Aussies on Mars attack

HAS there ever been life on Mars? A group of Australian scientists hope they can help solve that question and are working with the US space agency NASA on its next Mars mission, planned for 2020.

NASA is sending another rover to the red planet for a survey of its rocky landscape. Scientists from the University of NSW’s Australian Centre for Astrobiology are helping select a site for the rover to explore.

The rover will carry out seven experiments on Mars, one of which is being spearheaded by Australian Dr Abigail Allwood, making her both the first Aussie and woman to lead such a project. ALEISHA DAWSON THEY’RE jaw-dropping, have out-of-this-world features and sell for millions of dollars.

The top 10 Gold Coast property sales of 2017 included an array of waterfront residences from Hope Island to Palm Beach.

But there was one noticable absence – despite the city being known for its highrises, an apartment sale failed to make the top 10.

The Coast’s mega mansions dominated the list with two selling for $16.5 million each to tie for the top spot.

The Gold Coast trumped Brisbane, with an Ascot home which sold for $8.8m the capital’s biggest sale.

While millions of dollars behind Sydney’s top sale – a Double Bay mansion that went

for a cool $71m – the Gold Coast was hot on the heels of Melbourne with the $16.8m for a Toorak house topping Victoria’s list.

Of the two top sales on the Coast, one was a “secret home” at Hope Island that changed hands in July.

A Vietnamese businessman bought the waterfront residence at 2620-2622 Virginia Drive in an off-market deal

through Wendy and Warren Hickey, from Hope Island Resort Realty.

“We weren’t allowed to take photos until after it had sold,” Ms Hickey said.

“It is really hard to sell a secret but a home with this calibre attracts a lot of wealthy attention. We have a good network of buyers who we privately showed the home to.

“We knew what our Vietnamese