2013 WIA AGM and Conference in VK6
On the weekend of 25 and 26 May, 2013 Amateurs from around the world will converge on the City of Perth in Western Australia to participate in the 103rd Annual Wireless Institute of Australia Amateur Radio exchange of ideas.
Preparations are being made and plans are being hatched. 2013 marks the Centenary of Amateur Radio in Western Australia and we're expecting to take the opportunity to showcase our hobby as an integral part of society.
From an Amateur Radio perspective, we're a year from the AGM and Conference, so at this point we can't give you too much specific information. Activities are likely to include a visit to the Neil Penfold State Amateur Radio Centre, hosted by the Northern Corridor Radio Group. We'll likely see activities organised by clubs around the state, including the West Australian Repeater Group, the Hills Amateur Radio Group, the WA VHF Group, the Bunbury Radio Club, the Peel Amateur Radio Group and others.
Under the guiding hand of Bob Bristow, VK6POP we're having planning meetings and making all this possible. During our announcement at this year's conference in Mildura we described some of the other activities we might undertake, a visit to the Fremantle Maritime Museum, to Wireless Hill, perhaps some fish and chips at the fishing boat harbour or a ferry to Rottnest.
In the coming weeks we’ll announce a call for expressions of interest to talk at the technical sessions and we have some ideas on break-out groups that might give you that missing bit of information or a contact you were looking for.
For some of our guests the journey will be counted in minutes, where others will travel from the other side of the earth to participate. It's to those who come from a distance that I'd like to say, when you come, stay for a little while, I promise you, it will be worth it.
Travelling can be costly, but I recommend that you keep an eye on airfares as they regularly bounce around. Of course you could drive across the Nullarbor with a friend and share the journey. Having driven that stretch of road at least half a dozen times I can tell you that there is always something to see - even if you might have to pay special attention to see it.
If this is your first visit to the Sunset Coast, or if you've been before, but only been around Perth, you should know that this is a big place. It's hard to fathom quite how large Western Australia is unless you've been before and had a look around. Statistics tell you that it’s 10 times the size of New Zealand, 4 times the size of Texas, covers a third of the Australian mainland and has over 20.000km of coastline. It's over a million square miles of country. This is not a place you can see in two days, nor should you.
So, if you take the time to come, I recommend you take the time to stay and look.
I can recommend from personal experience from Coral Bay to Karajini National Park, the Karri Forests, wineries and caves in the South West and the Pilbara in the North. All give you a unique experience that will make you want to come back.
Over the past few years VK6 has won the Remembrance Day contest. This is because we're a social bunch. We get on the radio and yak. So when you do make it here, bring your radio and key up a local repeater. We don't bite and who knows you might score yourself an invitation to afternoon tea.
So, what's keeping you. If you live in Australia, you won't need a passport, though you'll have to leave your fruit and honey at the border. If you live outside Australia, get yourself organised and come down under to celebrate 100 years of Amateur Radio in Western Australia during the 2013 WIA AGM and Conference.
We're hosting the conference information at http://conference.vk6.net/ where we'll keep you posted on activities and plans as they come together.
Onno VK6FLAB
