National Iris Convention 2013

Iris Society of Australia – NSW

Saturday 26 to Wednesday 30 October Leura, Blue Mountains, NSW

The Convention will be based at The Waldorf Leura Garden Resort and all tours will leave from and return there.

We have block-booked accommodation at The Waldorf to ensure there are rooms for our delegates. We strongly recommend for your convenience and comfort that this is your ideal Convention base. Please book your accommodation at your earliest convenience.

PLEASE NOTE: it is not possible to book your accommodation at the Waldorf Leura Garden Resort online as the Convention has block-booked. Either phone: 61 2 4784 4000 or email: reservations@leuragarden resort.com.au . To obtain your discounted price you must mention that you are a delegate of the National Iris Convention.

Rooms on the ground floor are suited to any with mobility issues.

Resort Room 2 paxs $150 Saturday night$100 Sun/Mon & Tuesday

Deluxe Room 2 paxs $175 Saturday night$125 Sun/Mon & Tuesday

Family Rooms and Family Suites are available if there are groups looking to share accommodation. Breakfast is included with the tariff.

OverviewOn the first day we will do a little sight seeing in the Blue Mountains, then attend the Iris Show at Wentworth Falls School of Arts. There will be plenty of Irises to view. There will be workshops on Iris Judging, Ikebana and talks on Iris. Over the subsequent days we will visit Craignish Garden, Trish October’s garden, Everglades Gardens, Eidolia Park, Mayfield Garden, Chapel House, Woodgreen, Kookaburra Gardens, Blue Mountains Botanic Garden and Mount Victoria Garden. We are offering an excellent selection of gardens, some of which are not usually open to the public.

We will visit The Bay Tree Nursery , Mt Victoria, owned by Bill Gratten who specialises in unusual trees, shrubs and perennials. There will also be the opportunity to purchase iris and other plants at the Iris Show on Saturday and during the tours.

Our guest speakers include Robyn Brader, iris species collector and Keith Keppell, leading USA iris hybridiser.

GET YOUR REGISTRATION FORM HERE (Click through to reg. form)

GET YOUR FULL ITINERARY HERE (click through to itinerary)

Travelling to Leura

TrainFrom Sydney you can catch a train from Central station to Leura.

If arriving by plane the International Airport Station is easily accessed from the Airport. Go to www.airportlink.com down load timetables. You will require a ticket from the International Airport Station to Leura in the Blue Mountains. This is at your expense.

TaxiIf arriving by train, taxis are readily available at Leura Station. Go to www.katoombataxis.com.au/ or phone 4782 1311. There are usually taxis waiting at the roundabout near the station steps. This is at your expense

Airport busThere is also a bus transfer service available from Sydney Airport which will deliver you to your Leura accommodation. Email AAC Passenger Airport Express airportexpress@bigpond.com for information. This is at your expense.

Blue Mountains – World Heritage Area

The Blue Mountains are a vibrant tourism destination offering everything from great outdoor experiences to fine dining. Blue Mountains Trolley Tours and Blue Mountains Explorer Bus both offer a great way to make your way around the various tourist destinations with an all day hop on and off ticket. There are also day trips to Jenolan Caves available. For further information please visit www.visitbluemountains.com.au

IMPORTANT many of the gardens that we visit are unsuitable for those with limited mobility.

If you require further information please email Convention Coordinator, Sandy Luxford at sluxford@tpg.com.au or phone 0410 312 827.

REGISTRATION FORMIRIS SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA NATIONAL CONVENTION 2013

Hosted by the NSW RegionSaturday 26 – Wednesday 30 October 2013

Register before 31 August 2013 to obtain the early bird discountPost this form (incl payment if paying by cheque) to

ISA-NSW, P.O. Box 7196 LEURA, NSW AUSTRALIA 2780

Name /s………………………………………………………………………………….

Preferred name/s on name tag…………………………………………………………

Home Address……………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Phone……………………………………Email…………………………………………..

REGISTRATION FEESFull rate*** Early bird

rate**Please select

Circle Payment method

Full convention registration 4 days*

$420.00 $385.001 Cheque / MO

Or

2 EFT

Or Daily ratesDay 1 $90.00 $85.00Day 2 $110.00 $100.00Day 3 $130.00 $120.00Day 4 $90.00 $80.00

TOTAL

* Incl 3 lunches and 4 dinners, all tours, entries, demonstrations and talks** Early bird rate applies for registration received by 31 August *** Full rate applies for registration received after 31 August

Payment options Cheque (payable to Iris Society – NSW). Please mail all cheques to PO

Box 7196, Leura, NSW, Australia 2780 with your registration formOR

Electronic Deposit – Account name: Iris Society NSW BSB 032-828 Account No 16-9814 – essential that your name is included

Any Special Dietary Needs…………………………………………………………

Gluten Free Yes / No Celiac Yes / No

Vegetarian Yes / No

Do you wish to have your Name and Address included on the Guest List which will be circulated to delegates? Yes / No

Room Reservations are separate from conference registration! Please contact Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort, 20-28 Fitzroy Street, Leura phone: 61 2 4784 4000 or email: reservations@leuragardenrestort.com.au and state you are attending the Iris Society Convention for your discounted price. Rooms on the ground floor are suited to any with mobility issues.

