EOS: We’re in Darwin!

After most of us drove from Adelaide we arrived in Darwin on Tuesday to find it wasn't as hot as we expected. Everyone is very welcoming and the town is alive with WSC racers!

The last few days have been spent at Hidden Valley raceway, meeting lots of the other teams and tweaking Lissie here and there. The girls who are driving throughout the race have been lapping the track to test Lissie's electonics and engine, getting a good feel of how she will drive on the open road. We've also had a look around town and even checked out the famous Mindil Markets, which were lively and full of great stalls and live music.

After picking Lissie up from the racetrack today, we visited quite a few interesting places:
1. Crocadylus Park. Here, we started by going through the large museum of skeletons, tanks, photos, carvings, leather goods and croc-related stuff. Then we headed outside to look at all kinds of crocodiles and alligators, of all different sizes, in the flesh. Some of the girls even got to feed huge crocs, including Eric (the biggest croc pulled out of Darwin Harbour). We all held a baby croc and were amazed at the softness of its underbelly especially.

2. Lunch at Darwin Casino. Thanks to the generosity of Mortgage Choice's Darwin franchise owners we had the Casino buffet! What can we say.. we're lucky we didn't have a lot of time to spend there or we would've had to roll out. Lots of good food to choose from - and lovely to sit down for while :)

3. Natural Fuels Darwin. This is a plant that is a global leader in the biodeisel sector, making biodeisel from palm oil. It also makes pharmaceutical grade glycerine that has extensive uses in cosmetic, medical and food applications. We were lucky enough to have demonstrated to us the computer system that helps the team there manage the facility's production, as well as tour the site. The workers also took a good look at Lissie and were interested to hear how we've created her new mechanics.

4. Scrutineering at Darwin Showground. This involved an overall check of Lissie including electrical regulations and meeting the expected requirements and overall safety standards. We're excited to say that after Lissie was inspected thoroughly and many questions asked (as happens with every other team) we passed and are ready for our journey. Plus, we got interviewed live for a Japanese kids show - cool, huh.

5. Chief Minister's Reception at Darwin's Parliament House. It was fabulous to see hanging in the grand building the flags of all 17 countries entered in the WSC. We heard from the Chief Minister and the WSC chairman before mingling with many of the other teams, sharing stories and taking lots of photos plus having our photos taken. Great fun.

6. Cold Rock Ice Creamery. What a way to end a happy and balmy day...