Legendary Australian outlaw Ned Kelly will finally be laid to rest beside his mother in-line with his final wishes at a plot not far from the site of his last stand, reports said Wednesday.

Smoke damaged some buildings housing telescopes at Australia's top astronomy research observatory, but fire-proofing work prevented “catastrophic” damage from a weekend inferno, officials said Tuesday.

Raging wildfires destroyed at least another 28 homes and licked at Australia's leading optical space observatory on Monday, officials said, but spared giant telescopes that have mapped far-away galaxies and discovered new planets.

Australia's top research observatory home to several telescopes used by scientists from around the world was under threat from wildfires Sunday as hot weather and lightning storms stoked scores of new blazes.

Firefighters were battling scores of wildfires raging in Australia Saturday, as a government commission warned that climate change had raised the risk of scorching heat waves becoming more frequent.

It was not quite a “Snakes on a Plane” scenario, but passengers on a Qantas jet watched in amazement as a 3-meter (9-foot) python clung to the outside of their aircraft during a flight.

Record temperatures across southern Australia cooled Wednesday, reducing the danger from scores of raging wildfires but likely bringing only a brief reprieve from the summer's extreme heat and fire risk.

Fugitive founder of the militant anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, Paul Watson, stepped down from key roles Tuesday, passing the Antarctic harpoon chase mantle to former Australian politician Bob Brown.

Bushfires raged out of control across Australia's most populous state Tuesday, fanned by intense heat and high winds in “catastrophic” conditions that targeted homes and triggered evacuations.

Australians were bracing Monday for what officials warned could be the worst fire danger day ever seen, as police searched for some 100 people still missing in ravaged Tasmania.