Events

***Tickets ($100) go on sale Wednesday April 20 @ 10am*** It's back and better than ever! UNESN goes to the Blue Mountains for a weekend to never forget.  IT'S FINALLY HERE! As summer ends and the weather starts to cool down we will be heading off to the world famous Blue Mountains for a weekend of trekking and sight-seeing, with a bit of partying on the side! This is a 3 day getaway over the weekend (Fri 6 May - Sun 8 May) and your ticket will include accommodation, breakfast for both mornings, dinner on Saturday and alcohol for Friday and Saturday night. TICKETS - $100 FOR A TICKET: You MUST follow two steps: 1. Click 'Get Tickets' and complete the steps that appear. 2. Once you have a ticket, transfer the amount ($100) to this account by bank transfer from your bank: UNESN BSB - 062831 ACC - 10453847   Once you have done this you will receive an email confirmation and you are all ready! Note: - Your spot WILL NOT BE RESERVED until you have paid the full amount. - If you are not able to get a ticket, unfortunately this means that the trip has sold out. DO NOT pay if you do not have a ticket.   Here is all the information you need:   How to get there: We will be catching trains up on Friday to arrive at Katoomba before 9pm. Look here for train times www.sydneytrains.info/. Use the trip planner option, and set your arrival time to BEFORE 9pm on Friday night. The station to get off at is Katoomba. If you arrive later you will not be able to check-in. When you exit the station on the Katoomba side, walk right along the road parallel to the station. You'll pass a bridge over the railway on your right and a Dan Murphy's (liquor store) on your left. Walk straight on, and the Flying Fox Backpacker Hostel is just around the corner on the left. If you don't want to read on, the TL:DR version is, Friday night some drinks will be provided but you'll have to source your own dinner. Saturday we will be hiking, then a group dinner and drinks will be provided Saturday night. Sunday is a free day to go do whatever you want, but don't fall off a cliff. And you need an OPAL card to catch the train, that one's important. **IMPORTANT** The hostel has a strict policy on NO NOISE after 11pm. If you cause noise after 11pm in the hostel or fail to return your key or towel at the end of the visit, you WILL be liable to PAY THE BOND TO THE HOSTEL. Here is what your ticket includes:  - Two nights in the Flying Fox Backpacker Hostel  - Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday - Dinner on Saturday night - Drinks on Friday and Saturday night  The weekend will go a little like this:  Friday 6 May: Arrive by 9:30pm.  - Tonight is a free night.  - Grab some dinner around Katoomba  - From 8pm Join us for drinks in the common  Saturday 7 May: It's Hiking Time! -8:00 Breakfast -9:30 Catch train from Katoomba Station to Wentworth Falls -10:00 Begin walk/hike through the Charles Darwin Walk/National Pass -17:30 Return to the hostel -19:00 Pizza Dinner! -19:00+ free time, UNESN will once again provide drinks Sunday 8 May: See ya in Newy!  Check out by 10am but the day is all yours. - Either head back to Newcastle or take advantage of what else the Blue Mountains has to offer.  Detailed Itinerary: On Friday, you will arrive and check-in you will be free to explore Katoomba. There are plenty of great places to get dinner along the main street, all within a 5-10 minute walk from the hostel. There will be some quiet drinks at the hostel Friday night. The day will start early on Saturday morning with breakfast being served at 8am. We need to be on the train to Wentworth Falls by 9:30am, so we will be leaving the hostel no later than 9:15. Once we reach Wentworth station, it is a short walk to the start of the Charles Darwin Walk that takes us to the beginning of the National Pass. There will be a short stop at a lookout before we start the National Pass. The Pass itself will take between 3-4 hours and requires a decent level of fitness. The payoff is spectacular views of the valley, mountains, and waterfalls. You will have ample opportunities to stop and take in the views, relax near the waterfalls and eat. Do not feel rushed to finish the track, the sunset is not until after 5:30pm. We will wait at the end of the track until everyone has arrived and then make our way back through Wentworth to catch the train. Time permitting, we can stop at the local pub for a drink and a bite to eat before returning to Katoomba. Saturday night is a group dinner at the hostel. The committee, with the help of some willing volunteers, will be preparing dinner for the whole group and it will be served at around 7pm. We will also be providing drinks until 10pm – the hostel requires guests to be very quiet after 11pm, so we will be moving out into town. There are plenty of choices, including a local Irish pub and a club next to the station. Sunday is officially a free day to do whatever you like. The only requirement is that we are checked out of the hostel by 10am. We will be serving breakfast again from 8am. There are numerous free walks to do around Katoomba and Scenic World is worth a visit (it costs money though) if you want to experience the vertical railway or cable car across the valley. Trains leave every hour from Katoomba station. We would recommend you leave before 5:30pm if you want to avoid an all stations train from Central – Newcastle. (It adds about 30 minutes to the trip). What you need to bring:  - Opal Card for the train, ID for the bars.  - Comfortable hiking clothes  - A BIG water bottle and sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses). - Money for the bars and dinner for the first night.  - Some snack foods and a lunch box so you can put a lunch together for our hike on Saturday. There are supermarkets near by or you can bring food from Newcastle.  - Your camera for the amazing sites you will see! Extra Details: **The hostel is located a 5-minute walk from Katoomba train station. Turn left as you exit the station and walk down the road. A Bridge over the track will be on your right. Follow the road straight ahead past the round-about and you will find the hostel on the left. **Ticket includes accommodation, both breakfasts, dinner on Saturday night as well as some drinks for Friday and Saturday night. **You will need an Opal card to catch the train down. You can get adult ones from any station, or concessions are available through the SydneyTrains website. (Ask at a student hub on campus for more information and how to apply). **Bring a daypack and plenty of snacks/water for the walk on Saturday. There won’t be anywhere to get food along the way. **If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know a few days in advance and we will be able to cater to your needs. We will be providing vegetarian options as standard.  

