AFF Gathering #15 in NTL 2021 **Rescheduled** to 21-23 October 2022

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Newcastle has been chosen as the AFF Annual Gathering destination for 2021, occurring over the weekend of the 22nd to 24th October. The average temperature range for October is 14.1ºC – 22.1ºC. The average rainfall is 72.5mm with 11 rainy days. It is NSW's second most populated area and Australia's seventh most populous, representing 1.95% of Australia.

The weekend is likely to take in a wine tour, owing to the proximity of the Hunter Valley. Please note if you are interested in attending a wine tour when indicating your interest for the weekend as this will help organisers make a good start on venues that can cater to our group size.

The lead organiser this year is a member that has turned up to many previous events, @Bindibuys.

Members that have offered help include: @support @Bindibuys @Princess Fiona

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Activities​

Friday 22nd October​

The dinner venue is The Landing Bar and Kitchen, located next to the Rydges on the water front. We will have the outdoor marquee all to ourselves, with the sides down for privacy. Menus are available online, and the exact kickoff time will be advised closer to the weekend.

Saturday 23rd October​

During the day will be a wine tour for those who have indicated interest/are booked for the tour and another tour – possibly dolphins – for those not attending the wine tour.

The dinner venue is The Wickham Boatshed, where some canapés will be followed by a two-course meal. There is a cash bar. The special guest is a local Newcastle breakfast DJ.

Sunday 24th October​

A tour of the city will follow on the last day, ending at Fighter World, located conveniently next to the airport.

Tentative Attendees​

This list simply indicates an interest in attending the event and additionally, the wine tour. Members are in order of response to the thread and are not ranked from silver to platinum (least likely to most likely to attend).

Username	Arrival Details	Accommodation	Wine Tour?	Departure Details
I love to travel			Yes
Bindibuys
Congewai
Lynda2475			Yes
AIRwin
kpc
Doug_Westcott	22/10 VA1593	Rydges	Yes	25/10 VA1594
samh004	22/10 QF1776	Novotel	Yes	24/10 QF2424
Townsend	Driving		Yes	Driving
Townsend +1	Driving		Yes	Driving
Mattg			Yes
kookaburra75	22/10 Driving	Noah's on the Beach	Yes	24/10 Driving Noon
kookaburra75 +1	22/10 Driving	Noah's on the Beach	Yes	24/10 Driving Noon
Matt_01			Yes
oz_mark
Drakecula			Yes
Drakecula +1
NM			Yes
NM +1
Eija			Yes	24/10 QF1567
RooFlyer		Novotel	Yes	25/10 QF1565
tuapekastar			Yes
serfty	22/10 VA1593			25/10 VA1594
JessicaTam			Yes
CaptJCool
Sprucegoose			Yes
Jacques Vert	Driving		Yes	Driving
Gem56	Driving		Yes	Driving
ellen10
Hvr	22/10 QF1564	Holiday Inn Express		24/10 QF1567
Major
Major +1
justinbrett
Simo			Yes
motef	Local	Local	Yes	Local
motef +1	Local	Local	Yes	Local
sharpinjr			Yes
sharpinjr +1			Yes
Fifa		Holiday Inn Express	Yes	24/10 Afternoon
Princess Fiona	Local	Local		Local
penegal			Yes
Ade			Yes
drron
mrs.dr.ron
BVT			Yes
admin
admin +1
Glider_	22/10 Train?			24/10 Afternoon
straitman
straitman +1
aleaf			Yes

 

[I love to travel]

Subject to covid....... silver for me. Wine tour too

 

[Major]

I hope Welcome to Fighter World is on the programme

 

[Lynda2475]

Gold (as being NSW no need to worry about Covid Lock-outs), unlikley to fly-in so will need to work on convincing a +1 to drive me.

Count me in for wine tour too (and Fighter World if it happens,, now have Danger Zone stuck in my head)

 

[JohnM]

If travel within Australia has passed the risk of borders slamming shut. Probably silver at this stage.

Hopefully the Indian Pacific will be back in operation and I can use my SYD-PER credit from last year for the return leg.

 

[AIRwin]

Interested as I had recently cancelled a day trip to NTL on New Year's Eve... I can also celebrate my birthday at the gathering!

 

[kpc]

Will try and get to this one. No border issues for this Sydenysider.

 

[Doug_Westcott]

I’ll be there! You can also count me in for the Wine Tour.

 

[samh004]

Definitely keen to attend and for longer than the fly-in/fly-out visit I did last year. Interested in a Hunter Valley winery tour.

 

[Townsend]

Silver for two of us including both proposed trips

 

[Mattg]

I'm definitely keen to attend, assuming I'll still be in Australia at that point (I have no idea whether that will be the case) and there are no border issues. With Newcastle being in regional NSW, at least the chance of there being border issues is minimised. For now, put me down as "gold".

I'm also keen for any wine tour that gets organised. I know those who attended last year's wine tour in Canberra had a good time, and I was disappointed not to be able to join that one.

Gold (as being NSW no need to worry about Covid Lock-outs), unlikley to fly-in so will need to work on convincing a +1 to drive me.

Count me in for wine tour too (and Fighter World if it happens,, now have Danger Zone stuck in my head)

You could always fly SYD-NTL with FlyPelican, or take the train up from Sydney. (You can even book a first class seat from Sydney to Broadmeadow on the XPT if you don't feel like taking the regular intercity trains.)

Or, assuming the borders are open, you could always fly SYD-BNE-NTL... why fly direct, right?

 

[Lynda2475]

Or, assuming the borders are open, you could always fly SYD-BNE-NTL... why fly direct, right?

Food for thought, plenty of time to decide.

But Pelican is out, no points/status in it.

 

[VPS]

Watching with interest

 

[kookaburra75]

Gold for MrsK and I - including the wine tour. It's in between our birthdays, so we can make it a double celebration.

 

[Bindibuys]

I am in production of this years Visitors Guide for the Wines. PM me anyone that wants a copy when it comes off the press. Guessing around March for release.

 

[Matt_01]

I will put myself down as Gold and interested in the wine tour. I would also go to fighterworld, I have not been to RAAF Williamtown in a long time, I think the last time I was there was in the mid 1990's for a FAC course.

 

[oz_mark]

The best I can say at the moment is tentative!

 

[AIRwin]

It's in between our birthdays, so we can make it a double celebration.

My birthday is close to one of yours...

 

[Drakecula]

Is silver tentative? At this point in time I'm a yes, but who knows what will happen by then. I'd like to do a wine thing. I may be able to get MrD to come too, but we'll see. I used to live on RAAF Williamtown, so it'd be nice to go back if there's a visit to Fighter World. Would probably drive up from CBR.

 

[NM]

Definitely interested. Likely to be me and NM+1, but probably only me for the wine tour.