An Aussie Walkabout Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mount Kosciuszko

Mount Kosciuszko has a height 2,228 metres above sea level and is located in Kosciuszko National Park in Southern New South Wales. Each year around 30,000 people trek to the summit. Prior to 1974 it was possible to drive a car up the mountain, however, the only way to get to the top of the mountain now is to walk.

The mountain that is currently called Mount Kosciuszko was originally named Mount Townsend, and the original Mount Kosciuszko was located nearby. In 1910, to ensure that Mount Kosciuszko remained the name of Australia's tallest mountain, the New South Wales government exchanged the names of the mountains after readings revealed that the original Mount Townsend was in fact taller.

(Question submitted by emmco)

Answer: The Nullarbor Plain

Uncharacteristically for Australia - which prefers indigenous terminology - this arid treeless plain above the Great Australian Bight was named using Latin. Nullus Arbor - no trees. Its barrenness is considered to be because it was previously part of a seabed. The Nullarbor is best crossed by train, which includes the longest stretch of straight track in the world, 478 kilometres in length. The theory behind why this plain, mostly carpeted with red dust, is the largest single piece of limestone in the world is that the area had been lifted by crustal movements.

(Question submitted by Airmale)

Answer: Kakadu

Kakadu, called Gagadju by the Aboriginal people, stretches over almost two million hectares (almost five million acres) southeast of Darwin. It has four major rivers, six landforms and numerous diverse species of animal, insect and plant life.

Kakadu was completely listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992, after parts of the park were earlier listed in 1981 and 1987. The area was also listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The area has great spiritual significance for the Aborigines, with many rock paintings in Ubirr. Half of the land of Kakadu is classed as Aboriginal land under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, and as of 2010, the rest is under claim.

In the centre of Kakadu is the Ranger Uranium mine, which is an open cut mine that began operations in 1980. The original pit has been mined out, necessitating the construction of a second pit. A mine closure plan (which is unavailable for public viewing) has allocated almost $200M for area rehabilitation, but many conservationists fear this will only cover a small portion of the final cost.

Kata Tjuta is the traditional name for the "Olgas" in Northern Territory. Boonoo Boonoo is a national park just south of "Bald Rock", near Stanthorpe in Queensland.

(Question submitted by leith90)

Answer: Phillip Island

This circuit off the coast of Victoria, south of Melbourne, has operated since 1956, and is host to a three-day yearly festival.
Stradbroke Island, easily accessible from Brisbane in Queensland, is a popular holiday resort.
Rottnest Island, off the West Australian coast, near Fremantle, is home to several quokkas, an Australian marsupial.
Fraser Island, off the Queensland coast near Hervey Bay is, of course, the world's largest sand island.

(Question submitted by barrywlj)

Answer: Mt Coonowrin

The spectacular Glass House Mountains are made up of steep-sided volcanic plugs which dominate the landscape of the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

They are formed of rhyolite and trachtyte, lavas which hardened inside the vents of tertiary volcanoes.
About 25 million years of erosion has eroded away the sides of the volcanoes leaving only hardened plugs or rock spires.

The Glass House Mountains National Park protects seven of the thirteen distinctive mountains - Beerwah, Tibrogargan, Ngungun, Coonowrin (Crookneck), Miketeebumulgrai, Elimbah (Saddleback) and Coochin Hills - along with Blue Gum Creek Section. Within the park, rare plants, vegetation, and their dependent animals are conserved.

Mt Coonowrin was restricted to the public by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) due to uncertainty about slope stability on the north and west faces. This is being reviewed periodically in the hope that it can be reopened in the future.

The Glass House Mountains were included on the National Heritage List on 3rd August 2006.

(Question submitted by Ozfei)

Answer: The Twelve Apostles

The "Twelve Apostles" is a collection of limestone stacks that have been formed by wave erosion of the cliff face. They are set a few meters offshore, standing in a rough line along the coast and are all different heights and thicknesses. In 2005 one fell completely. This means that there are just eight apostles left. The name "Twelve Apostles" has always been a misnomer as there have only ever been nine.
The "Three Sisters" are a sandstone rock formation in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, also formed by erosion.
The "Devil's Marbles" are gigantic, rounded granite blocks scattered across a valley located near Wauchope in the Northern Territory.
The "Bee Gees" were a trio of singing brothers.

(Question submitted by nannaTracey).

Answer: 23%

The Great Artesian Basin is a vital life-line for much of Australia's arid interior, providing the only reliable source of fresh water. It covers 1.7 million square kilometres (661,000 square miles), with temperatures ranging from 30C-100C, and is 3,000m (9,800ft) deep in places.
To access the GAB, wells are drilled down to a suitable rock layer, where the pressure of the water forces it upward, generally without the need for pumping.

(Question submitted by Dreamcoat).

Answer: Bass Strait

Bass Strait is named after George Bass, the first European to discover it in 1797.
The Tasman Sea does flank Tasmania, but to the east, stretching across to New Zealand.
King George Sound is in Albany, Western Australia.
Zeewijk Channel is located in the Houtman Abrolhos Island group off the west coast of Australia.

(Question submitted by Dreamcoat).

Answer: Hanging Rock

Mount Diogenes (to give it its formal title) is more commonly known as Hanging Rock. It is located in Victoria, near Mount Macedon. The racetrack is the site of horse races on New Year's Day and Australia Day each year. The Rock is perhaps now best known for the book and film "Picnic at Hanging Rock", a fictionalised account of the disappearance of some schoolgirls and a teacher while on a picnic at the Rock in the early 1900s. It remains a popular picnic spot to this day.
Ayers Rock, in Central Australia, is the former name for Uluru.
Elephant Rock is a naturist resort in Queensland.
Eagle Rock is a well known rock song by Australian band Daddy Cool.

(Question submitted by McTavish99)

Answer: Margaret River

The Margaret River wine region in the south west of the state of Western Australia (WA), has soil which is predominantly gravelly or gritty loam, enabling excellent drainage, whilst at the same time enjoying a Mediterranean climate which is likened to that of Bordeaux in France. The first vine was planted in 1967 at a time when the wines of the Swan Valley, much further to the north, predominated in WA. The Swan valley is however recognised as being one of the hottest wine growing regions in the world. In contrast however, the temperate climate of the Margaret River area, brought about by the cooling influence of the Indian Ocean, enables the growth of such varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay

(Question submitted by Airmale).