bus Station, Stand A at Carrington Street, Sydney
Things to bring: Money for transportation, tickets, food & drink, etc; Suncream; Hat; Jumper/Jacket; Student Card; Umbrella; Camera; Sunglasses; etc.

If you have difficulties finding places around in Australia, check the website www.whereis.com. Just typing in the street name and the region, you will then get an online map that shows you whatever you are looking for. It is a very good website, just like Google Earth. So, type in Carrington Street, Sydney and you will find the Wynward Station.

For your info, the ticket for the Zoo is about $23.00 with a valid student card. The transportation (Sydney Bus #247) costs about another $4.00 per trip. The prices may change. So, bring more than enough money for the trip. We will buy our own tickets on the day of travel at the ticket counter.

If the time allows, we may go to Luna Park after the zoo (additional transportation costs applied). The admission to Luna Park is free but the rides are not. You may buy the ticket at the park if you wish to ride the roller coasters. The unlimited rides ticket costs about $36.00.

Please register with us in advance if you like to come for this event by posting a comment here with your name so we will know how many members are coming. Also, plan ahead and come in time.

Thank you for your co-operation. We will see you soon.

Weekly Coffee/Tea & Cakes this Wednesday at 11am

2007-03-10T23:31:00.000+11:00

It is just a reminder of our Weekly Coffee/Tea & Cakes session. It is on EVERY WEDNESDAY at the LAWN BEHIND ISSU from 11AM to 12PM. See ya guys there soon!

Note: Thanks for those who showed up for the City Tour. It was a great afternoon/evening. We hoped you all enjoyed it. :-)

Week 1: City Tour this Saturday (10th March)

2007-03-08T11:11:00.000+11:00

Free this Saturday around 3pm to 6pm? Join us for our Week 1 City Tour!

City Tour details:
Meeting point: McDonald's at Circular Quay at 3pm
Date: 10th March (Saturday)
Time: 3pm - 6pm
Things to bring: Money to buy public transpotation tickets, food, snacks and drinks; Umbrella; Your own lunch/dinner and drink too if you like; Sunscream; Sunglasses; Hat; etc
Itinerary includes The Rocks, Botanic Gardens and Harbour Bridge.

For those who are going from the Uni. You can take any 400 buses at City Road and then get off at the end of the bus route, which is Circular Quay stop.

If you are taking buses at Parramatta Road, ask the drivers before you buy the tickets. Make sure they go to Circular Quay.

Please plan ahead and come on time. We hope to see you guys there. It's gonna be heaps of fun meeting your new friends and getting to know them. See you soon!

Thank you very much.

Note: The Welcome Dinner has been postponed. See the post below for details.

Welcome Dinner postponed!

2007-03-07T16:15:00.000+11:00

The Welcome Dinner has been postponed because our sponsor, StudentFlights, cannot make it this week. We deeply apologize. We will inform you the actual date for the dinner once it is confirmed.

To make it up for you, StudentFlights is going to give all our members a 5% off VIP card!! You can use it anytime in 2007 for all the domestic flights and most trips. They also offer us a discounted price for international travels/flights. These benefits are only for Unimates members! So, be proud of being a member!

Note: Thanks for everyone who came for the Coffee/Tea & Cakes today. It was great seeing you there.

FREE Coffee/Tea & Cakes on Wednesdays 11am to 12pm

2007-03-02T19:41:00.000+11:00

COME and JOIN us for our first FREE Coffee/Tea and Cakes this coming Wednesday from 11am to 12pm at the lawn behind ISSU! It is only an hour to kill. Come for a chat and make more friends too!

Again, the Weekly FREE Coffee/Tea and Cakes session is now set on EVERY WEDNESDAY from 11AM TO 12PM at the LAWN BEHIND ISSU. Come if you can make it.

If you do not receive emails from us, it is probably because of the handwriting that we could not read. Post a comment here with your name, email address, contact details, student ID and access card number. Your details will then be saved into the database.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused in advance.

Thank you guys.

FREE Welcome BBQ on Friday, March 2nd.

2007-01-31T19:00:00.000+11:00

Don't forget to join us for our FREE WELCOME BBQ! It is for ALL MEMBERS.

Date: March 2nd, 2007
Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: MAZE LAWN (It's the GREEN area between BioChemistry Building and Wentworth Building. Sunken Lawn will no longer be used.)

If you would like to help out, please meet us there around 11:30am.

