What a way to wake up! We pulled back the caravan blinds this morning at Caiguna and were absolutely gobsmacked by the view. The dawn sky was putting on a proper show—soft pastels stretching across the horizon, with layers of clouds creating nature's own artwork above the endless scrubland. This is exactly why we're doing the Big Lap, folks. Where else can you roll out of bed and have front-row seats to the outback's morning theatre?
Lisa had the kettle on before I even had my boots laced, and we stood there with our cuppas just soaking it all in. The Nullarbor doesn't mess around when it comes to views—it's all big skies, sparse vegetation, and that distinctive sense of space that makes you feel wonderfully small.</p>
After a hearty brekkie, we packed up camp and headed into the Caiguna Roadhouse for a quick look around. What a ripper of a place! The joint is decked out with garden gnomes scattered under the gum trees and a vintage Schweppes sign that's seen better days but adds heaps of character. These outback roadhouses are quirky little treasures—each one's got its own personality, and Caiguna's no exception.
Then came the main event: hitting the road east. And by 'hitting the road,' I mean pointing the van down what has to be one of the straightest stretches of tarmac in the entire country. The Nullarbor Plain doesn't do curves, mate. The highway just shoots off toward the horizon like someone drew it with a ruler. It's hypnotic in a way—sparse vegetation, flat terrain, and that endless ribbon of road. You've really got to stay alert though, because the monotony can get to you.
We're making good progress eastward, ticking off the kilometres as we go. The Nullarbor crossing is definitely one for the memory books—it's testing the van, testing us, but rewarding us with experiences you just can't get anywhere else. Onward we go!</p>