A special day out with the dinosaurs
One of Amicus’ Children’s Services participants recently had an exciting day out.
Accompanied by his support worker, the young person travelled to Melbourne on Saturday 14 May to visit the Melbourne Museum.
It was not the first time they had been to Melbourne for a day outing but it was the first for some time, so everything was fresh and exciting.
Even more exciting was the chance to visit and experience the special dinosaur exhibition.
The participant, who turns 10 in October this year, has been with Amicus for almost three years with Robbie as his dedicated support person.
Robbie, who organised the Melbourne excursion said he really enjoys his time with the boy.
“We’ve got a good partnership,” he said, I have a soft spot for him … I’ve watched him grow over the years.”
“Usually we spend a few hours together on a Saturday, but I thought we’d do something different and have a day out.’
“We were originally planning to go to the zoo but then it looked like it would be raining, so we switched to the Museum,” Robbie said.
It turned out to be a good decision as the museum was hosting a special dinosaur exhibition.
The participant had a great time taking lots of photos on his iPad and looking at all the different dinosaurs. The triceratops display was his favourite.
Triceratops – The Fate of the Dinosaurs is an immersive experience where participants can explore the Cretaceous period, join in fun activities, ask the experts their dinosaur questions and get to know the creatures that lived in that era.
While at the Museum, the young person was also able to see the First Peoples display again and learn more about his Aboriginal heritage. While his carers had previously taken him to the museum and had provided the opportunity to attend, it was great for him to again experience this valuable cultural experience.
Another part of the fun was taking the train down and back and the participant was full of smiles.
They caught the train from Bendigo to Southern Cross Station and then made their way by tram to the Melbourne Museum.
“He loves taking the train. He was very excited looking out the windows,” Robbie said.
They took their own lunches and lots of snacks, but as an extra treat enjoyed some Hungry Jacks’ takeaway while waiting for the train home.
“We left at 9.30am and got back to Bendigo at 6pm, so it was a full-on day,” they both agreed.
While the participant has communication challenges, his expressions speak volumes and Robbie said it was easy to see how much he enjoyed the day and those exhibits and experiences were rated most highly.
“He looked at everything, but he spent a lot of time at the triceratops display.”
The Melbourne trip was a great time and the participant will always be able to remember the day by looking at all of the photos on his iPad.
