Photo credit: Michael Smith
Southland regional coordinator MaryAnn Hughes organised a fun day out for the families she supports in her area. For families who have special needs of a wide variety to consider, organising a family trip can be a nightmare to prepare and can cause immense stress before they’ve even stepped out the front door. Needless to say, a trip away even just for a day, where everything is organised for you and taken care of would have been a dream for the 12 adults and 14 children who were fortunate enough to go.
Upon arrival to the museum, the amazing staff provided a space at no extra cost called ‘The Friends Room’ where everyone could enjoy their lunch specially prepared by MaryAnn. The Friends Room was also used as a space for peace and quiet for anyone who needed time out at any point in the day.
The Southland families were treated to hands on and educated play at Discovery World and also some time to check out the weird and wonderful creatures in the Animal Attic. The highlight however was the Tropical Forest which is the only 3-level live butterfly experience in Australasia. Everyone got a kick out of all the exotic butterflies coming up and landing on them to say hello.
The fun didn’t end there though. En-route home, the bus took a tour around Dunedin where a running commentary of the sights and local history was provided by the bus driver. The group then stopped in Balclutha at the world famous cafe and gift shop Peggydale, for hot chips and ice cream on Parent to Parent Southland. Yummo.
MaryAnn would like to acknowledge McDermott’s Coachlines, the Otago Museum, Peggydale and photographer Mike Smith who took happy snaps of the day. This event would not have been as successful without their support.
Photos of the day have been shared on the Parent to Parent Southland Facebook page.
This event was made possible thanks to funding from Calder Stewart.