It's an excellent time for you to meet new faces and start making new friends from all over the world. So, COME AND JOIN US!

An email will be sent to you to remind you about the BBQ. If you do not receive it, please let us know during the BBQ.

For your info, here are the current(new) executive committee members for Semester 1, 2007:
President: Mario
Vice President: Carina
Secretary: Hanafi (Han)
Treasurer: Hin

PS: All previously existed or old members need to pay $5 to be a member for this semester.

FINAL DINNER

2006-10-26T23:55:00.000+10:00

Fri 17 Nov: Farewell/End-of-semester dinner
A lot of members [including most of the committee!] will be leaving Sydney Uni after this semester... so we'll be celebrating the end of a great year by going out to dinner, and then having one last night out together.

6pm, Baia San Marco, 114 Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour
http://www.sanmarco.com.au/3.html

E-mail unimates-soc[at]usyd.edu.au to RSVP!

BEACH BBQ

2006-10-25T23:59:00.000+10:00

Tue 14 Nov: Beach BBQ! (raindate Wed 15th) -- FREE!!
Coogee Beach, 12 noon. Committee members and anyone else who can help setup for the BBQ should be there around 11:15am! Look for us around the BBQ area. RSVP by replying to this post.

Later in the afternoon, we'll do the short coastal walk up to Bondi Beach if anyone's interested. We'll get to see the "Sculpture by the Sea" display between Bondi and Tamarama!

Bring: Swimsuit, towel, sunscreen/hat, walking shoes [if walking to Bondi afterwards], money for bus, frisbee or football to throw around

Getting There: The 370 bus runs Leichhardt-Glebe-Newtown-Coogee. The 372/373/374 buses run from the city.

ROYAL NATIONAL PARK OVERNIGHT HIKE

2006-10-11T20:28:00.000+10:00

THERE ARE STILL PLACES AVAILABLE! Please e-mail Lindsay at ltb22[at]cornell.edu by THIS SUNDAY the 29th to reserve your spot!

1-2 Nov (Wed-Thurs): Royal National Park overnight hike
We'll be doing the famous 26km coastal walk through the 2nd oldest national park in the world!

Approximate itinerary: (subject to change)
WED:
9:00am: meet outside Woolworths across from Town Hall, buy food and supplies for hike
9:49am: catch train to Cronulla
11:30am: catch ferry to Bundeena (starting point of the hike)
12:00pm: begin 16km hike
7:00pm: arrive at Garie Beach hostel

THURS:
complete 10km hike to Otford station
catch train back to the city by late afternoon

26km seems like a lot, but it's divided up between two days so that we can take our time and enjoy the scenery - there are also lots of secluded beaches and coves along the way. We have rented out the Garie Beach YHA for the night and there are beds for 12 people only. Each person must bring his own linen (blankets and pillows are provided, but not shets). We'll be buying supplies for Wed dinner (probably pasta) and Thurs breakfast/lunch.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
Approx. $10.60 for train tickets ($5.30 if you have concession) + $5 ferry.
Unimates will pay for the hostel and food for dinner and Thurs breakfast/lunch.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Breakfast/lunch for Wed (day 1), bed sheets and pillowcase, change of clothes, bathing suit, towel/sarong, sunscreen, hat, camera, good walking shoes/boots, bug spray, torch (flashlight), backpack

READ THIS BEFORE SIGNING UP!!
- You may have to share a double bed with another person from the group
- You will have to carry some of our food supplies, plus all your own gear
- You must bring your own bedsheets and pillowcase (or sleeping bag)
- There are no flush toilets or showers at the hostel, only an "eco toilet" (doesn't flush)
- There is cutlery and a stove at the hostel, but minimal electricity and no refrigerator
- You may have to help prepare meals
- You must be in good physical shape to do this hike
- We will be 40km from Sydney in a remote area, where it would be difficult to seek help if anything happens

Are you still interested in this amazing bushwalk? If so, email Lindsay at ltb22[at]cornell.edu by THIS SUNDAY the 29th.

WEEK 12

2006-10-07T20:26:00.000+10:00

BEACH BBQ POSTPONED
due to impending inclement weather!

Sorry guys, we know we end up altering our plans so often... but tomorrow will definitely not be good beach weather. We will try to reschedule if possible!

