Bulletin No 1. April 17th – April 23rd 2004.

Busselton during the school holidays is a busy town. Accommodation should be booked as early as possible or you may find it difficult. Details of accommodation are attached. Please book through the Tourist Bureau giving clear indication you are attending the model aircraft championships. We will attempt to book you into the accommodation recommended so that the Nats doesn’t get too scattered and is very social.

Getting to WA.

It’s a long way – true. But if WA competitors can attend a Nats in the East then you can come west. It is costly. These tips may help. They come from experience.

Driving. If you’ve never done it before do it before you get too old. With the cost of petrol you need three or four in the car. For your models – tow a trailer or send them road freight direct to your accommodation. It will take you three days driving but its something you just have to do once in your life. Standing on the edge of Australia looking from the cliffs on the Nullabor over the Southern ocean is a once in a lifetime experience. If you are too old for this adventure hire a bus between a group. There is plenty of room for models underneath.

Flying. You can reduce the cost by advance purchase airfares. If you haven’t booked by Christmas it gets expensive. Travel on the late night flights is a lot cheaper. You can get a model box on as a second piece of luggage. Usual cost $10 each way. Not sure if Virgin will do this for you but Qantas usually is not a problem. Don’t expect to bring fuel by air. Nicads have to be packed in certain ways. How big a box?

Usually 450mm square by 1.2 metres or so will get through OK. The AWA president attends jet meets on the East coast. His model box fills the back of a Falcon wagon ( back seat down). That’s pushing your luck for $10.

Train. Not cheap - but one of the great railway journeys of the world.

Car Hire. From the airport – not cheap but convenient. Quite reasonable if you share. Light utes are cheaper to hire than cars. For cheap hire cars try Bayswater hire cars about $25 a day for Corollas. Bigger cars from Carousel Rent a Car.

Go on – this is the excuse you have been looking for to come West.