The Fleurieu through a local traveller’s eyes

Story by Zoë Kassiotis. Photograph by Jason Porter.

They say home is where the heart is. If that’s true, then I’ve left a breadcrumb trail of my heart across the world for the past five years, scattering pieces in music-filled Spanish plazas and sweltering Turkish bazaars. More recently there were moments on my one-and-a-half year-long van lap around a vast and ever-changing Australia when I felt an overwhelming sense of home in the remote seaside towns I fell so irrevocably in love with.

For me, it took packing up on a whim and embracing newness to discover what felt good, what lit me up and what I can live without. It was proving difficult to shape answers to life’s deeper questions when surrounded by a monotonous routine, the enemy of comfort and noise of those who felt they knew me, purely because they did at one point in time. This is why I’ve spent most of my twenties simply wanting to be elsewhere. In doing so I’ve exposed myself to new ideas, ways of living and accumulated knowledge from people and places – adopting what serves me and leaving behind what doesn’t. A wealth of wisdom from life on the road permeated the essence of who I am and inevitably steered me back home to Kaurna land.

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Above: Zoë in a washpool at the Port Noarlunga Reef, happily finding a traveller’s perspective to her home on the Fleurieu in her spare time.

my home through a traveller’s lens. I’ve been warmed to discover everything I loved about other regions is right here in all its natural glory: our surf, beaches, dive sites, hikes, produce, wine, artists and wildlife – the puzzle pieces of the Fleurieu – are as awe inspiring as anything I’ve ventured thousands of kilometres for.

I may not be travelling now, but I have decided to keep being a traveller. I get a vacation high from my new morning ritual at the Port Noarlunga Reef when I take my freedive gear and traveller’s eye to the reef at low tide. I feel a ‘rolling into a new town’ anticipation build as I ride down Southport hill, eager to lock my bike up at the surf club and swim out to the reef’s southernmost end. It’s this less frequented section where resident fish have seemingly begun to recognise my rainbow one-piece and guide me on new adventures. I like to think they’ve adopted me as one of their own as I explore the drop-off for as long as my breath will allow. Some of the fish are dressed in as much colour as any I’ve seen on the Great Barrier and Ningaloo reefs, or dare I say even anyone at the Willunga Farmers Market. After a market-hopping lap around the country, my local market still takes the lavender-brownie cake and fills my fridge, belly and heart like no other. morning adventure I simply did what I would do elsewhere and took my wet hair to write and spark up conversation with a familiar stranger at Goodness Coffee in Aldinga. I’d seen them savouring a mug there before, so I assumed they were local and asked what they think makes the Fleurieu special. ‘The community feels like a hug’ they say matter of factly – an answer that spilled out to the bustling courtyard without hesitation. I smiled because I couldn’t agree more.

Leading with curious eyes in the place I’ve always lived has involved making a conscious effort to seek out the new and indulge a world that exists outside my comfort zone. It’s been a beautifully refreshing mindset, which stopped me from slipping into the post-travel blues. I think adopting the curious eyes and heart of a traveller can help us all get more out of this unique region, as well as incite us to give more of our hearts to it.

I will always find a way to discover unfamiliar places – it’s who I am. But the community of inspiring people who inhabit this postcardperfect landscape is why the Fleurieu – in all its golden familiarity – will always be my home. After all, home is where you feel enticed to return.

Deanne Brown – Registered Conveyancer, Emma Nankivell – Certified Practicing Conveyancer and AICSA Division Councillor, Caroline Scott – Settlement Manager, Natalie Muirhead – Conveyancing Assistant

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