The Bamara Care team, along with a group of 14 very eager participants, travelled from Dubbo down to Melbourne last week for the annual PAX Gaming Convention. This trip offered lots of firsts for participants, with many travelling interstate and by plane for the first time.  

Held at Melbourne Convention Centre, PAX is a festival of gaming, music and entertainment. Over four days, our participants got to test out the latest games on the market, and put their skills to the test, while also squeezing in some Melbourne sightseeing.  

The idea came from a participant who is an avid gamer in their free time. Word got around to other participants, both in Bamara Care and other local organisations, who all raised how much they would love to organise the trip.  

“The trip gained a lot of interest across Bamara Care and also from local Support Coordinators.”

– Aimee, Visual Care.

Participants flew into Melbourne on Thursday afternoon and settled into accommodation before heading into the city for a pub dinner.

The next morning marked the start of PAX. The group made their way to the Melbourne Convention Centre for a day of gaming excitement, visiting stalls, trying out games and meeting people in the industry.

Saturday saw some participants head back out for more action at PAX, while the rest of the group went to the Melbourne Aquarium and out for some shopping.

In the evening, everyone headed to a nearby arcade to fit in a few more games before calling it a night.

With Sunday being the last full day of the trip, this was a day of free time for participants. Trying out whatever piqued their interests, the group explored a range of activities, from shopping in the city to Build-a-Bear Workshops, spotting street art in the CBD and a quick round of laser tag.

The next morning meant waking up early to catch taxis out to the airport. Once everyone was checked in, they enjoyed an airport breakfast before flying back home to Dubbo.  

“This trip helped our participants with their independence, social and community skills.”

“All of our participants had a great time and really enjoyed the new experience of Melbourne.”  

– Aimee.

For many, visiting Melbourne offered a brand new city to explore, full of unique experiences and a big change in pace from Dubbo life. As one of the biggest Bamara Care trips so far, PAX may become a regular event for the team and participants, who all say they had an amazing time!  

“The trip was a success because of the fantastic team that attended and worked so well together.”

“I am so proud of the team I get to work with every day.”

– Aimee.

The trip would not have been such a success without the hard work of Simone, our Support Coordinator and trip organiser, who put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that such a big trip would run smoothly.

The Bamara Care team and participants had an amazing time and look forward to visiting Melbourne again soon!

About Bamara Care

Bamara Care is a registered provider of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).    

At Bamara Care, we take a holistic approach to each individual – acknowledging their unique circumstances, understanding what they want to achieve – so we can design our support and services around their life choices and goals.

At the heart of our organisation are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities.   

Learn more about how NDIS could help you.

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