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Mates make historic flight in hot air balloon over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre

A hot air balloon flight over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre made history over the weekend, narrowly avoiding wild weather.

abc.net.au ·

Mates make historic flight in hot air balloon over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre

A historic hot air balloon flight over the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre was completed over the weekend, marking the first time such a journey had been made. Victorian pilot Steve Timmis and his team set out to explore the full lake, which was unusually swollen. The team faced challenges, including wild weather and a lack of suitable conditions, but persevered.

After a successful three-hour, 40-minute flight covering 183 kilometers, the balloons landed near Marree. The crew celebrated with a beer before continuing their journey to Mildura. However, they encountered road closures, leaving them stranded in Leigh Creek. Despite the unexpected twist, Timmis encouraged others to explore the region, praising its beauty and growth.

Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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A round-trip flight from Incheon to Los Angeles takes about 13 hours. It is a distance of approximately 9,500 kilometers. That is the distance that Ji-Hyun Park, a 24-year-old women’s basketball player, travels every time she goes to play in the WNBA. Park, who plays for the Dallas Wings, is currently on a temporary leave from her team. She returned to Korea to play in the 2023-24 season of the Korean Basketball League (KBL) for the Shinhan Bank team. In an interview with a local reporter on the 26th, Park said, “The environment in the U.S. is very good. I can focus only on basketball.” She continued, “I am very thankful. I want to play in the WNBA for a long time.” Park, who is 1.96 meters tall, was the first Korean player to be selected in the WNBA draft. She was selected by the Dallas Wings with the 1st round 9th overall pick in the 2022 WNBA draft. She played 11 games in her rookie season, averaging 11.6 minutes per game. She scored 4.0 points and grabbed 2.8 rebounds. In 7 games this season, Park averaged 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game. The WNBA season typically runs from May to September. The Korean Basketball League season usually runs from October to March. Park will play in the Korean league until next month. She will then return to the U.S. to prepare for the WNBA. She said, “I will work hard to improve my skills during my time in Korea. I want to repay the Dallas Wings for giving me a chance.” She added, “I want to show that I can play an active role in the WNBA.”

·hani.co.kr

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