2008 AusIMM New Leaders Conference!!

This year the AusIMM New Leaders Conference lived up to expectations once again! The conference was held in Wollongong, which turned out for to be a great adventure! Me and 6 other QRC student ambassadors flew down for the conference, with some staying on to compete in the Mining Games! The conference itself was incredibly diverse and informative, making me excited to get through uni and out into the industry! Some of us were conference veterans; however the majority was fresh new faces. The mining industry is a small world, and the people you meet at these events often appear again. I am still in Uni and already I find myself crossing paths with people / students who work / aim to work within the tight knit community that is the mining industry!!

The days spent in Wollongong were great, the nights were perhaps even better, and the locals took great care of us making it an all round amazing trip! I had never been down that way before, and it’s not your stereotypical Coal mining town as far as lifestyle is concerned! You live right near the ocean, the scenery is green and fresh, the town is right near Sydney for all those big shoppers and the surf looked great! I had no idea! Definitely not a bad place to visit, and definitely not a bad place to work either! I learnt a lot from this trip, and hope to be lucky enough to attend next year’s conference!