You know it’s going to be an interesting week when the pilot comes on the intercom to tell you that the runway lights have failed. He doesn’t wish to alarm us but it’s the first time this has happened in his 25 year flying career…

Darwin is Australia’s northern-most capital city – and that means just getting here can be a challenge. More than 60 nationalities make up the population of 100,000 and the city has been flattened twice – once by the Japanese in World War Two and then by Cyclone Tracey in 1974.

According to The Rough Guide, ‘it’s now a hip city to visit, rather than the just the end of the road for lost souls’.”

It’s also the start of the road for the 40 teams taking part in the 2013 World Solar Challenge. I arrived at the hotel in the early hours of this morning with a nicotine-addicted taxi driver. Little did he know that he was churning out more emissions that these machines will produce during the entire 3000km trip to Adelaide.

I’m here covering the race for the Sunday Times, Metro London and CAR magazine. Over the next few days I’ll be posting as much as I can on the build up to this quirky event, wi-fi and jet lag allowing….