WEEK 11

2006-09-11T19:30:00.000+10:00

FARMSTAY CANCELLED!
**Katie Spaulding, please email unimates.soc@usyd.edu.au to arrange a time to meet and get your money refunded from the trip! **

13 Oct: Star City Casino (yes, again!)
Missed out on last week's excursion to the Star City Casino? (Or just confused by our plans to meet up?) Some members want to meet up this Friday (the 13th) at 8pm at the entrance of the convention centre (next to the exhibition centre at Darling Harbour). From there, we will walk over to the casino. Bring your passport if you haven't already become a Star City member and received the $10 voucher!

WEEK 10

2006-09-11T19:28:00.000+10:00

Sat 7 Oct: Night out at Star City Casino / Darling Harbour
Meet at 8pm by the escalator at the level LG interchange of Star City Casino (where the buses drop everyone off). If you get lost, you can contact Lindsay at 04 05 779 189. Also, BRING YOUR PASSPORT -- you can get a $10 voucher to use at the casino!

HOW TO GET THERE: You can take the 443 bus from QVB (York St, stand B) or Circular Quay (Alfred St, stand C) to Pyrmont, and it will drop you off at the level LG interchange. OR you can take the light rail down to Star City (costs $4.50 return) from either Central Station or the Glebe area... this train runs every 10-15 minutes or so.

WHAT WILL WE DO THERE?: Basically just check out the casino... perhaps some gambling, some drinks... we'll make use of those $10 vouchers! If we've had enough of Star City and everyone's keen, we can roam around Darling Harbour afterwards and see what else is happening.

SPRING BREAK -- need plans?

2006-09-09T17:12:00.000+10:00

If anyone is looking for people to hang out with or go somewhere with during the break, reply here and we'll add it to this post.

Sun, 24 Sept: Brazilian Festival, Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour
From 11:30-6:30, there will be salsa and capoeira shows and workshops, Brazilian food, arts and crafts, etc. Sounds fun and it's for free! More info at www.bracca.org. Any Unimates members that want to hang out at the event should meet at 12:00 noon in front of the Chinese Friendship gardens entrance.

Wed-Fri, 27-29 Sept: Surf Camp, $195
Includes all transportation, surf lessons, food, and accomodation at a beach located a few hours north of Sydney. For more info, visit http://www.wavessurfschool.com.au/. Anyone interested in doing this surf camp over break should e-mail Valeska at vkle0083@usyd.edu.au.

IMPORTANT CHANGES!!

2006-09-08T14:20:00.000+10:00

ATTENTION MEMBERS!: We're SO sorry to have to change plans yet again, but they have just moved the Harry Potter event from this Sunday to NEXT Sunday the 17th. Therefore, we have to move the Glebe cafe crawl to THIS Sunday the 10th. See posts below for more details!

Sorry again for the confusion!

Activities for after the break

2006-09-06T22:03:00.000+10:00

We're trying to come up with activities to do after the semester break (so, for October and November). Here's what we're thinking of doing... PLEASE reply to this post and let us know which of these you are interested in doing, and any other ideas you have for things to do!

- beach day
- dolphin watching daytrip (~$100 with club discount)
- overnight farmstay (~$160 with club discount)
- harbour cruise (will probably be a themed event. tickets per person will most likely be $30-40 if we can charter a cheap but decent boat and have food prepared for us... anyone know of any good deals?)
- overnight hike at royal national park (it's 16km on day 1 [about 4hrs nonstop], we can rent out a 12-bed YHA, and then do 10km on day 2 [about 2.5hrs nonstop]... a gorgeous coastline walk through the 2nd oldest national park in the world! an overnight hike is really the only way to do it, as there is no transportation between the start and end points. or, we could do it all in one day, but wouldn't have much time to stop and enjoy the park. only cost for members is for transportation there and back)
- darling harbour pub/club crawl and star city casino

BLOG POST INSTRUCTIONS

2006-08-30T17:44:00.000+10:00

We're trying a new approach... if there's an activity you'd like to do (say a show at the Opera House, trip to Olympic Park, dinner at a certain restaurant, etc...) and you are looking for some people to do it with, reply to the appropriate week's post with the following:

- description of activity (including cost)
- meeting date, time, and place
- email address or phone number to contact you (if necessary)
- those interested should contact you by when?

I will then add your activity to the week's post so that it will be on the webpage for everyone to see. This way, club members are coming up with activities that they want to do, rather than having the committee members try to organize events that may or may not be of interest to you all. Sound good?

