A E I O U Online Trivia | Geography

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Funtrivia tour of Australia began in a region twenty kilometres south of Jabiru in Kakadu National Park. While the other passengers were marvelling at the indigenous art that had been painted on the sandstone rock that is named after this area, Ilona_Ritter stole all of the vowels from this region's name. Can you help restore the identity of this location by returning the stolen vowels?

Answer: Nourlangie

The region of Nourlangie is located in north central Northern Territory to the west of Arnhem Land. One of the most impressive sights here is the sandstone Nourlangie Rock which rises to a modest 193 metres above sea level. This was a very important place for the indigenous people of Australia as it provided both food and shelter during the wet season. Archaeological diggings in the 1980's revealed that Aboriginal tribes may have been using it for at least 20,000 years.

The rock is divided into two parts; the upper part is known as Burrunggui and the lower part Anbangbang. It is within Anbangbang that tourists can take a leisurely walk of less than two kilometres to view some of the most impressive and culturally significant examples of indigenous rock art in Australia. Atop of Nourlangie Rock, views of the Arnhem Land escarpment can be taken in from Gunwarddehwarde lookout.

2. The tour bus crossed the border into Queensland where it soon reached the site of a disused mine at the southern tip of the Daintree National Park. As the rest of the group sojourned at the pub for refreshments, one of only a few establishments here, Ilona_Ritter pocketed the vowels from the local signage. Where exactly do these vowels belong?

Answer: Mount Carbine

Mount Carbine was the home of an open cut wolframite mine, a mineral that is the chief ore in tungsten. Following the closure of the mine in 1986, Mount Carbine became something of a 'one man and his dog' town. There is a pub, a petrol station/general store and a caravan park but not much else. During the mining days the pub did have a claim to fame however; one of its regular drinking customers was a bull.

3. No tour of Queensland would be complete without taking in the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef. Our intrepid explorers spent some time snorkelling and lazing on the beach twentyfive kilometres from the mainland due east of Ingham. While on a tour of the James Cook University marine research station, Ilona_Ritter sneaked away with the vowels from this slice of paradise. Can you return the vowels and discover this site?

Answer: Orpheus Island

At eleven kilometres long and one kilometre wide, Orpheus Island is the second largest of the Palm Islands group. It was named after the Royal Navy corvette HMS Orpheus, the flagship of the Australian squadron, in 1887 by lieutenant G. E. Richards.

The island has national park status and is home to macaranga and eucalyptus trees and lies on a volcanic rock base. Access to many areas is restricted as the island is an Aboriginal community but there are three campsites as well as a resort for tourists. The snorkelling is said to be superb as the island is fringed by coral reefs.

In the 1800's, goats were released onto the island to act as a food source for survivors of shipwrecks. The population swelled to over 4,000, (goats that is), before a programme was introduced by authorities to reduce and control the numbers.

4. The eastern fringe of the Blue Mountains of New South Wales was the next point of interest on the agenda. The bus pulled up at a historic village located about eighty kilometres west of Sydney. Whilst touring the Norman Lindsay gallery the vowels were taken from this sleepy hideaway. No points for guessing who the culprit was, but grab a paint pot and restore the vowels to this location.

Answer: Faulconbridge

Faulconbridge is rich with historical and cultural significance. It was named after Martha Faulconbridge who was the mother of the man who has come to be known as the 'Father of Federation'; Sir Henry Parkes. In 1896 he was buried here in the local cemetery.

Travelling along Sir Henry's Parade, a street named in honour of Parkes, you will be confronted with the Prime Ministers' Corridor of Oaks. This is a living memorial to every Australian Prime Minister with each tree having been planted by the Prime Minister or a member of their family.

The former home of the artist and writer, Norman Lindsay, has been converted into a gallery where visitors can view many exhibits of his work including sketches, oil and watercolour paintings and novels. The landscaped gardens created by Lindsay still retain their original splendour, including the nude statues and fountains. A number of streets in Faulconbridge are named after characters from Lindsay's children's book 'The Magic Pudding'. The life of Norman Lindsay and his art was the subject of the 1994 movie 'Sirens'.

5. The tour bypassed Sydney in order to preserve the vowels within the Harbour Bridge and made its way to the coastal city of Wollongong. The passengers alighted in a suburb that shares its name with a peak that dominates the Wollongong area. While they were attempting the climb up to the summit, Ilona_Ritter stayed behind and took the vowels from this place. By replacing the missing vowels you will find out exactly where this occurred.

Answer: Mount Keira

The summit and southern flank of Mount Keira is contained within the suburb of the same name. It stands at 464 metres and offers views of the city of Wollongong as well as the Illawarra escarpment. The eucalypt and sub-tropical forested areas are popular with bushwalkers as many walking tracks are contained within. It is also home to camps for both the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.

Coal mines were established in Mount Keira in the mid nineteenth century and the superior quality of the coal produced here led to it being exported to India and China. Operations were ceased in 1991 and the mines were closed down.

6. Having reached the halfway point of the journey, the bus driver continued southwards to Melbourne. Regarded as the sporting capital of Australia, it seemed fitting to take in a spot of horse racing. The bus stopped in one of the eastern suburbs that shares a border with a similarly named suburb with a similarly named racetrack that is host to one of the major events on the horse racing calender. Take a punt on the name of this suburb by replacing the stolen vowels.

