After days of traversing the magnificent expanse of Western Australia, we've reached another significant milestone on our Big Lap journey. Today, we bid farewell to WA and rolled into South Australia, marking the occasion at Border Village—that famous outpost in the middle of absolutely nowhere that somehow manages to feel like somewhere special.
The iconic orange and white 'Welcome to South Australia' sign never gets old, no matter how many times you've seen it in photos. When it's your turn to pull up alongside it, caravan in tow, dusty from the Nullarbor crossing, there's a genuine sense of achievement. We joined the ranks of countless travellers before us, snapping the obligatory photos to prove we'd made it across another state border.
Lisa insisted our little Minion mate get his moment in the spotlight too, complete with his colourful lei. He's been a faithful travel companion, and it seemed only right he share in this milestone. It's these silly little touches that make the journey memorable, isn't it?
Of course, no stop at Border Village would be complete without visiting the giant kangaroo statue—the one proudly clutching a jar of Vegemite like it's the most natural thing in the world. Behind it stands that weathered directional signpost, pointing toward destinations both near and impossibly far: Perth 1,462 km behind us, Sydney 2,080 km ahead, and New York a staggering 15,075 km away. Standing there in the middle of the Nullarbor, surrounded by sparse scrub under an overcast sky, those numbers really hit home. We're about as remote as you can get on this continent.
There's something wonderfully Australian about these oversized roadside attractions—big bananas, big pineapples, and yes, big kangaroos with Vegemite. They're quirky, they're proud, and they give us road trippers something to smile about during these long stretches.
So here we are, officially in South Australia. The Nullarbor crossing is nearly behind us, and a whole new chapter of the journey stretches ahead. The excitement of crossing state lines never quite fades—each border represents new landscapes, new experiences, and new memories waiting to be made.</p>