Come Away With Me Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bullfrog

The sinkhole is the remnants of a cave whose ceiling collapsed as a result of limestone corrosion. A survey of the area in 1845 located the hole, and its supply of fresh water became the impetus to create the townsite of Mount Gambier, about 450 kilometres (280 miles) south-east of the South Australian capital Adelaide. James Umpherston began beautifying the sinkhole in 1886 with the aim of turning it into a form of resort and a formal garden was established in it between 1906 and 1910.

The area is of strong cultural significance to local Boandik (or Bungandidj) people who'd occupied these lands well before the colonization of the state. In 2022, as part of the acknowledgement of this, it was renamed Cave Garden/Thugi.

Answer: They're pink

In 2017, Kia Australia produced a television advertisement that portrayed a stressed individual hurling his mobile phone into a lake that was a vivid bubble-gum pink colour. No, the film had not been doctored. The lake was the Hutt Lagoon, located on the Coral Coast near Geraldton, some five and a half hours drive from the state's capital city Perth.

Like its sister lakes, Lake Hillier on Middle Island and Spencer Lake (which is also known as Pink Lake), both near the town of Esperance, its colouring is created by the algae Dunalilla salina. Exposed to the sun's rays it creates a reddish pink pigment, which is a form of beta-carotene. This algae has been farmed for use in cosmetics and as food dyes.

The best time to view these lakes is during the summer months when the skies are clear. Should the weather become overcast the colouring becomes a murky grey or silver.
(Footnote) the yabby is an Australian freshwater crustacean in the Parastacidae family.

Answer: True

Welcome to one of the strangest places in Australia, you could almost be forgiven for thinking you were on Tatooine.

Coober Pedy sits on top of the world's biggest opal mine and it is situated in the Australian outback, 846 kilometres (526 miles) north of Adelaide. The place was set up by soldiers who'd returned from World War I and sought to make their fortune through mining. The biggest problem they faced was the heat... here it was blistering to the extreme and they quickly learned that living underground was the easiest way to steer clear of it. Known as "dugouts', these were tiny rooms that gradually became houses. Eventually, larger homes were built and then came bookstores and a church and, inevitably, a bar to accommodate an entire community. These are open for you to explore.

As if this isolated community couldn't get any weirder, it has its own golf course. It is grass-less and, thanks to the heat, it should only be played at night. There is also a house that is adorned with women's underwear and the town also boasts a single tree... but it is made out of scrap metal.

(Photo) The image on left shows chimney stacks from the subterranean homes.

Answer: Squeaky

Due to the overcast skies, this picture doesn't quite show it, but the beach sand here is pristine and its waters are a beautiful turquoise. Squeaky Beach is located in the Wilson's Promontory, on a peninsula just south east of Melbourne. As stated above, the rounded grains of quartz will make a squeaking sound as you walk upon it. Yes there are other beaches that will create the same squeak, but none of them had the gall to name themselves as such.

At the northern end of the beach are some large granite boulders that create a range of mazes to explore. There's the opportunity to spy kangaroos, wombats and emus. You are also on top of one of Victoria's largest marine parks, with incredible ocean views and, for the adventurous, numerous bush walks.

Answer: Lancelin

Chasing a little bit of adventure with a tiny ounce of adrenaline, head for Lancelin, 125 kilometres (77 miles) north of the capital Perth. These giant formations stretch for two kilometres slightly inland from the town's centre. They are ideal for sandboarding and four-wheel driving. From the top of these monsters you will get panoramic views of the townsite, the surrounding farmlands and the amazing coastline. Hang around a little longer and be rewarded with a stunning sunset - the best views being either at dawn or dusk.

As an added bonus the even weirder limestone spears of the Pinnacles are only 80 kilometres (50 miles) further north.

Answer: Basalt

Picture this... a volcano erupts and spews out an almighty stream of molten lava. That lava hits a valley and then, as the top of this basalt starts to cool, it turns solid. The molten middle, however, continues to move, and the end result is a hollow tube. Now that you know how it's formed, go back in time about 190,000 years here at Undara and you could have witnessed about 23 cubic kilometres of molten lava hitting a Queensland riverbed and travelling for a staggering 160 kilometres (100 miles), forming the world's largest lava tube. Consequently, the tube is aptly named, because Undara, in the local Ewamian (pronounced your-amin) language means "long way".

