**NEW IMPORTANT INFO**


Hello finned friends!


We have finally locked in some more activities for Mercon this November! We are so excited to share this all with you and hope it persuades you to come visit us in the lovely blue waters of Busselton, Western Australia.


After much thought and many brainstorms we decided that we wanted Mercon to be about YOU. It isn’t going to be a publicised festival where we perform for the public or sell tickets to make money. We aren’t all performers and we care more about meeting and getting to know each other and celebrating our mutual interest in the ocean and everything mermaidy! That doesn’t mean we won’t attract some attention! A large group of mermaids is bound to cause a splash! There will be some costs involved to cover certain activities but everything is voluntary and kept to a minimum!


So without further ado here is some more information about the activities set out above!


Friday the 25th


Today starts quite casually. We will meet up on the beach at the Busselton Jetty for a chance to meet each other and have a bit of a splash. We will also have a little bit of a chat about a few of the activities on the next day. We want to make sure everyone is safe and knows to look out for each other!


We have also organised a session of the iconic mermaid film “Splash” to be screened at Busselton’s outdoor beach cinema thanks to the council. As it will be a community event the public will be welcome but at this stage it means that movie tickets will be free for us mers! Bring a picnic blanket if you can (or even your beach towel!) and grab some takeaway fish and chips to enjoy while watching!


Saturday the 26th


Today is a big day. We have a couple of wonderful photographers volunteer to come take some photos of us enjoying the water!


You have two choices:
a) A long walk or train ride to the end of the jetty where the water is clear and 8 metres deep. Here you can be shot by our underwater photographer. You can also bring a mask and enjoy the sealife and coral under the jetty! You must be a strong swimmer in order to do this and do so at your own risk! If you have a lot of experience in your tail, have freedive or scuba experience – this will be the adventure for you!
b) Or you can stay at the start of the jetty for a beautiful swim and photo shoot in the shallower crystal blue water. Under the jetty makes for a gorgeous backdrop, with pylons and rustic wood to pose and recline on. The perfect white beach sand also makes for beautiful photos – especially with that ocean for a backdrop!
Now for some fun later on in the day...


The Mermaid Cocktail Gala!


We have organised a great chance to glam up and socialise while also getting to experience the beautiful Busselton Underwater Observatory. Entry for viewing is normally $30-40 alone. For $59 each we have organised quite a few extra treats and some time for us mermaids to have the place to ourselves...


We leave the top of the Jetty at 5pm to catch the train to the end of the Jetty. On board we will have a glass of wine and some canapés.


At 5.20 we arrive at the end of the Jetty and have access to the Underwater Obseravatory to enjoy the wildlife beneath the jetty through several different windows on different levels. Down here we will be provided with bottled water and hope to put together a little presentation for you (it won’t be boring I promise!).


At 6.30 we return to the top of the observatory to grab a mermaid cocktail which we can enjoy at the end of the jetty while we mingle and watch the sunset.


We will then be provided with coffee and chocolate on the train ride back down the Jetty at 7pm!


Don’t worry under 18’s. You are still welcome and we will organise non-alcoholic options!


Sunday the 27th


What we have planned for Sunday is flexible but depending on interest and numbers we would like to introduce you to the friendly stingrays at Hamelin Bay an hour away from Busselton. Don’t worry we have bus hire lined up to get us all there together! The cost for you depends on numbers but we hope to keep it minimal! We plan on having lots of fun in the water here. Bring your go-pros and underwater cameras!


Let’s also get a fantastic group photo while we are here!
We are also planning to have a little fun with showing off what we have learned about each other this weekend by voting for some mermaid awards. Who was the class-clownfish this weekend? Who was Mer-congeniality?


Please bring a packed lunch that we can enjoy in the nearby national park before the hop back on the bus to Busselton.


After a bit of rest let’s get together once more for an evening BBQ on the beach to wind down and reflect on the weekend. We will also present the Mermaid Awards we voted on earlier!


More detailed information will be provided about times and places closer to the date. We will also have some forms to fill out once we start getting confirmations so that we can get to know who is coming!


ACCOMMODATION NOTE


This particular weekend is leavers/schoolies weekend in WA. These revellers mostly skip Busselton and go further south but many holiday parks and hotels often want to make sure that you aren’t a rowdy teenager when you book! If you are finding that accommodation looks booked out – try giving them a ring directly as they may just be screening for school leavers!

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