Aussie Alphabeticals Trivia Quiz

Answer: Adelaide

The only capital city in Australia named after a British monarch. Albury is a city in New South Wales, Albany is in Western Australia and Auckland is in New Zealand which isn't even part of Australia!

Answer: Bass Strait

'Discovered' by George Bass and Matthew Flinders - the first people to circumnavigate Australia.

Answer: Canberra

This is almost half-way between Sydney and Melbourne. These two cities have a great rivalry and even 100 years ago neither would allow the other to have this great honour.

Answer: Drongo

Actually dunderhead is another slang word which means pretty much the same thing! It's not a bird, though. If you got this one right you're obviously not a drongo.

Answer: Echidna

Enchilada has nothing at all to do with Australia as it is actually a Mexican delicacy. Echinacea is an herbal remedy for colds. Echinoderm is a type of invertebrate animal.

Answer: Flying

The Royal Flying Doctor Service was a revolution in providing medical treatment to families in remote rural Autralia where even your neighbours can be hundreds of kilometres away, let alone a doctor.

Answer: Golden Wattle

The different states and territories have emblems too: New South Wales - Waratah; Victoria - Pink Heath; Queensland - Cooktown Orchid; Western Aust. - Kangaroo Paw; South Aust. - Sturt's Desert Pea; Tasmania - Blue Gum; Northern Territory - Sturt's Desert Rose; Australian Capital Territory - Royal Bluebell.

Answer: Hobart

Hobart is also the capital city of Tasmania. In the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race a few years ago the race was hit by enormous storms and a number of sailors died prompting safety reforms across the industry.

Answer: Indonesia

Indonesia is Australia's nearest neighbour to the northwest and is also one of the few countries in the world with which Australia has distinctly sour diplomatic relations. Everyone else seems to love us.

Answer: January

Australia Day is on 26 January. It celebrates the day the British settlers arrived in 1788. There has been heavy pressure from some political groups to change it since it is effectively 'Conqueror Day'.

Answer: Kosciuszko

Pronounced Koz-ee-oss-koh (at least by Aussies if not anyone who knows how to speak Polish) it is named after a Polish patriot and general. It stands 2,228 metres (approx 7,426 ft) high.

Answer: Ludwig Leichhardt

Ludwig Leichhardt's expedition vanished in the Northern Territory in 1848 and their remains were never found despite numerous explorers and adventurers following in their footsteps.

Answer: Murray-Darling

The Murray River runs along the Victorian Border to the Southern Ocean near Adelaide while the Darling River runs down through Queensland and New South Wales and connects to the Murray.

Answer: New South Wales

New South Wales (NSW) wins this one, followed by Victoria (VIC) and then Queensland (QLD).

Answer: Olly

Millie was an echidna, Syd was a platypus, Olly was a Kookaburra. Funnily enough, kookaburras make a laughing sound. It is often heard in old movies set in African jungles despite kookas being native to Oz.

Answer: Perth

Perth is the most isolated city in the world. It is the only major city on the west coast of Australia so its nearest neighbour in Australia is Adelaide and the next nearest is in Madagascar.

Answer: Qantas

QANTAS - spelt without a 'U' is an acronym for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service. It was founded in outback Queensland and originally serviced Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Answer: rabbit

The rabbit was originally introduced for the benefit of sport hunters. Since then, in the absence of predators, it has spread throughout the country. It is used to make our famous Akubra hats.

Answer: Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean is one of the most treacherous in the world. It has violent storms and enormous waves. It extends all the way around the globe encircling Antarctica.

Answer: Tasman

The Ditch separates Australia from New Zealand: a fact for which all Australians are glad. It doesn't stop them coming over here though. New Zealand is the country most like Australia and is our traditional rival on the sporting field.

Answer: Uluru

Uluru is the aboriginal name for what was formerly called Ayers Rock. It figures heavily in the aboriginal dreamings of the region and means turtle.

Answer: Victoria

While Queensland also exists, Victoria is 1 of only 2 states directly named after people. The other is Tasmania, named after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who 'discovered' it in 1642. He originally named it after the Governor of the Dutch East Indies but it was later renamed in his honour.

Answer: Wentworth

Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson made their crossing in 1813 and every Aussie school kid learns about it. Recently speculation has grown that a former convict, John Wilson, may have done it 20 years earlier!

Answer: Xantippe

Xantippe is in Western Australia and its post code is 6609. To get this one you had to live in Xantippe or have an Australian phone book handy! Sorry.

Answer: Yalumba

Yalumba wines have been made by the Smith family for 5 generations. It was all started by Samuel Smith in 1851. He called his property 'Yalumba' an aboriginal word meaning 'all the land around'.