World Solar combatants rev their engines batteries

The heat is rising here in the capital of Oz's Northern Territory ahead of tomorrow's starting flag of the World Solar Challenge. El Reg's Special Projects Bureau is here braving improbable humidity, Oz beer and internet connection shenanigans to bring you the very latest on the world's leading heliowheels, but at 8:30am …

[Bill Posters]

Final warning.

Watch out if a local offers you a 7 course meal....

a meat pie, (Kangaroo of course) and a 6 pack.

[Doug Burbidge]

Internet cafes

Internet cafés are not infrequent, so if your own internet access fails, you can try these. In the past I've written on a laptop and then used a thumb drive to copy my writing to a café computer and posted that way.

At the very least there are internet cafés in Tennant Creek and Alice Springs.

[Thomas 4]

And in next week's NT News

After pursuing a local felon in regards to a recent exclusive, a journalist for IT news website The Register was found being towed along the ground behind a 4x4. Police are baffled, along with everyone.

[DownUndaRob]

colour blind

Just for reference, the boys in blue in the NT wear Khaki.

And if your internet connection is fubar, I'm guessing your using someone other than Telstra for your service provider.

[DownUndaRob]

Kangaroo

Until you get south of Tennant Creek you have a better chance of hitting a buffalo, donkey or wild pig than you do a kangaroo.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice for weather for ducks...

...in air-conditioned asbestos suits.

Why do they hold it at this time of year? The middle of the Aus winter is 99% guaranteed sunshine, low humidity and cool. The opposite is true for the next six months.

Flame icon cos that what their pants will be feeling like.

[DownUndaRob]

for ducks

They hold it at this time of year because if they held it earlier they wouldnt get enough sun on the southern half f the continent to run the car, if they held it later they wouldnt get enough sun on the northern half of the country.

The southern winters are overcast most of the times anyways..

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: for ducks

Thanks for the info. I've never been to the southern half of the country during the summer. Up here in the tropics it's cloudy for most of the six month summer wet season. Last dry season was cloudy and wet for the best part of six months too so we had 18 months of almost constant cloudy and wet weather. It was like being back in Blighty.

I'll get me raincoat.

[Andus McCoatover]

Lester's got the best job in the world...

But the quote "big swinging dicks" got me wondering.

Lester's in OZ.

Rintacella - the dyslexic version of cinderella ( the gairy fodmother turning 12 mite whice into 12 dorny honkeys with dig bicks and bairy halls).

Who'se covering his ass (I mean, new donkey - or was it female, in which case the above expression - covering - is possibly more relevant...)

[DownUndaRob]

The NT News Facebook Page reports

at: 13:30 (ACST)

The Solar Car Challenge might be interrupted. Bushfires NT have just informed us they are planning to close the Stuart Highway, at Barrow Creek, due to raging bushfires

[Lester Haines]

Re: The NT News Facebook Page reports

Correct. We got held up at Waukhope, 110km north of Barrow Creek, along with three of the teams. They're not moving until tomorrow, but we eventually made it to Alice Springs.