They Came From the West Trivia Quiz

Answer: Shark Bay World Heritage Area

The biological diversity in this region is amazing and the data it provides about the history of the Earth is staggering. As a consequence, Shark Bay has been recognised by UNESCO as a heritage listed area since 1991. The Tourism WA website indicates that this zone is home to over 100 species of reptiles and amphibians, more than 240 different birds, over 320 varieties of fish, 80 coral and 820 species of plants.

Here you will also find Monkey Mia which is a haven for dolphins, has the largest colony of dugongs in the world and one of only two beaches in the world made up of tiny white shells. You have the opportunity to investigate the Hamelin Pool stromatolites that provide scientists with clues of life on Earth dating back as far as 3,500 million years.

Answer: The Pinnacles

A two-hour drive north of Perth will lead you to Cervantes which, in turn, will lead you to a desert-like landscape from which hundreds of tall limestone spires erupt from the earth like misshapen teeth. Situated in the Nambung National Park, it is believed that the raw materials for these structures originated from seashells, however, as to how they were formed remains a mystery.

Theories that have been floated range from them being the dissolved remains of a stretch of Tamala limestone, common to the region, to them being preserved tree casts. All still require evidence to be proved.

Answer: Fitzgerald River National Park

The Fitzgerald River National Park is situated about two hours drive north-east of Albany in Western Australia's south-west. The area has been designated by the United Nations as an important area in the maintenance of the balance between man and his environment. Along the coast here are a series of spongelite cliffs called the Barrens which are a great vantage point to watch the winter migration of both the humpback and southern right whales.

However, it is the plant life here that is most intriguing.

There are over 1,800 species of flowering plants in this zone making it one of the most diverse flora regions in the world. Springtime produces a spectacle of wildflower colour, in particular, the purple shades of the Quaalup bell, the pink and red bottlebrushes and the banksias.

Answer: Ningaloo Reef

The biggest fish in the world is the whale shark and on Western Australia's mid-north coast, in the crystal clear waters of the Ningaloo Reef, you have the opportunity to swim with these gentle giants. This area which, at 260 kilometres, is Australia's largest fringing coral reef (as opposed to barrier reef), is also the home to some rare turtles and a variety of multi-coloured tropical fish. Ningaloo is a word from the local Wajarri language that means "high land jutting into the sea".

Answer: Karijini National Park

The Karinjini National Park sits in the Hamersley Ranges of the Pilbara region in the north-west of Western Australia. The hiking trails through here are rugged but they will take your breath away. Crowded with small waterfalls that cascade into crystal clear rock pools, the park has five large gorges that have been two billion years in their shaping.

The gorges, Dales, Bee, Wittenoom, Kalamina and Yampire, boast some stunning rock formations of shale, dolomite and banded iron. A word of caution; particularly if you choose to trek through either Wittenoom or Yampire which were significant asbestos mining areas, there are still traces of this within the formations.

Answer: Wolfe Creek

The local Aboriginal people, the Djaru, tell the tale that the crater's hole was created when the Rainbow Serpent made its way out of the earth. There are other stories that differ to this but they only serve to emphasise the cultural importance placed on this site by the locals who have named it "Kandimalal" and have replicated it countless times within their artworks. To get to the crater, which measures 875 metres in diameter, you will need to travel through 145 kilometres of unsealed roads from Hall's Creek in the State's north-west.

These roads are full of sharp rocks and corrugations that can be traversed by standard vehicles but prepare yourself for a rough ride. It is estimated that the meteorite that hit the Earth here some 300,000 years ago weighed in excess of 50,000 tonne and created a hole that was thought to be some 120 metres deep. Over time that has slowly filled and today it is only half that depth.

Answer: Mount Augustus

When it comes to monoliths, Uluru in Australia gets all the glory, but if you find the time to trek into Western Australia's north-west, precisely the Gascoigne-Murchison region, you can get a really good look at Uluru's big brother. Most tourism literature will claim that Mount Augustus is the world's largest monolith, however, argument (and confusion) exists as to whether or not it truly is a monolith or an inselberg. Regardless, this feature, with a base that covers 18.5 square miles (4,795 hectares) and standing at a height of 860 metres, is twice the size of Uluru. Home to the Wadjari people the area is also home to a treasure trove ancient rock art and natural springs.

Answer: The Bungle Bungles

Thanks to its isolation, the soft sandstone structures that cover a vast portion of the 240,000 hectares in this range have managed to survive for in excess of 350 million years. Forming a maze through this area is a vast series of black and orange domes that must rank as one of Australia's most unusual and fascinating land formations. Where the name Bungle Bungle (yes, it technically is singular) comes from is not known, with one of the possible theories being that it is a corruption of the Kija (Aboriginal) people's word for sandstone, "Purnululu".

The Kija people have lived here for over 20,000 and this is a significant cultural site for them. Possibly the best view of the area is via a scenic flight but a night camping underneath the stars at the Bungles should really be on one's "to do list".

Answer: Jewel Cave

The largest calcite straw stalactite in evidence in any "show" cave on Earth lies between Augusta and Margaret River in Western Australia's south-west, in the State's famed Jewel Cave. Despite being one of the world's youngest caves it is quite long for a "show" cave stretching almost two kilometres in length.

The cave was discovered in 1958 and opened to the public a year later. There are two other cave systems within this area, the Lakes Cave and the Mammoth, and they're all important, especially the latter, for significant plant and animal fossils found within them.

Answer: Talbot Bay

A horizontal waterfall... surely you're having a lend of me? Yes they do exist and there are two of them on Earth. If you travel to Talbot Bay, between Broome and Derby in the north of Western Australia, to see the first one you won't have to travel far to see the second because it's in Talbot Bay as well. If you're scratching your head wondering how on Earth a waterfall can travel sideways maybe this will help.

This area is subject to some severe tidal movements, as much as ten metres in height, and when this volume of water endeavours to travel between two narrow gorges it will change the water levels in the ocean by as much as four metres creating a most unusual and unique waterfall. What's more is that this fall will change as the tide ebbs and flows.