Our Next event is Laser Tag Skirmish at the historic Maitland Gaol  ! Maitland Gaol is the longest continuously operating correctional institution in Australia. It held some of Australia's most hardened criminals including Ivan Milat . It is the only Jail in the world where you can play laser tag! We have booked out the entire jail during dusk and night Let's go ghost hunting! "Who ya gunna call?"  UNESN is storming the GAOL! Get ready to fight with high tech laser guns!  Buy a ticket before the price rises. The prices are: Presale: tickets are $65 First release tickets are $70 Second round tickets are $80 Final release tickets are $100 There are limited allocations, so get in quick!  How it is going down: 3:30pm we will meet at Newcastle Interchange 3:48pm we will catch the train from the Newcastle Interchange to East Maitland train station 4:25pm we will arrive at East Maitland train station and walk to the Gaol (5 min walk) 4:30pm we will arrive at Maitland Gaol and do a head count 4:45pm we will do the safety brief 5:00pm the shooting begins 8:00pm we escape the gaol and head for the trains (East Mailand Station) 8:15pm we will catch the train back to Newcastle Interchange 9:00pm we will arrive at Newcastle Interchange and you are relieved from duty.   What will you need: A Ticket Photo ID Opal card (to catch the train, you can get these at news agents) Enclosed shoes (you will not be permitted to play in sandles, thongs, burks) A hat (because the sensor will sit on your head) To sign liability waiver (will be emailed to you) Other goodies: Active clothing (you will probably want to be able to run) Warm jacket (for the way home) Water (as personal preference) Nibbles (as personal preference) Anyone and everyone is welcome. Students and non-students, internationals and locals! No discimination policy.

Student Night is back! Wednesdays unlocked, Saints & Sinners, Mid Semester Grinners, UNESN's student nights are back! Have you finished your mid semester exams yet? If not, come take a break from studying with us! If you have, then come celebrate! Our friends at Saints Bar are throwing us a specialty event, with exclusive discounts. Click Going to get the full access. This event, like all of UNESN's events, are open to both Australian and international students as well as any non-student guests! Photo ID is needed for entry so bring a government issued ID in ENGLISH Anyone and everyone is welcome to come, we just request you register for a free ticket so we can estimate numbers. You can get tickets here! Don't forget to get there at 6pm for $5 shots

The easiest class of the semester is upon us! Here at UNESN we like you to be educated, especially on the pub culture of Newcastle. So, the academic side to studying in Newcastle has kicked off but here at UNESN, we feel it's our duty to make sure your social education is getting the attention it deserves. *** BRING A CURRENT GOVERNMENT ISSUED ID WRITTEN IN ENGLISH WITH A PICTURE OF YOU ON IT*** Pour yourself into class and come study at some of Newcastle's best venues! Our lesson plan will go a little something like this: 6:00pm - 7:30pm: We begin our intro at the Honeysuckle Hotel. Maybe start your evening with a few $5 beers? Classy. 7:30pm - 9:30pm: Next we go to the Queens Wharf Hotel where the the drinks are cheap and the vibes are 11/10. 9:30pm - 11pm: Then we head to the Customs House Hotel. Maybe let your hair down? Who knows. 11pm-onwards: We finish up class with a boogie at Argyle House. Win! This is one class you're not going to want to skip!   ***NOTE*** Due to the ever evolving situation surrounding COVID-19, space is limited, and so you MUST register (it's free) so we can monitor numbers. We will be following all guidelines currently in place for NSW relating to COVID-19, and we ask that you DO NOT come to the event if you are sick.   See you there!

UNESN will be having its Annual General Meeting for the year of 2020. As COVID-19 vaccine production seems to be getting closer, and countries around the world are looking to open their borders back up in 2021, we at UNESN have hope that we will be able to host exchange students sooner rather than later.  If you would like to join our committee for 2021, you can nominate yourself using this form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BSWZLTM  We welcome both domestic and international students! Nominations close at 11:59pm on Friday 20 November 2020. At the meeting we will be voting on new executive positions and giving our annual reports.  The meeting will start at 6pm and should take about an hour at most. There will be free drinks and snacks provided for attendees. Location: Dixon Park Time: 6pm If you have nominated for a 2021 position, you are required to attend this meeting. Valid excuses must be addressed via email to unexchangesn@gmail.com before the meeting.