Oh Jewelia! Come on... play nice luvey 😛  The benefit of the gold coast is a wide range of very cheap accommodation, cheap eats outside of the conference and a very positive learning environment. 

If Sonia organises get togethers like ESS (Where I first met you), I'd be there in a flash. But for me, even with airfares, Gold Coast still works out cheaper for me than it would if it was in Sydney. Parking my car alone is now almost $50 a night... 3 nights... heck, my airfares were only $110 return. Sharing apartments is the way to go to bring the costs right down.

Anyway, I'd love to see you come along and experience this for yourself. We are not all well off, actually, far from it. But the trip is fully tax deductible... why wouldn't anyone who hasn't been not want to try it, just once :-x

Evil Elle B-)