Travel & Historic Display | Mundrabilla - Balladonia WA

Thursday: 25 December

Christmas-Ready Bubsie and Family Additions
Despite an early sunrise around 4 am, we enjoyed a relaxed start before departing Mundrabilla at 8:30 am. Warren decorated Bubsie with festive Christmas touches for photos, while Shane, Alison, and their son Jared joined our convoy westward – family adventures make the journey even more special.

Tailwinds and Madura Stop
Strong tailwinds pushed us efficiently toward Madura, delivering excellent fuel economy across the vast landscape. At Madura’s rest stop, we displayed Bubsie around the caravan park and station, sharing books with curious visitors while young Jared enjoyed his ride in the vintage car before we tackled Madura Pass.

Quiet Roadhouses and Missing Eagle
Brief stops at Cocklebiddy (where only one Wedge-tailed Eagle remained in the cage – mystery!) and Caiguna for lunch revealed most roadhouses closed today, creating an unusually quiet Nullarbor crossing.

Bushfire Drama on the 90 Mile Straight
Departing Caiguna, we learned a car fire ahead might close the highway. Travelling over the famous 150-kilometre straight, we passed the burnt-out hire car with grassland fires still burning roadside. Police and fire brigade vehicles soon overtook us heading to the scene.

Balladonia Arrival and Christmas Dinner
Reaching Balladonia around 3:30 pm (after adjusting watches back another 45 minutes), we settled into the caravan park for shade, family group chats spanning the globe, and a lovely 6 pm Christmas dinner together before showers and well-earned rest.

The Nullarbor crossing combines stunning emptiness, unexpected drama, and precious family moments – exactly what Australian road adventures are made of.