WEEK 8

2006-08-30T14:09:00.000+10:00

Sunday, 17 Sept: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire showing at Uni!
(*note that, due to bad weather, this event has officially been moved from the 10th to the 17th)

FREE! Sydney Uni will be showing the movie on a big screen in the Quad on Sunday evening. For anyone who's interested, we'll meet up beforehand and hang out during the night. Here's the program:

4-6pm: games and contests (potion making 101, face-changing painting,
hippogriff dance lessons, wizard fashion parade, and more)
6:00pm: film competition winners presentation 6:30pm: movie starts
8:30pm: fire-twirling performance
8:45pm: fireworks finale

E-mail harrypotter@usu.usyd.edu.au to reserve your spot or request more info. This event is supposed to be quite popular, so they really do encourage you to reserve a place and arrive early. They should e-mail you more info after you reserve your place. BUT, if you don't and decide at the last minute that you do want to attend, come along anyway because we have reserved a few extra places just in case!

Meet at 4:15 in front of Fisher Library and we'll check-in at the Quad as a group. Bring a "picnic rug" [aka a towel or blanket to sit on during the movie, but NO lawn chairs] and a jacket because it will get chilly after dark.

No BYO alcohol, they will have a bar there. Drinks and food will be sold at the event, but Unimates will try to bring some snacks for everyone as well!

WEEK 7

2006-08-24T17:37:00.000+10:00

Friday, 8 Sept: Law Revue
Tickets are $16 with access card/$20 without. If interested, come to Wednesday's coffee&cakes and we will try to figure out a time to buy group tickets at Manning. If you can't make it on Wed, reply to this post or send a text to Tim at 0404601473 with your name/email/phone number BEFORE 11AM ON WED (the 6th).

Sunday, 10 Sept: Glebe Cafe Crawl
(*note that, yet again, we had to switch days for this, since Harry Potter got moved to NEXT Sunday)
Meet at 11am at the bottom of the ramp that leads to the Broadway Shopping Centre, which is very close to the start of Glebe Pt Rd near Badde Manors cafe. From there, we will go to have brunch somewhere nearby and then sample coffee/tea/pastries at some other cafes (including Sappho's and Fair Trade, also at the beginning of Glebe Pt Rd). Make sure you bring enough cash!

WEEK 6

2006-08-24T17:19:00.000+10:00

Friday, 1 Sept: Pub Crawl in Kings Cross
Night out in The Cross! Meet 9:00pm outside of Town Hall.

WEEK 5

2006-08-24T17:12:00.000+10:00

Saturday 26 Aug: Pub/Club crawl in Darling Harbour
A few club members are going to be out in Darling Harbour on Sat. night and would enjoy the company of some fellow Unimates! If interested, meet them at 9pm in front of Starbucks [the one in the middle of the harbour, by the bathrooms].

Sunday 27 Aug: Hunter Valley daytrip
21 members have signed up for a day in the vineyards! First we'll stop at the zoo, then spend the day at Hunter Valley tasting wines, cheeses, and chocolates. If you're one of the 21 signed up, meet at 7:50am outside Central YHA [corner of Pitt St. & Rawson Pl., next to Wake Up], and bring money for lunch/dinner!

HUNTER VALLEY SIGN-UP & PAYMENT

2006-08-17T17:22:00.000+10:00

If you are planning on going on the Unimates Hunter Valley trip on Sunday 27 August, you must sign up and pay the $75 at this Wednesday's coffee&cakes! Come to ISSU between 11:30 and 1:30 and reserve your place on this trip... Unimates has taken $19 off the price per person, so this is a great deal!!

If you can't make it to coffee&cakes, you can e-mail me at ltb22[at]cornell.edu and we'll try to set up an alternate time for you to sign up before Wednesday.

FREE SPOTS LEFT, AS OF 10:00AM, SUN 20 AUG: 8

Week 5: Hunter Valley trip (27 Aug)

2006-08-09T10:01:00.000+10:00

Unimates has organized a Hunter Valley trip for wine tasting on Sunday, 27th August. The trip costs $75 per person for all members and $94 for non-members. There is a limit of 20 people for this trip, so be sure to sign up with $75 in cash at ISSU by this weekend!! If you are unable to pay by this time but still want to attend, e-mail unimates.soc@usyd.edu.au as soon as possible.

