Melbourne trip!
We're here for the games conferences/conventions GCAP and PAX AUS, but those haven't started yet. We gave ourselves a few days to rest beforehand and BOY did I appreciate that today.
The plane trip went very well, no problems getting wheelchairs in the airports, but I still have sore legs and arms from what walking and carrying I ended up doing.
We're staying in Melbourne Short Stay Apartments near the Crown Casino, they're really nice! About the same cost as a hotel, but like a little apartment with kitchen and washing machine, and only serviced once a week. There's a small IGA supermarket at the bottom which is very convenient. No restaurant attached but there's plenty nearby and they had a brochure for a delivery company. The view is AMAZING.
I rented a wheelchair from Mobility Scooters for Hire since they had the same model I use at home, the Meritz Maverick. Except it was booked, so I ended up with the next larger version, the Cougar, and it is a freaking tank. A bit beat-up and rusty but super fast once it gets going, with a big battery. I was worried I'd bang into things all the time with the larger size but it's not too bad. The wheelchair and apartments people did a good job of getting the wheelchair into our rooms for when we arrived, despite some issues with office hours, my credit card, and what name I booked under that they were very patient about.
It's missing the tip of the controller and the speed setting is stuck to maximum, though I can still go slowly if I only push the controller a little. Also the higher centre of mass makes me feel like I'm going to tip over backwards on hills. But those are bearable compared to the terrible chair I got last time, which burst into tears at wonky pavement and had to be recharged at least once per trip.
We have eaten at the Crowne foodcourt (adequate) and Kitchen Workshop Buffet (cheap and kind of mediocre), with the intention of more distant and interesting food when we are less exhausted. Casinos are reliably accessible, when I'm taking advantage of this fact I try not to think about the reasons why.
The Woolworths nearest here has STAIRS, and a slow and irritating wheelchair lift. Bah to that.
I left the house KNOWING I had forgotten things, they turned out to be an over the counter medication (easily fixed) and my business cards (AAHHHH)
Tomorrow I visit a friend, and then GCAP starts! I'm hoping to meet up with various other cool people over the week (*waves to pebblerocker*) including a bunch of people I recently met via a discord server for non binary people that is like 80% Australian game devs. A lot of my time is going to be spent flopping on this couch instead but it's a nice couch with a good view in a cool city, things could be worse :)
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