The Filming of Bubsie | Red Cliff VIC

Monday: 21 April 

Transit and filming Bubsie with Big Lizzie  – Red Cliffs VIC

We awoke to a misty morning at Elmore after overnight rain, with mud clinging to our shoes as we prepared for departure. 

With assistance from our new team members—Rodney, Karen, and Kayla Pitt—we successfully loaded Bubsie onto the car trailer and secured it for transport. By 11 am, we bid farewell to family and began our journey northeastward to Mildura. The Victorian country roads proved challenging, with narrow single-vehicle passages and undulating terrain that necessitated cautious driving for a more comfortable journey.
We stopped for lunch at Wycheproof, a small town known for its unique athletic competition, in which participants run up Mt. Wycheproof carrying wheat bags. During this break, we tightened the straps on the trailer’s back doors, having noticed considerable movement while traversing the uneven roads.

Our plan to refuel at Ouyen’s Metro service station was thwarted when we discovered their automatic diesel pumps were non-operational. We utilised our emergency jerry can of diesel and continued our journey.

One highlight of our trip was filming Bubsie alongside Big Lizzie in Red Cliffs—two vehicles of historical significance in Australian development. Big Lizzie, constructed in Melbourne in 1915, embarked on a journey to Broken Hill that took 17 months, eventually reaching Mildura but unable to cross the flooded Murray River. It subsequently served in Merbein, transporting wheat and wool before being repurposed for land clearing in Red Cliffs. Frank Bottrill designed this impressive machine with innovative “dreadnought wheels” after witnessing camels struggling with heavy cargo across desert terrain. It was engineered specifically for the challenging Australian landscape with a maximum speed of 2 miles per hour.

Upon arriving at the Big Lizzie display, we unloaded Bubsie and filmed it circling Big Lizzie, capturing still photographs of both vehicles. Several passersby showed interest, providing an opportunity to share “The Overlander” book with them.

We then proceeded to Henderson College, where Principal Deveena Obst and John Prosser, who had been preparing for our visit, greeted us along with other staff members. We positioned the car in the school assembly hall in preparation for the following morning. Michael Boyd was particularly pleased to see the car, which his brother-in-law, Warren May, had helped restore.

Deveena kindly invited us to dinner at the Pizza Café in Mildura. After establishing our camp behind the assembly hall, we enjoyed a delightful evening with some staff members and an excellent meal. The hospitality shown by Henderson College was truly appreciated, especially the luxury of hot showers—a welcome change from the sometimes cold and limited facilities previously experienced. We concluded the day with a restful night’s sleep, grateful for these comforts.