Day 1: Lorne Respite Adventure Begins!
What a fantastic start to our Lorne respite trip! We kicked off the day by picking up everyone from their homes and school, meeting up before hitting the road. We had a truly wonderful group this weekend, full of great conversations and engagement right from the get-go. It was lovely to see everyone chatting and getting along so well throughout the journey.
Our first stop was the Forrest Brewery Company for a delicious lunch. It was a great choice and everyone really enjoyed their meals.
After a satisfying meal, we jumped back on the bus, with conversation picking right back up as we continued our scenic drive down to the coast. We arrived at our Airbnb in Fairhaven around 3 PM. What a great spot! The accommodation was well-laid out, and we quickly got everyone settled into their rooms. There were no complaints as we allocated rooms and bathrooms evenly – a truly great setup.
After settling in, we had a bit of downtime. We then collaborated on a shopping list for our supplies. A few of us headed out to the only independent grocer in Aireys Inlet. The prices were a bit on the high side, so we focused on getting just what we needed for the evening and tomorrow morning, planning to pick up the rest later.
Back at the house, we all gathered upstairs for some relaxation. We put on a movie, Chicken Little, and everyone was pretty wiped out from the big day of driving, so it was a nice way to wind down. Around 5:30 PM, we ordered some pizzas for dinner. A couple of our participants joined for the drive to collect them. Once they arrived, we enjoyed our meal together before everyone started getting ready for bed, settling in with showers, PJs, and some footy on the TV.
It was a cruisy evening. Overall, it was a really solid first day to kick off the trip! Everyone is getting on so well, there's been lots of good chatter, and everyone absolutely loves the house. It's looking like it's going to be a great weekend for everybody!