ITINERARYSaturday, 26th Oct.

9-11 am Registration and welcome of delegates, at Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort

11 am Coach departs for Scenic World, experience the world renowned Scenic Skyway, Scenic Railway and Scenic Cableway – all provide outstanding views of the World Heritage Blue Mountains, experience the magic of the rain forest from the comfort of the boardwalk.

12:30 pm Coach departs for The Iris Show at Wentworth Falls School of Arts

1-4 pm NSW Iris Show. Lunch at Show at own cost, (catering ceases at 3 pm).

4 pm Coach returns Delegates to Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort

7 pm Welcome and Presentation Dinner in The Olive Tree Restaurant, Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort. Guest speaker Robyn Brader – Plants in Wild Places

Sunday, 27th October9:30 am Coach departs for Craignish Gardens – established by Dr.

Loveridge, an Iris expert, now owned by David Little & Peter McCamley who specialize in wonderful topiary and alpine plants

10:45 am Coach departs for Everglades Gardens – created in the 1930s Everglades is 13 acres of beautifully terraced garden filled with exotic trees from throughout the world with spectacular vistas of World Heritage National Park. Note: this garden is not suitable for people with limited mobility, many steps.

11 am Everglades Garden Tour

12-1 pm Buffet Lunch Everglades

2:30 pm Coach departs for Trish Oktober’s stunning garden, Katoomba

3:15 pm Coach departs for Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort

3:30 pm Workshop on Staging & Judging Iris by Sidney Linnegar, expert & well known Judge for the British Iris Society

4:30 pm Ikebana Demonstration by Sandra Cottee who has studied Ikebana extensively including workshops in Japan

6pm Dinner at The Jasmine Restaurant, Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort

7:30 pm Talk by Keith Keppell, USA world renowned iris hybridiser.

Monday, 28th October

7:00 am Coach departs for the 15-ac garden of multi award winning Iris hybridisers Graeme Grosvenor & John Taylor, “Eidolia Park” just outside Millthorpe. Convenience stop at Bathurst.

9:30 am Arrive at “Eidolia Park” for morning tea and garden tour

11:30 Coach departs Millthorpe. Convenience stop at Bathurst.

12:30 pm Coach departs for Mayfield Garden – one of the largest privately owned cool climate gardens in the world.

1:15 pm Arrive at Mayfield Garden. Picnic lunch provided. Note: Mayfield Garden is not suitable for people with limited mobility, many stone steps.

3:45 pm Coach departs for Chapel House – surrounded by 9 acres of cool climate award winning gardens

4:50 pm Coach arrives at Chapel House for garden tour

5:50 pm Coach departs for Lithgow. Dinner in Lithgow

7:30 pm Coach departs for Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort

8:15 pm Coach arrives at Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort

Tuesday, 29th October9 am Coach departs for Evans Lookout, Blackheath with wonderful views

of the Australian bush

10:30 am Coach arrives Woodgreen, Peta Trahar’s garden. Morning tea will be served. The 50-year-old garden is located on a 60 acre Angus cattle stud in the Blue Mountains overlooking the Sydney skyline. The garden is richly planted with rare and unusual trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs … including Iris. Followed by a visit to “Kookaburra Gardens” owned by Tina Brauer, Bilpin. It contains a mature arboretum of rare shrubs and trees, dams with Water Iris and gardens of collections of Bearded Iris. A striking clipped Cypress hedge borders over fifty varieties of Maples, a Silver Birch grove, a walled Rose garden, perennials and shrubs

12:30 pm Coach departs for Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah –home to a world class collection of plants both from the cooler southern hemisphere and the northern hemisphere.

1 pm Picnic Lunch provided at Blue Mountains Botanic GardenEnjoy a screening of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Movie

3:45 pm Coach departs Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens for

The Bay Tree Nursery, Mt Victoria, owned by Bill Gratten who specialises in unusual trees, shrubs and perennials. The following plants will be in flower: peonies, magnolias and pacific coast Iris.

5:45 pm Arrive at Mount Victoria, the garden of John and Carmel Niland. It is a romantic garden that curves around a hillside with glorious vistas. Arbors, a chain of ponds, azaleas, rhododendrons, iris, roses, poppies, a laburnum arch, kitchen garden and orchards spread under a canopy of maples and mountain ash.

6:30 pm Farewell Convention BBQ dinner at the Nilands’ home

8:30 pm Coach departs for Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort

Wednesday, 30th

8 am Breakfast and travelling delegates depart this morning.

Woodgreen Garden

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden

Everglades Garden

Mt Victoria Garden