Christmas travel in Australia isn’t a holiday – it’s an endurance event. Between packed highways, overheated airports and the collective decision of an entire nation to leave town at the same time, it’s a miracle anyone arrives in a festive mood. These three very Australian jokes sum up exactly what the great Christmas migration feels like … and why laughing might be the only coping strategy left.

Christmas travel in Australia is paying $600 to sit on a Jetstar flight where half the plane’s in thongs, someone’s brought hot chook onboard, and the pilot’s already apologising.

Nothing says ‘festive season’ like the M1 at a dead stop, the kids asking for the toilet, and realising you left home earlier and will still arrive late.

Australian Christmas travel is 40 degrees, a melting Toblerone in your bag, and that moment you realise everyone in the country decided to leave town at exactly the same time as you.