My favourite place in the world❤️

For most people, home is where the heart is, it is a place where they can be themselves, completely relax, and leave the world behind.

For me, there is so much more to the small town of Dromana that I call a home.

So what exactly does that mean?

Well, when I think about it, my home is the place where I grew up, the one where I’ve lived for over 44 years. Most people move to different parts of the world, or even different postcodes, but I have been a Dromana girl my entire life!

But just saying that, doesn’t accurately explain the special pull this town has for me, or the special place this town holds in my heart. So to do so, I must describe how important Dromana is, it’s beauty, heritage and the small town vibe. And in the process, I will give you a run down of what happened during my life on the Mornington Peninsula.

Growing up in the small town of Dromana, all we had was the bush or the beach!

During my earlier years, I found this a most restrictive lifestyle! Everyone either lived in a big city, or stayed somewhere with access to interesting places. Most people were able to travel, expanding their knowledge of what it is like to live in other locations.

And there I was, a little country bumpkin with very little opportunity to go out or socialise. My home boasted many heritage listed sites, the natural beauty of an untouched foreshore, and plenty of farms! My main past time was either sun baking or bush walking, go figure!

Back in the early days I craved excitement, wishing that the two busy weeks of summer would stretch out over the whole year! We had so many holiday homes that the place looked like a ghost town during winter, and no one visited us outside of the season!

So, every year I endured the same sleepy village, never really understanding why the locals enjoyed our tranquility so much.

Then one day, progress happened!

Many years into the future, and with two new children on the scene, our government decided to put in a highway, connecting our small town to the big city of Melbourne.

What happened next was something my peaceful brain could hardly fathom. One day I was walking through a tiny town with little activity, the next I was waiting in lines at the grocery store!

That strange occurrence turned out to be a population boom, one that I had no idea was coming!💥💥💥

I went from having my sleepy beach town of Dromana all to myself, to having to share it with people who were not only visiting, but making Dromana their permanent home!

That was the day we said good bye to our long time peace and serenity.

Dromana became a boutique destination, our farm gates suddenly had fancy displays, our retailers became exclusive, and our local family shopping centre was replaced by the most expensive IGA in Victoria.

We also saw a rise in modern restaurants and cafes, turning our plain shopping district, into a ‘place to be.’

Soon the cost of living became unsustainable for many. And a lot of the local community moved out of town to live in cheaper suburbs.

Added to that were the traffic jambs we were suddenly experiencing! The congestion was no longer limited to the busy two weeks of summer. We became inundated for most of the year, and turning your car right became almost an impossibility. ↩️↪️↗️⬇️

So what does Dromana mean to me now?

I love my home town! I live in the best part of the world, and if people want to come and visit then who am I to complain?

I’ve gotten used to all the new fancy shops and restaurants, and even appreciate the having access to some of the best meals on the Peninsula!

But of course, that doesn’t mean I go out and fight the new crowds on a daily basis. My home is as far into the bush as I can manage, and my favourite thing to do is go for a bush walk, sun bake (of course) and light up our fire pit!🔥

Overall all of this time, I’ve learnt to accept and value the things that are most important to me. Living in Dromana is in my blood, and I will always remain on the Mornington Peninsula. I plan to teach my kids to love their home, and never take for granted such a beautiful part of the world.

I hope that we can always keep some of the small town charm, but I understand that for the Penisula to be sustainable, we need to allow growth and development to happen.

After all, I can keep my memories of the old, sleepy Dromana deep inside, close to my heart! ❤️