The tour includes:
- Australian Reptile Park (over $20 value)
- $5 Chocolate and Fudge Gift Voucher
- Morning Tea with Koalas and Kangaroos
- Behind the Scenes Winemaking Tour
- More than 30 Wine Tastings (4 wineries)
- Australian Cheese Tastings
- All Transport from Sydney
- Knowledgeable Guides
- Scenic Cycling Option

Week 4: Harbour Bridge cross & sunset pizza dinner

2006-08-05T12:27:00.000+10:00

On Saturday, 19 August, we'll do the touristy thing and walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It's free, and the views of the Opera House and city skyline are incredible! On the other side of the bridge in North Sydney, we'll grab some pizzas and sit by the bridge to watch the sunset over the harbour. After dark, see the city lit up at night, and maybe try out some of the rides at Luna Park.

Cost: FREE! (includes pizza and soda)
Also Bring: camera, money for Luna Park amusement park rides and bus fare to/from The Rocks (if desired)
Meet: 4pm, Argyle Stairs (corner of Argyle St & Cumberland St, in The Rocks... just go down George St until you pass the start of Circular Quay, then take a left on Argyle St and follow that up to the stairs)

If interested, RSVP by replying to this post with your name, e-mail, and mobile number! (Due to budget/space constraints, we obviously can't have 50 people show up!)

Week 3: Welcome dinner (Thursday 10 Aug)

2006-07-31T18:13:00.000+10:00

On Thursday, 10 August, Unimates will be having a FREE welcome dinner for all registered members. This dinner will be held in the Old Teacher's College Assembly Hall, starting at 6pm and ending after 8pm. We'll be having a catered meal from Ralph's Cafe with chicken/tofu salad, as well as soft drinks and dessert. Our new sponsor, Student Flights, will be giving a speech at 7pm about the Hunter Valley and Whale Watching trips they are organizing for us, as well as the ways they can help international students arrange trips in and around Australia.

If you are interested in attending this event, please click the *comments* link at the bottom right corner of this post and reply with the following information:
Name:
E-mail:
Mobile:
Vegetarian?:

Important: We will be checking you off *the list* as you enter the event, so make sure you RSVP by replying to this post! You must also show up with your Unimates membership card -- if you do not have one, please come to our Coffee&Cakes session at ISSU on Wednesdays 11:30-1:30 and let a committee member know and we will get you one.

Hope to see you there!

Week 2: Pub crawl (Friday 4 Aug)

2006-07-30T21:30:00.000+10:00

UNIMATES PUB CRAWL
Newtown
Friday, 4 August, 7:30pm

Meet at The Well at Sydney Uni Village at 7:30. If you can’t come til later, go to the bar with the nearest time to your arrival time. We will turn up sooner or later! Or you can call Liang at 04 31 597 915 or Lindsay at 04 05 779 189 to see where we are!

TIMETABLE
1. 7:30 The Well (SUV) 90 Carillon Ave
We’ll meet at the bar at Sydney Uni Village. The Well also serves food (burgers, salads, chips, etc) if you want to have dinner or snacks there. Carillon Ave is off City Rd, right outside of campus.
2. 8:00 Marly Bar 145 King St (corner of King & Missenden)
3. 8:45 Kuletos 157 King St
4. 9:30 Cooper’s Arms 221 King St
5. 10:15 Kelly’s 285 King St
An Irish pub that has karaoke starting at 10pm! Sure to be a fun way to end the evening!

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
You must be over 18. So, BRING ID – this includes a passport, driver’s license, proof of age (NSW) WITH A PHOTO! It does NOT include student IDs such as ISIC cards or credit cards. If you don’t bring ID you may be refused entry at any bar!!

DO NOT WEAR TRAINERS/SHORTS/THONGS (flip flops) – some bars will not let you in! This absolutely applies to boys, girls usually get a more flexible response but may still be refused!

Bring Money! The event is free & your friends are welcome but we don’t pay for drinks or food!

Not big on drinking? That’s ok, you can join us anyway – there are always non-alcoholic drinks available. The real point of the event is to meet and mingle with fellow members!

Australian pubs must also adhere to Responsible Service of Alcohol Guidelines and won’t serve you if you are too intoxicated.

Directions: Newtown is very close to the USyd campus. Just follow City Rd up and then take a right onto Carillon Ave if you’re meeting us at The Well. Otherwise, you can follow City Rd until it turns into King St. All of the pubs are on the right side of the road.