Answer: Caulfield North

Caulfield North is surrounded by the suburbs of Armadale, Malvern, Prahran, St.Kilda East, Elsternwick and Caulfield, the latter being the home of Caulfield racecourse which hosts the Caulfield Cup every October.

Many of the streets in Caulfield North are named after people and places associated with the Crimea War such as, Cardigan, Inkerman, Raglan and Balaclava.

The National Trust owned Victorian mansion, 'Labassa', is one of a very small number of mansions still standing in this suburb that once had many. It was used in the filming of the 2002 movie 'Queen of the Damned'.

7. It was not long after crossing the border into South Australia when the bus stopped again. The tourists stood in awe of the most amazing blue coloured lake they had ever seen, situated in what seemed to be a volcanic crater. Even Ilona_Ritter was gobsmacked, but still that didn't prevent the vowels from going missing. What is the name of this place that captured everyone's attention?

Answer: Mount Gambier

Mount Gambier is the second largest city in South Australia and is located just over the border from Victoria. It is virtually the midway point between the two capitals of these states; Adelaide and Melbourne. The name was given to a crater in the area in 1800 by Lieutenant James Grant, captain of the Lady Nelson, and was named in honour of Lord James Gambier, the then Admiral of the Fleet. Mount Gambier was officially declared a city in 1954.

The Mount Gambier crater is an extinct volcano which includes a series of four lakes. The most spectacular of these is the Blue Lake which turns a wonderful shade of turquoise blue in the warmer months between November and March before returning to a regular steely blue grey in the cooler months. There is also a system of caves within Mount Gambier that are popular with cave divers.

8. Because the Funtrivia bus is magic, it had no trouble crossing Bass Strait to arrive at its next destination in Tasmania. The passengers found their land legs in a small port town situated on the Tamar River, just under fifty kilometres north of Launceston. While the travellers were taking a tour of Seahorse World, Ilona_Ritter struck again. Can you insert the vowels correctly to find the name of this town?

Answer: Beauty Point

Located in the north east of Tasmania, Beauty Point was established as the first deep water port on the Tamar River. It serviced the gold mining town of Beaconsfield which is a very short distance to the south and was itself the centre of worldwide attention when three miners were trapped inside the mine in 2006. Todd Russell and Brant Webb were eventually rescued but their colleague, Larry Knight was killed in the initial cave in.

Two recent additions to the attractions located at Beauty Point are Seahorse World and the Platypus House Wildlife Centre. The former runs a seahorse breeding program and supplies seahorses to aquariums throughout the world, while the latter offers visitors the opportunity to see unique Australian animals such as the echidna and the ever elusive platypus.

If sailing is to your liking you could try entering the Three Peaks Yacht Race which is held each year during Easter. Competitors start at Beauty Point and sail to three different mountain ranges in Tasmania. At each peak a team of runners must then ascend and descend the mountain.

9. Continuing the journey in the Apple Isle, the bus travelled down the Tasman Highway to a small fishing village on the east coast of Tasmania located seven kilometres north of the slightly larger town of Bicheno. While casting a line from the sands of the picturesque beach, Ilona_Ritter reeled in the vowels from this town. Can you fish out those letters and return them?

Answer: Douglas River

Unfortunately I couldn't find a great deal of information for Douglas River except that it is a popular spot for fishing, fishing, and more fishing. Situated to the north west however is Douglas-Apsley National Park. This dry eucalyptus forest is the catchment for three rivers in the area. Although it was mined for coal for over 100 years, it was spared from the chainsaws that have logged many of Tasmania's forested areas in the past.

There are many walking tracks within Douglas-Apsley with hikes that could take a couple of hours and some for the experienced bushwalker that can take two and a half days. Those energetic enough to participate in such walks are rewarded with all the beauty that Tasmania has to offer all in one place; wildflowers, rare fauna and flora, deep gorges, waterfalls, lookouts and so much more.

10. The bus went back to the mainland for the final leg of the journey and stopped just over twenty kilometres from the coastal town of Denmark in Western Australia. The passengers were confronted with a large granite rock that has the same name as the national park in which it is located. While everybody was busy taking photos of the abundant number of wildflowers, Ilona_Ritter, for the final time, pocketed the vowels from this place. Can you return the vowels just once more to find the final location?

Answer: Mount Lindesay

In 1829, an exploration party led by Dr. Thomas Braidwood were the first Europeans to discover Mount Lindesay. The summit of this 385 metre granite rock offers views of the southern coastline and the Western Australian wilderness.

During the spring months, visitors are treated to a brilliant display of colour from the wildflowers that Western Australia is famous for. Some of these species, as well as some of the animals and insects in the area, cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Mount Lindesay is also a popular challenge for those who like rock climbing.

Note: While researching this quiz I came across one map that had Mount Lindesay without the 'e'.

Source: Author Aussiedrongo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

A E I O U Trivia Quiz

Notorious vowel thief Ilona_Ritter, recently visited Australia on the Funtrivia bus ride and souvenired the vowels from ten sites that all had the distinction of containing one of each vowel. Can you return the vowels and identify the location?

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>