Community Displays | Kalgoorlie - Merredin WA

Sunday: 28 December

Kalgoorlie to Merredin: Ghost Towns and Country Hospitality

Early Start Through Empty Towns
The early sunrise had us departing Kalgoorlie at 8 am, heading through Western Australia’s historic goldfields towns. First stop: Coolgardie, eerily devoid of people. Warren and Shane took Bubsie for a drive up and down the main road, discovering just how cozy the vintage car becomes when two adults squeeze in together – sometimes you don’t appreciate the compact engineering until you’re sharing the space!

Southern Cross Solitude
Southern Cross proved equally quiet with no foot traffic, prompting our decision to continue onward rather than linger in another empty town.

Merredin Lunch and Ashdale Welcome
Arriving in Merredin at 1 pm, we enjoyed lunch beneath a cool tree’s shade – simple pleasures after hours of driving through heat. Our accommodation at Ashdale with Malcolm and Rochelle Willis delivered outstanding country hospitality.

Evening Gathering and Story Sharing
Malcolm and Rochelle invited local residents and community members to join us, creating an intimate gathering of 15 people. Over light refreshments, we shared Bubsie’s remarkable story, demonstrating how country hospitality transforms simple accommodation into memorable community connections.

*From eerily quiet goldfields towns to warm country hospitality, the journey west revealed both the emptiness of remote Australia and the generous spirit of those who call it home.*

Coolgardie