Schedule for Weeks 1-3

2006-07-26T18:47:00.000+10:00

Our weekly coffee & cakes session will be held on WEDNESDAYS 11:30-1:30 at ISSU (International Office) from now on. If the weather is good, look for us on the back lawn there (walk straight through ISSU and out the back door). Thanks to all who showed up at our first session today - we'll be sure to have more cake & biscuits for next week!

Also, be sure to check out our online forum! It's a great way to meet your fellow Unimates and swap travel ideas, make new friends, and talk about school and such! Find people who are interested in travelling in or around Sydney with you [or beyond!], or people who live in the same suburb or are taking the same courses as you are. Or leave the Unimates committee suggestions for activities to do during the semster! You don't need to register or sign in to make posts in the forum, so it's hassle-free.

Important dates:
WED 2 AUG: Re-O Day ... come visit our stand in Manning from 10-3! Coffee&Cakes will also be held at the usual 11:30-1:30 timeslot at ISSU.
FRI 4 AUG: Pub Crawl, King St. in Newtown, 7:30-11pm or so ... we will post a schedule of pubs and times this week.
THU 10 AUG: Club Dinner, to be held on campus ... FREE for all registered members! It will be catered, and we'll have a representative from our new sponsor come and speak to our group.

More details will be posted on these events as they get closer.

Kicking off semester 2

2006-07-25T16:14:00.000+10:00

Welcome (back)! We will have our first coffee&cakes session of the semester TOMORROW, Wednesday the 26th, 11:30-1:30 at ISSU. Stop by the International Office if you have a chance and grab some coffee or tea and some sweets!

Within the next few weeks, we'll be organizing some fun events -- more details to come soon! Look for us on August 2 on Re-O Day, we'll have a stand set up there so stop by!

Also, our new contact email is unimates.soc@usyd.edu.au.

Last email of the semester

2006-06-18T19:31:00.000+10:00

IMPORTANT: If you will be at Sydney Uni next semester and still want to receive Unimates emails, send an email to unimates-subscribe@topica.com to join our new mailing list. Otherwise, this will be the last time you'll hear from us!

In other news... the Unimates end-of-semester dinner will be this Sunday the 25th, 7pm at Circle 8 in Newtown. The restaurant is at 191 King St, which is near a couple of Indian diners and an Urban store. It's in-between the Newtown Station and the Marly Bar, which doesn't really narrow it down much I know, but it's basically right in the middle. Please RSVP to ltb22[at]cornell.edu if you plan on attending [seating is limited!]. Unimates can fund $15 per person which should cover the whole meal. If you have trouble finding the place on Sunday, feel free to call Liang at 0431 597 915.

We've also posted a rough schedule of events for next semester on our website at unimates.blogspot.com. Unimates has heaps of money to use for trips so we're going to try to take advantage of it! So check that out and expect to hear from us at the beginning of next semester if you join our new mailing list.

Thanks to everyone for a fun semester, good luck with exams and have fun over break!

Semester 2 committee & schedule

2006-06-06T18:00:00.000+10:00

Today Unimates held its Annual General Meeting and discussed various issues. First, a committee was elected for next semester:

President -- Lauren Li
Vice President -- Liang Tang
Treasurer -- Lindsay Buckley
Secretary -- Kristina Weber
Committee Member -- Catalina Fernandez

We are also still looking for 2 more committee members, so let us know if you're interested!

Also, we have drawn out a rough schedule of events for next semester:
WEEK 1 -- first coffee&cakes
WEEK 2 -- pub crawl, Newtown
WEEK 3 -- welcome dinner [on campus]
WEEK 4 -- harbour bridge cross/luna park
WEEK 5 -- hunter valley trip
WEEK 6 -- pub crawl in the rocks
WEEK 7 -- tba
WEEK 8 -- tba
WEEK 9 -- [no trips, week before break]
BREAK
WEEK 10 -- whale watching trip
WEEK 11 -- royal NP overnight hike
WEEK 12 -- beach trip [manly to spit walk?]
WEEK 13 -- final dinner

AGM & final dinner

2006-05-30T22:02:00.000+10:00

Unimates' ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING is this Tuesday, 11-1 on the 6th of June. Meet inside ISSU where the usual Coffee&Cakes is held, and signs will direct you to the nearby location of the meeting. Why should you attend? Well, if you're sticking around next semester and you show up, you don't have to pay the $5 membership fee next semester. We'll be electing officers for next semester, so if you're interested in running or having a say in your committee, you should attend this meeting! Plus, we want your ideas for activities for next semester too! And if you're leaving Sydney soon, then come anyway because we're having a special cake, and it'll be our last gathering during the semester.

