Border restrictions between South Australia and Victoria were officially lifted today, with many Victorians racing to border to enter the state for the first time in months.
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The South Australian Government announced the easing of border restrictions last Friday, along with other day-to-day restrictions.
For many, the closure of borders between the two states has caused a lot of hardship, however, you couldn't wipe the smile off the faces of those who have lined up at the Dukes Highway checkpoint this morning.
As soon as the clock struck midnight, travellers loaded up their cars and set sail for the border checkpoint.
A couple travelling from Stawell, who asked to not be named, said they were incredibly happy to see the borders reopen.
"We are incredibly happy that the borders are finally open - we can now go into South Australia and see family members that we haven't seen in months," they said.
"The family member we are planning to see hasn't been well and is elderly, so being able to see her means the world to us because we miss her very much.
"When the border was closed, we could only speak to her on the phone which was something, but we missed being able to actually see her."
While the many police personnel were kept busy with cars consistently waiting to cross the border, there were many travellers left puzzled when they were told they couldn't just enter SA without a permit.
One officer at the border checkpoint said they had experienced a number of travellers throughout the morning unaware that they needed make an application before entering the state.
"There have been a lot of people from Victoria who are unaware of the application system - they assumed they could just cross the border without a pass," the officer said.
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To help make the process easy for some people at the border checkpoint, police personnel set up a station where they could complete their application in person.
"We have helped a number of people complete their application from here - there have been people who have been unable to do it on their phones due to poor reception," the officer said.
"The process usually takes us around five minutes, but if we experience a number of people looking to do the same thing, the line does start to build up pretty quickly."
While many were unfazed by having to wait a couple of extra minutes before entering South Australia, there were some who were visually frustrated by the process.
One gentleman was heard using expletives after trying to complete his application on his phone, proclaiming that the reception was making it extremely hard for him.
Police personnel have asked Victorian travellers to be prepared before planning to cross the border.
"It's hard for Victorians, as they haven't really been alerted about the application system, but I would ask potential travellers to do some research before planning their trip," the officer said.
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Taylor Harvey
Taylor is the lone journalist at the Border Chronicle, which serves as a news medium for residents of the Tatiara. This is his first job in the field after completing his study at the University of Adelaide.
Taylor is the lone journalist at the Border Chronicle, which serves as a news medium for residents of the Tatiara. This is his first job in the field after completing his study at the University of Adelaide.
