It is with pleasure we introduce our newest Fleurieu App team member - Elyse.

We know you as a reporter for the Fleurieu App. What is your work history prior to the Fleurieu App – how long have you been a journalist?

I currently work two casual jobs in retail, as well as freelance for the App. I have worked at Mitre 10 in Port Elliot for six and a half years and have worked at Coles in Victor Harbor for almost three years. I completed year 12 and went straight into my first year at UniSA, which is where I spent three years in full time study. This year, I graduated from university with a Bachelor of Journalism and Professional Writing. The Fleurieu App is my first paid journalism job, but some readers may remember hearing about me from my internship with Power FM and 5MU last September. I got my first taste of proper journalism work during my three weeks at the radio station, and I was lucky enough to write multiple stories a day and build up my portfolio for my future endeavours. 

Why the Fleurieu App?

I was looking for a way to enter the workforce as a journalist and I wasn’t getting anywhere with the job applications for full time work. The main reason for this was the need for experience, and even though I had just finished at university and was eager to join a newsroom, I was continuously knocked back.

When I graduated in April, I posted the news to Facebook and a friend mentioned that the App had advertised for a journalist in March. This was a perfect opportunity, as I live in Goolwa and needed to gain some experience as a proper journalist. I emailed Susie and we met for a coffee to discuss what I could do for her and how writing for the App could help my career. 

So far, it has been great to have the opportunity to write for a local news source. It has been hard trying to juggle two jobs as well as being available for freelancing, but I know it will all be worth it in the future. I am extremely grateful for Susie and Julia, who have been so helpful and encouraging during this time.

Why is the Fleurieu such a special place for you?

I have lived in the region since I was 13, when I started high school at Victor Harbor. I moved around a lot as a kid, which was hard especially with changing schools and having to make new friends. I told myself, and my parents, that if I started high school at Victor Harbor I wasn’t going to leave unless I was graduating. I have grown up enjoying what the Fleurieu has to offer. I spent time exploring Second Valley with my friends, swimming at Sellicks Beach and (once I was old enough) enjoying the wineries in McLaren Vale. If life takes me somewhere else in Australia, or even overseas, I do hope that one day I’ll be able to come back to the Fleurieu and settle down. It truly is one of South Australia's greatest regions. 

On a more personal note, tell us a little about yourself and what you love to do in your spare time.

It can be hard to find spare time between working, but I do enjoy giving myself some time to decompress and enjoy the little things in life. I love baking. My co-workers at Mitre 10 love when I have a baking day, because it often ends with me bringing in treats the next day for them to try. I love baking so much, for my 21st birthday I gifted myself something I had dreamed about since I was a pre-teen: a Kitchen Aid stand mixer in light blue. My favourite sweet things to make would have to be cupcakes, lemon tarts and cinnamon scrolls. 

I have two Golden Retrievers, Daisy and Wilson, who take up a lot of my time. We enjoy walking, enjoying the ocean breeze and the view as we take the trails along the coastline. I also enjoy being curled up on the lounge and reading books; however, my time and, sadly, my attention span has greatly decreased since I was a teenager. 

What is something that many people would not know about you?

I met Niall Horan, from the boyband One Direction, in 2018. Major fangirl moment! By the end of the day, I had been awake for almost the whole day. We had early morning flights to Melbourne, had to wait for the usual 2pm hotel check-in, then waited in line for the concert soundcheck and meet and greet to start and the actual concert started at around 7pm. By the time I was in bed that night I had been awake for 22 hours! It might seem crazy, but it was so worth it.

Your TOP TIPS

Best place to....

• Have a serious feed… Cockles in Port Elliot – amazing burrito bowls!
• Get a cuppa… Café de Carlo in Goolwa.
• Taste some wine (or just enjoy the winery atmosphere)... Down the Rabbit Hole in McLaren Vale
• Go for a dip… Sellicks Beach and Silver Sands
• Explore nature… Second Valley

When I’m on the Fleurieu and/or KI, I…

• feel… at home
• always make sure I visit… the Bluff lookout
• stock up on… fresh air and memories

Best memory of being here:

I have so many good memories here, but a lot of them probably come down to being a stupid teenager and laughing with friends. One I remember is going for a hike on one of my days off when I was in year 12. I was with my friend Taj, and we tried to walk through a muddy patch to make it to a good trail we had heard about. What we didn’t expect was for the muddy patch to be more like quicksand and suddenly had mud up to our calves. We were trying so hard to get out and  keep our shoes from coming off, but we were laughing so hard we kept almost falling over, face first into the mud we desperately wanted to leave. We were caked in mud by the time we got out and it smelled disgusting. We drove to Second Valley beach just so we could walk in the water and wash our pants and feet off. It was a chaotic day, but it was great. 

Most colourful character I’ve run into:

Working in retail you meet a lot of fun, colourful characters on a daily basis. It would be extremely hard to put my finger on just one! But if I have to… my friend Tamra takes the cake. She works with me at Mitre 10 and makes going to work so much better. She’s crazy, hilarious and has the same humour as me.

My best piece of advice for anyone heading to the region: 

Don’t try to walk across mud. Just kidding! My advice: take it all in. The beauty of the land, the amazing views, the local people. Talk to anyone willing to talk to you, you might find they have some pretty great stories to tell.