I saw the story in Sydney as well. One of the guys said he was still learning to kite. Still, the story had a positive, if not quirky spin. Good luck to the lads. Anybody know them?
The Sahara Desert is more than nine million square kilometres of hot sand but that will not stop two men sailing it.
For the past three months Geoff Wilson and Garth Freeman have been going to Stradbroke Island off the coast of Brisbane.
It is a long way from Africa and the only thing in common with the Sahara is the sand.
On their purpose built kite buggies they have been mastering the skills they need to sail for as many as 40 days across the Sahara.
The temperatures will rise above 50C on the journey that is roughly the same distance as Cairns to Tasmania.
"The main risk other than injury is the southern area," Geoff said.
"There's about 250km that in the late 1980 to early 1990s they mined as part of a war between Algeria and Morocco.
"We cannot leave the road there."
And al-Qaeda is still active in some parts but if that is not enough of a challenge they have decided to make a race of it against two equally mad New Zealanders.
"The race will be in multi-stages about 11 stages and each leg will be a timed leg so it will be accumulative time total," Garth said.
If they make it they will set a world record and be helping charity.
The men are supporting a charity based out of Cambodia that rehabilitates girls out of the child trafficking and child sex trade.
They are asking the general public to support them and sponsor them per kilometer.
It should be an interesting adventure indeed especially considering Geoff is still learning how to fly his kite.
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