The tubes are a part of the Undara Volcanic National Park, which was set up to preserve the tubes and some of the 120 bird species found here. The tubes have also been listed as one of 15 natural icons for the state of Queensland. If you plan to check the tubes out ensure that you set this up with a local guide as the Queensland government do consider the park a danger. Whilst the landscape can be confusing, there are concealed holes where parts of the tube have collapsed and some of the zones do have a high concentration of carbon dioxide.

Answer: Spanish

In the lush rainforests of far north Queensland is one of the last places you'd expect to find a fine example of a Spanish Castillo.

Jose Paronella travelled from Spain to Queensland in 1913 and spent the next 11 years in the state's sugarcane industry. Initially he worked as a cutter but then made his fortune by buying, improving and then selling farms. In 1924 he returned to Spain to marry his beloved Margarita.

The return trip to Australia was only meant to be a honeymoon but he spotted 13 acres of virgin scrub along Mena Creek and purchased it for 120 pounds. First he built a house to live in and then he commenced to design and build the castle cum reception centre cum pleasure garden. Apart from their stone house, all of the structures were built with poured, reinforced concrete, which were then covered by a plaster made from clay and cement. As if to leave a reminder of the work they'd done, prints of their hands and fingers can be seen throughout these walls.

The castle played host to some lavish parties and movie screenings but over the years has seen damage thanks to North Queensland's knack for natural disasters. However, Jose's children have continued the legacy, restoring the property in their parent's vision and creating a unique piece of Australiana.

Answer: Horizontal

Vertical falls are definitely a sight to see and present the Earth with some incredible marvels... but a horizontal fall, that has to be one of the strangest. Sir David Attenborough was impressed and called it "one of the greatest natural wonders of the world" and they need to be seen to be believed.

They are formed by some of the largest tidal movements in the world which endeavour to squeeze massive volumes of water through two narrow cliff passages (see photo), creating the illusion of a horizontal flow. Sadly, you cannot see this phenomenon from land, it is only visible by air or sea. The latter, however, allows tour operators to provide thrill seekers with a fast-paced ride through the falls. Sea planes will leave from either Broome (2,240 kilometres/1,390 miles north of Perth) or Derby, a further 200 kilometres/124 miles north.

Answer: Totem Pole

The Totem Pole is a dolerite sea cliff situated in Tasmania's Fortescue Bay in the Tasman National Park, not far from Port Arthur. Getting to the lookout to observe the Pole is part of an eight kilometre (5 mile) trip that will take in the vicinity of four hours. The view, however, is spectacular and it is worth raising the sweat to see it.

The Pole is a favourite spot for rock climbers and it has become more so with the realization that its very stability is threatened by erosion and it will eventually fall to the sea. The structure was first climbed in 1968 by John Ewbank and Allan Keller, though the most famous attempt was that of Paul Pritchard who'd dislodged a large rock on his abseil down its face. The rock fell nine metres and struck him on the head. He dangled from the ledge and survived for eight hours while his partner ran eight kilometres to get help. Paul ended up paralyzed on his left side. He published "The Totem Pole: Surviving the Ultimate Adventure" (2000) to tell of his experience.

Tasmania is blessed with a number of dolerite pillars that have proven to be a lure for rock climbers. Another good example is the Mount Wellinton Organ Pipes and these, like the Totem Pole, were formed by volcanic activity forcing magma out of the ground. As this cooled it created the hexagonal stacks.

Answer: Northern Territory

Daly Waters is a locality situated about 620 kilometres (390 miles) south of Darwin. Initially, it was a series of natural springs that were named after the then Governor of South Australia by explorer John McDouall Stuart in 1861. Stuart was making his third attempt to cross the continent from south to north at the time. Despite being, virtually, in the "middle of nowhere", the locality soon gathered importance. The Overland Telegraph Line was routed through there in 1872; it became a refueling stop for Qantas flights to Singapore; it was an Air Force base during World War II and, in recent times, a base for military manoeuvres. It was even a stopping point for the London to Sydney air race in 1926.

OK, they're the boring bits... now, to what makes tourists want to stop here. It's the quirky little pub that has become the local hub. One of the traditions of travelers passing through is to leave a small memento of their journey. Consequently, the walls are adorned with various shirts, identification cards and international flags. From the ceiling you'll see a host of bras and various pieces of underwear dangling down. Outside of the pub is a tree covered in thongs (flip-flops or jandals to some). But, if you're stopping at a pub, you need to stay and have a nice cold beer at the bar. There you will see a vast array of international bank notes and coins on display. (Warning) Be safe and don't drink and drive. If you've had too many, spend the night in one of the pub's tin cabins.