Horrible? Wonderful? Conundrum

I discovered this morning that two conferences in which I normally participate annually are end on. The first is being held by the International Geographical Union Commission on the Sustainability of Rural Systems (IGUCSRS) and the second by the Pacific Regional Science Conference Organisation (PRSCO). I'm the Australia - Pacific representative on IGUCSRS steering committee and have attended every meeting for the last 14 years on every continent except North America ... and Antarctica ... and I've also organised two of its conferences in Australia, the only country to have held two meetings. I'm an organiser of the second conference and treasurer of the host organisation, The Australia and New Zealand Regional Science Organisation International (ANZRSAI). I've also only missed one ANZRSAI meeting in over 25 years and was also President of that organisation during the 1990s.

What's the problem you ask? Well, one runs from 13 to 18 July 2009 inclusive and the other from 19 to 22 July inclusive. I also feel that I must get to both because the host of the former is a very good friend, Lucka Lorber. And I have to get to the latter to attend the AGM (as ANZRSAI Treasurer) and one of the best meetings in its field in the world. PRSCO attracts delegates from China, japan, Korea, south-east Asia in general, ANZ, Canada, the USA (including I predict at least three heavies in whose homes I've stayed in the US, Mexico, Peru and so on ... i.e. the Pacific rim).

But there's a bigger problem. IGUCSRS is being held in Maribor and PRSCO in Surfers Paradise. Before you run to your atlases, I should point out that Maribor is in Slovenia (just north of the Adriatic) and SP is, of course, only 400 km from where I live here in Armidale. The destinations are separated by something like 18,000 km!

Nice problem. What would you do, assuming both are afforable? It makes getting to Darwin for the 2009 Planning Institute of Australia meeting look a doddle.


AS