Energy Breakthrough...

The Energy Breakthrough Challenge is a somewhat bland name for a very exciting event that we have had the pleasure of witnessing the last few days. This weekend [Thursday to Sunday], is the biggest thing in Maryborough's calendar. Seventeen years ago, somebody got the idea to give the school kids a challenge to build some alternative energy cars and race them! It is a team project and they are required to give presentations on their projects and raise money to sponsor their vehicles, shirts, caps, etc.



The RACV [Royal Automobile Club of Victoria], sponsors the event. 600 volunteers from all over help with marshalling, policing etc. 6,000 school kids from 200 schools in 90 some odd different events. The town of Maryborough's population increases from 8,000 to 28,000 during this event [they have lots of parental support]. The beautiful cricket ground down in Kings Park turns into a gigantic campground. Some of the town's streets are incorporated into the race track for the gruelling 24 hour endurance relay of Human Powered Vehicles.



Primary schools [grade 1-6] are involved in building push carts and racing them with one student riding and steering the cart, while another pushes. Boys and girls, compete with equal enthusiasm. Each team has its own uniform and support team. It is a very intense time for the kids, they have been working for months in preparation for this week.




They also have a competition to build a floating vehicle [boat] that must carry a can of pop down a long trough filled with water, propelled by some sort of energy. Solar panels, compressed air and other strange innovations are used. Some of the designs seem as if they had more fun coming up with some unusual appearance as well. Prior to racing any of their contraptions, they must do a presentation describing their inventions. All projects are worked on in teams. Believe it or not, that object that those two kids are holding is a solar powered crab. It won the heat.


The High school kids [grades 7-11] make some very sophisticated vehicles. They are all pedal powered but also require lights for night running, brakes and a horn, as the race they go in is a continuous 24 hour relay. There are pit stops where the drivers change over after about five laps of the track. The track is about two K's long. Speeds of 50 KPH are achieved. This may sound very dull and unexciting. Quite to the contrary, the enthusiasm is contagious. It is exciting to see these young faces so motivated in unison. They are all fitted out with knee pads, helmets, gloves and elbow pads.

The Human Powered Vehicles have the driver seated in a very stretched out position and pedalling with his feet. They are securely strapped in with helmet, goggles and water tube stuck in his mouth. The temperature today in the shade, sipping water was mid 30s C. I imagine a kid in one of those rigs would lose a litre of water in 10 minutes, at least.



We watched the start on Saturday from a great vantage point near the starting line. Lyn works for the RACV as a Traffic Safety teacher. She visits schools around the state of Victoria and is sponsored by RACV to instruct primary children in traffic awareness. That is why she is invited to share lunch and a good viewing spot from the corporate tent. Any lucky Canadians who happen to be visiting her are invited also.




They also have a small midway and refreshments area, but the accent is on the event and the teams, not the amusement side. Although, as I write this at 9.17 PM I can hear the upbeat music from Prince's Park a kilometre away.



As I am writing this the current federal government here is going down to defeat to a Labour Government. Get ready to hear about Mr. Kevin Rudd. [Mr. Slicko.]

Four more sleeps.