The FINAL DINNER will be the weekend of June 23, location/time TBA. More info to follow. Yes, it is during exams, but it's on the weekend and you could probably use a few hours of break from studying! Plus, we should be able to use some club money to lower the price of the meal for everyone, which means CHEAP, GOOD FOOD at a nice restaurant in the city!

And, lastly, we have a new website! Check it out at unimates.blogspot.com. We now have a public forum, where members can chat and swap travel plans without having to email the whole group. We also have a new photo gallery at unimates06.shutterfly.com. If you have taken any pictures at our events [especially the recent Blue Mtns trip], please upload them! Login using unimates2006@yahoo.com and g12tuesday if you don't have your own shutterfly account.

This is the start of many changes/improvements in Unimates, so enjoy!

Elections, Blue Mtns, Dinner, Opera House

2006-05-23T16:58:00.000+10:00

Hey Unimates! I know we're approaching the end of the semester, and you're all busy with projects and essays and maybe even some studying, but hopefully you can spare some time to read this message and get in on our last few events until next semester.

First, your committee has been busy reorganizing the club so that it will be much better for next semester and hopefully future years. It's difficult to stay organized and consistent when the club members change virtually each semester, but luckily 4/5 of the committee will still be around next semester. Which brings me to a few things...

Elections: We will be holding our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, June 6, 11-1 at ISSU, where coffee&cakes is usually held. We may relocate to a nearby venue, in which case there will be signs at ISSU directing you elsewhere. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you attend this meeting, especially if you will still be at Sydney next semester. We will be holding elections for committee members for next semester, so if you are planning on staying here and would like to get more involved with Unimates, we encourage you to run for a position! Along with the standard president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, we are also seeking 1-3 committee members to help out the club without having strict duties to worry about.

Other incentives to attend this meeting: If you will be in Sydney next semester and wish to stay a member of Unimates, if you attend this AGM you will NOT have to pay the $5 membership fee next semester! Otherwise, we will expect you to reregister and pay the $5 once the spring semester begins. If you'll be long gone come July/August and don't really care about elections, then at least show up for this meeting as it will be your last coffee&cakes session! We'll have better food, too!

New Website: Unimates has a new website! It's pretty much finished, but we're going to wait a little bit longer to unveil it to you all. I can promise you it's much less of a hassle than the current Yahoo Groups site we have, and much more useful as well.

Aside from that administrative stuff, we also have a few fun activities to end the semester with:

Blue Mountains: This Saturday is our trip to the Blue Mountains! Refer to the past post and uploaded itinerary for more details. We'll be meeting at Central Station by Hungry Jack's at 7am. It costs a total of $44, but Unimates will pay for your $14 train ticket, which means the trip only costs $30 per person. This includes the train to and from Katoomba, the bus that brings us around the park, and rides on the Scenic Railway and Cableway. If you're interested in going, you can either sign up at ISSU or e-mail ltb22@cornell.edu [make sure you give us both your email and phone number]. Failure to sign up beforehand means we can't guarantee your club discount, so make sure you e-mail us or sign the list at ISSU! For those who join us on this trip, make sure you bring warm clothing and money for lunch!

End of Semester Dinner: We'd like to get as many members together as possible for an end-of-semester dinner, one last time for everyone to hang out together. Please vote for which weekend[s] you'd be able to attend with our poll here. Afterwards, we may end up at a few pubs if anyone's interested. However, we may not be able to receive adequate funding for this event, so if you have any suggestions for an inexpensive yet nice restaurant in the city, please let us know by e-mailing ltan8617@mail.usyd.edu.au. More details to follow within a week or so.

Sydney Dance Company show: Haven't experienced a show at the Opera House yet? Well here's your chance to before going home [and without going broke!]: If you have an Access Card, you can purchase $25 tickets to see the Sydney Dance Company perform [more info here]. If anyone's interested in seeing a show at 4pm on 10th June / 7:30pm 13th June / 7:30pm 14th June, contact lorynli@yahoo.com. If there's some interest, we will post more information and make this a club outing for next month.