April 2009

Fifi's Aussie Adventure

Australia’s favourite weather girl is living out of a suitcase and loving it

WORDS KATHY BUCHANAN

She’s the sunny smile behind Australia’s most popular roving live weather show. Since launching on Sunrise on Channel 7 in January, Fifi Box, 33, has charmed the nation with her cheeky on-set antics and big heart as she travels around the country to bring us the latest on our ever-changing climate.

This bubbly blue-eyed blonde has entertained us with her comic performances on Dancing With the Stars and Thank God You’re Here. She even stripped live during her gig with Triple M radio for a rain dance at Parramatta Oval, in front of 200 chanting women, to break the New South Wales drought in 2002.

“My life motto is from the movie The Shawshank Redemption, ‘Get busy living or get busy dying’,” laughs the good-natured radio and TV personality. “Life’s so short and after what we’ve seen over the last few months with floods and fires — you really have to enjoy the moment. I believe in not taking things or people for granted and, most importantly, enjoying your life.”

One Sunday afternoon last year, Box, who is based in Sydney, answered the phone and was unexpectedly offered the gig of roving weather girl by Sunrise executive producer Adam Boland. “I’m not good at playing it cool so I went, ‘Yes pleeease!’ Performing live and having to think on my feet is something I love doing, so this is my dream job. I had no experience in weather but now I’m obsessed.

“I’m on the meteorology website every day going, ‘Is there a low trough off the coast?’ I do enjoy breaking out into a bit of meteorology speak just to show I can hold it with the best weather talkers!”

She’s only been in the role briefly but Box, who recently split from her boyfriend, says she’s barely scratched the surface and admits that the busy new role, which sees her waking daily at 3am, has been the ideal cure for the break-up blues.

“It’s fantastic to be able to travel to towns you’d never go to in your wildest dreams. Ingham was a great example — I bonded incredibly with the place. They were losing everything, yet offered to cook us dinner and to let us use their washing machines because we didn’t have anywhere to go.

“To see that community spirit and how people looked after each other was amazing. We all slept on the floor of the shire council because our hotel was flooded. I got maybe 20 minutes’ sleep then had to do my hair and make-up and go on live TV. The glamorous world of television!

“I knew that Australia was a wild weather country, but I never imagined in the first five weeks I’d be in natural disaster zones. Within 10 days there were heat waves, floods, bush fires and cyclones. It was as steep an initiation as I could possibly have gotten. It’s really fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stuff in that we literally fly here, drive there, whack on some make-up and good luck. It’s a very spontaneous job.”

This self-confessed workaholic — who also does the two-hour national The Fifi Box Show on the Today network on Saturday, her one day off — then adds happily, “Some people might find that a challenge, but I honestly love it.”

Sunrise airs on Channel 7 at 6am weekdays and 7am Sundays

Favourite Places:

YCW Beach on Phillip Island, just 90 minutes outside of Melbourne, for sentimental reasons because that’s where I learnt to swim. It’s a surf beach, my older brothers went surfing there and I’d be in the water in floaties.

Port Douglas is gorgeous!

Hamilton Island is amazing. Gorgeous accommodation, there’s catering for families and so much to do — water sports, the beach and great restaurants. What I really love about it is that it’s so affordable, accessible and beautiful.

Ingham. I met and bonded with so many wonderful people and I saw the Australian spirit in all these people coming together. It just reminds you of what a great country we’re in.

Fifi Box’s Onboard Essentials:

1. Lucas’ Papaw Ointment and lip balm as I get dry lips on the go so much.
2. I always have a great book with me by authors like Robert Goddard or Patricia Cornwall.
3. My iPod. I love a bit of Céline or Whitney, and have been known to break out into a bit of Bonnie Tyler.
4. A pen. I’ve got a Sudoku book and I go through the Jetstar magazine and always do the puzzles.
5. I always order chips and chocolate from the Jetstar kiosk as it goes down the aisle.