AFF Gathering #16 in LST on 13 – 15 October 2023

Launceston has been chosen as the AFF Annual Gathering destination for 2023, occurring over the weekend of the 13 to 15 October. The average temperature range for October is 7ºC – 18.2ºC (November is 9.1ºC to 20.5ºC). The average rainfall is 48mm with 7.5 rainy days. It is Tasmania's second most populous city following Hobart – which held AFF#7 in 2013 – and Australia's 21st most populous overall.

In addition to the usual dinners, planned activities (all subject to confirmation) for Saturday include a visit to the Table Cape tulip farm in full bloom, Ashgrove cheese and/or Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm and/or Anvers chocolate, and a separate wine excursion along the Tamar River, perhaps including the Beaconsfield Mine (disaster) museum. On Sunday, a visit to Cataract Gorge and/or a cruise on the Tamar and if possible, a visit to the National Automobile Museum and the Boags brewery.

Costs are expected to be inline with past AFF Meet-ups, subject to fuel price increases!

However, the organisers have noted that wineries in the area who will take groups of more than 10 are limited. An alternative to the usual style of AFF-organised bus may be an externally-organised paid tour, but this would be more expensive - perhaps $170 including transport, lunch and tastings but this could take a bigger group. Those who may consider themselves 'Platinum' or 'Gold' may wish to express their willingness to pay for the second option if the usual style tour is not possible, to assist with planning.

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Please make it known what activities you would be interested in (generally) when indicating attendance, so the organisers can gauge numbers before announcing final plans and itineraries. For example:

• interested/not interested in alcohol-based activities (vineyard/distillery/brewery),
• interested/not interested in food based activities (cheese/chocolate/fruit),
• interested/not interested in general activities (museums/flowers/cruise)., etc.

The usual schedule includes two dinners, a Friday welcome dinner that is more casual and a Saturday "guest speaker" dinner that could be considered more formal. While people generally mingle at both, you may find the space chosen on Saturday makes it harder to do so, but is regarded as the main event as well.

The lead organisers this year are @RooFlyer & @Steady , however they encourage all members local to Launceston (or surrounding areas) to raise their hands on helping coordinate the weekend.

The AFF Leadership Team can provide support in terms of money collection and distribution, and editing this thread as needed. If something needs to be updated, please simply report the post with the update so anyone on the team can action it (starting a conversation only alerts one person).

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Links:

Tulips: VDQ Bulbs | Van Diemen Quality Bulbs
Ashgrove: Ashgrove Cheese, Tasmania, Australia
Christmas Hills: Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe
House of Anvers: https://www.anvers-chocolate.com.au/
Beaconsfield: Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre
National Automobile Museum: N.A.M.T.

 

[CaptJCool]

In case anyone needs a cheap accommodation (jokes)
Tramshed looks cheap or a Friday arvo browse

Launceston Tramway Museum

$5 admission


PSAlthough I’m not sure “beds” are more than a bench Pod haha

 

[Jacques Vert]

A call out to the wine tour attendees - the first stop on our wine tours is at the Jansz Wine Room - Jansz is a Sparkling wine house.

This tasting is optional as apparently some people don't like sparkling wines... so it was not included in the tour cost.

The tasting is $20, and includes 6 different sparkling wines, it is curated and takes ~45 minutes.

(I could only find a photo of mostly empty glasses post tasting on my phone but you get the idea.)
View attachment 349061

Now the attendees are confirmed and its getting close - I want to let Jansz know how many will be tasting, to avoid delays while waiting for the staff to set up more places etc and making us late to our next stop.

Can all wine tour attendees please post here with 'yes' or 'no' (or send me a DM)

@PrezRegan @QF WP @Bindibuys @Jacques Vert @Gem56 @Major @Flyrner @straitman @Sprucegoose @Doug_Westcott @zig
@WilsonM @Matt_01 @gwilli1 @admin @Mattg @Ade @meMEme

admin, Major & Bindibuys, please also advise for your +1's

Looking forward to meeting some new faces and catching up with familiar faces

Gem56 ìs a champagne kind of girl so that makes two of us for bubbles.

 

[JessicaTam]

We might have to have a prize for the furthest flights in .....

Damn.

 

[Ade]

We might have to have a prize for the furthest flights in .....

Awwww man! Had this been decided earlier, I'd have taken a few more flights ... as it stands I'm doing TWB-SYD-CBR-MEL-LST ...

 

[NM]

Damn.

Surely you are arriving via one of your famed indirect routings???

 

[Netty]

Just wanted to check is there a dress code for any of the dinners or is it casual?

 

[straitman]

Just wanted to check is there a dress code for any of the dinners or is it casual?

I hope not.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just wanted to check is there a dress code for any of the dinners or is it casual?

Those coming from tropical climes may feel under-dressed without a Tasmanian tuxedo. Else casual will be fine

 

[PrezRegan]

Those coming from tropical climes may feel under-dressed without a Tasmanian tuxedo. Else casual will be fine

I'll be in territory formal (with a jacket because everywhere is bloody cold compared to the NT)

 

[PrezRegan]

Awwww man! Had this been decided earlier, I'd have taken a few more flights ... as it stands I'm doing TWB-SYD-CBR-MEL-LST ...

Just out of interest, what's the SC earn on that route? And was it by choice?

 

[Matt_01]

We might have to have a prize for the furthest flights in .....

I know I will not win this prize as I am direct rather than connect person. I think @boxo posted they are arriving from the US.

 

[straitman]

Surely you are arriving via one of your famed indirect routings???

... and who will have the most types of transport?

 

[Ade]

Just out of interest, what's the SC earn on that route? And was it by choice?

Sort of choice, sort of because I like being on a plane ... The SC would be 40 one-way, red-e-deal fare

 

[Jacques Vert]

Gem56 and I are on our way.

Currently in the lounge in CFS; travelling CFS-SYD-MEL-SYD-LST. Today we go to MEL via SYD, and then back to SYD where we are staying for two nights and going to see Miss Saigon at the Old Opera House tomorrow night.

We were originally booked CFS-MEL-SYD on points (why fly direct when you can connect, eh?). The CFS-MEL flight is one of my favourites as QL often cancel it resulting in a free extra connection via SYD. True to form, QL cancelled our CFS-MEL flight a few weeks ago but put us on the direct flight to SYD! We were having none of that! So rang call centre and fortunately got through to HBA. Explained to the chappie that we still wanted to go via MEL. He replied that he had been working at the call centre for more than 20 years and this was the strangest request he had had in many years. I probably should have told him to join AFF.

 

[kookaburra75]

Wishing everyone all the best for the weekend. MrsK and I aren't able to make it this year, as we fly out the weekend after next for a week or so away. We'll live vicariously through the photos.

 

[boxo]

I win for furthest distance and most modes if the qualification window extends outside of Friday.

 

[straitman]

We are doing 7 modes to do 860km.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Now in the J lounge in SYD but the bar doesn't open until noon when we are due to depart!

Will have to double dip in MEL.

 

[Bindibuys]

Just finished packing, leaving for Syd tomorrow afternoon. Staying at Mantra at airport, then meeting the others on our flight in the QF Dom lounge.
@WilsonM will PM you my phone number, as the others on our flight all know each other.

 

[RooFlyer]

As people have started their journey (earlier than I expected!), a word on the weather.

Looks like the prospect of Melbournites attending is going to take us from our current glorious sunny state to overcast and likelihood of some rain over the weekend. Won't be much, but please come prepared.

Tulipers, please bring footwear suitable for if there is mud in the fields and a fold-up umbrella would probably be an asset, when you are in tip-toe mode.