27 Signs You Grew Up In Port Macquarie

P-P-P-Peppermint Park is for Everyone.

1. You were actually born in Sydney, but your parents wanted to have the 'Seachange'.

...so they moved you up to one of the fastest growing towns in Australia.

2. You know that even though Port Macquarie fits into a single postcode, the rivalry between different neighbourhoods in the community is just as strong as between suburbs in any large city.

Lighthouse Beach FTW.

3. This.

Before moving to Port Macquarie: "We're moving to Port Macquarie."

After moving to Port Macquarie: "We live in Port."

4. You've complained at least once about the 'traffic' on Ocean Drive, even though 99% of the time it is usually like this:

5. You know that Port Macquarie has roundabouts everywhere, and STILL nobody quite knows how to navigate them.

Don't use the right indicator when going straight ahead; you only need to indicate left when EXITING the roundabout. Simple enough, no!?

6. Anything above a 5 minute drive to get to a beach is considered to be a travesty.

FYL if you lived anywhere west of Clifton.

7. You have a PhD in dodging potholes.

8. You know exactly what someone is asking of you when you hear the words "Meet me at Setto?"

9. Although, lets face it, Port Central may be smaller, but it was wayyyy better.

10. Even if you have moved away as an adult and returned to Port for a Holiday, you still point out and quietly judge all the tourists.

Even though they are the bread and butter of the local economy, they still drive you crazy.

"Bloody Tourists"

11. You know the jingles to Peppermint Park, Fantasy Glades, and Port Macquarie Camel Safari.

HEY HEY HEY, RIDE A CAMEL TODAY!

12. The dwarves at Fantasy Glades scared the shit out of you until you were about 5...

13. ...and then you got over it and only liked Fantasy Glades for the coin slot cars.

14. You were sin binned at least once from the waterslides at Peppermint Park for trying to form a 'train' with your friends, and your childhood cardio workout was constantly going up the hill to the top to join the slide queue.

'WALK, WALK, WALK. DON'T RUN, RUN, RUN. IF YOU FALL, IT WON'T BE MUCH FUN.'

15. If you wanted to hang out with your friends during winter in the 90s, 'SKATEPORT' was where it was at.

Rollerblading was so badass.

16. ...otherwise the other winter activities involved being mall rats in town, or going to Ritz Twin Cinemas.

Ultimate badass points if you smuggled cheeseburgers from 'Macca's Corner' into the cinema.

17. Even if you lived right next to the CBD, when you had to go out to do something, you were always "going to town".

"Meet me at Snax Corner?"

18. You know where you need to go if you need to catch a train...a place mispronounced by outsiders for eons.

19. In a town with very little public transport, getting your driver's license wasn't considered to be a privilege, it was considered a necessity.

...and once you moved away from Port, adjusting to reliable Public Transport was a real struggle!

20. If someone couldn't host a party, the rebellious underage drinking usually occurred at Camel's end of Lighthouse Beach, Shelly Beach, or the skatepark at the Breakwall.

Anywhere that wasn't near a house, really.

It's the cops. Quick, hide the Passion Pop!

21. Once you turned 18, you became familiar with the names Macca, Altitude, Beach House, and Finnians.

Or, if you're 29 and older, you would remember Altitude as Roxy's.

22. Call it Down Under as much as you like, but it was always 'Smuts'.

Even taxi drivers knew where you were referring to.

23. Your face when somebody says they live on Bennet Street

24. You never quite understood the old Eastport vs. Westport High or St. Paul's vs. Regional rivalry, but you fought for your faction to the death.

25. You too asked yourself "WTF is this?" when they erected this at the end of the Donut.

26. You know exactly what I'm referring to when I say 'The Donut'.

27. No matter where you go, or how far away you move, you will always have fond memories of 'Port'