Now that mining revenue is reported to be on the downhill slide we will have to consider other means of boosting the australian gross annual domestic product. Things like tourism could help if we had an edge.

There are many manmade thermals in the environment. Rising collumns of warmer air created by the sun shining on darker surfaces. Roads, carparks etc. Hang gliders often utilise these to gain lift just like soaring birds. If the government was to deliberately cover a few acres of otherwise worthless land with black rocks or textiles a powerful thermal could be cheaply created. Spaced 10-15km apart we could have aerial highways. Free energy from the sun could keep flyers in the air for hours.

Could lead to long distance aerial races stretching hundreds of kilometres across australia. Maybe turn this country into a hang gliding mecca.