The Quest Has Begun!I’m sitting on the Eastern Foreshore at Mandurah, where the opening...

The Quest Has Begun!

I’m sitting on the Eastern Foreshore at Mandurah, where the opening ceremony for the 2018 Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games will be held in around 8 hours time. Countless hours of training, along with support from the Eaglehawk Fire Brigade got me to the point of traveling.

One of the Brigade members picked me up at 7 AM and dropped me off at Melbourne Airport. From there, it was up to me. Checked in my bags, printed a boarding pass and went through security, then settled down for a snack and a blog post while waiting to board.

The flight was uneventful, and we landed in Perth just before noon. Now the fun started with inadequate information. First, the wrong flight number was on the baggage carousel, but a process of elimination and observing the first few bags confirmed I was in the right place. I retrieved my bags then went looking for the bus.

Then things went a little pear shaped. The signs at the airport were unclear about where the regular city bus stop was, they only referred to the courtesy bus that ran between terminals. Google Maps were no help, directing me to walk 2km for what was a 150m walk! And the official app offers by walking maps or directions other than to go to X street. Luckily, a helpful taxi driver pointed me in the right direction, and I made the bus.

The next hitch was that I missed the next connection. My bus was a minute late and the connection was a minute early. Through a process of searching, studying maps and sheer wits, I found my way via another bus to a train station on the Mandurah line. From here, the rest of the trip proceeded smoothly.

The day’s events reminded me of the struggles many other autistics face when things don’t go to plan. But I am able to remind myself of my strengths and have confidence in my ability to overcome challenges. In this case, I knew my key assets were my excellent navigation ability and logical mind, with the ability to walk long distances the last ditch backup (I didn’t have to use that!).

Anyway, I arrived and checked into the motel, did a little looking around and caught up with a friend. Next little hiccup was the main supermarket closing at 6 PM. This is something that never happens back home, so I got a lift to the smaller supermarket that was open.

Today I woke up a little early. My early bird nature and probably a small amount of jet lag made sure of that! With some spare time, I decided to take a look around while waiting for the official Games centre to open at noon. Turns out the opening ceremony is just around the corner of my motel, and there’s also a triathlon that goes past

So that ends the travel and settling in. In the next couple of hours, I will check in, so I get my security pass and participant package, then head over to the track to suss out the venue and test spikes on the grass, before taking part in the opening ceremony at 6 PM.

I. The meantime, enjoy a few pre - Games photos.

- Tony via Tumblr https://ift.tt/2z7ziwY