An Iowan Down Under Quiz | Mixed Nations

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1. My sister lives in the village of Hazelbrook in the Blue Mountains of Australia. Even though it has over 4,500 residents, in fact Hazelbrook is considered a village within Blue Mountain City. Other communities of Blue Mountain City include Katoomba and Faulconbridge. Just how many villages and towns comprise Blue Mountain City? (Think of "Santa Catalina, the island of romance...")

Answer: 26

Also known as City of Blue Mountains, the civic entity also includes such towns as Blackheath, Lawson, Leura, Warrimoo, and Wentworth Falls. Its sister cities include Flagstaff, Arizona, and Sanda, Japan. Its council seat is at Katoomba.

2. My sister took us on excursions to Hunter Valley, to Kiama and its Blowhole on the coast, to several attractions in the Blue Mountains, and to a South Sydney Rabbitohs home game against the St. George Illawara Dragons in Sydney's Olympic Stadium. But we did all that without leaving which Australian state?

Answer: New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's largest state by population, including as it does, Sydney, which is Australia's largest city. The Australian Capital Territory is also completely surrounded by New South Wales, but Canberra's population is not included in that of NSW.

The state is bordered on the north by Queensland, on the west by South Australia, and on the south by Victoria. Its eastern coast is on the Tasman Sea, which separates Australia from New Zealand.

3. Speaking of the Rabbitohs and Dragons, what sport were we watching?

Answer: rugby league

The Rabbitohs and Dragons are both members of the National Rugby League. The Rabbitohs were the first NRL team to win 20 league titles, winning the 21st in 2014.

The Rabbitohs beat the Dragons on this night, 34-24, gaining revenge for a round three loss.

4. After our visit to Hunter Valley, we drove southward on the Pacific Highway toward Sydney before heading back to the Blue Mountains. For most of the drive between the valley and Sydney, in what direction was the Pacific Ocean in relation to us?

Answer: to our left

Hunter Valley lies to the north of Sydney, and the Pacific Highway generally follows Australia's east coast. Thus, traveling south along Oz's east coast puts the Pacific on the driver's left.

5. In Iowa we have lots of miles of gravel roads. What adjective did signs in Australia use to refer to roads like those? I'm sure you can figure it out, even if the answer isn't signed or delivered, either.

Answer: unsealed

If one can get used to driving on the left side of the road, driving in Australia for an Iowan would not be difficult, as the sign shapes and meanings are very close to what we see at home. And the terminology is also not difficult to understand, such as "Give Way" on a "Yield" sign and warnings about road surfaces such as "When Frosty" instead of "When Icy." At times the signs even offer extra advice, such as when "Go Back" is added to "Wrong Way" signs when a driver is on the wrong ramp on or off divided highways.

6. We took the Blue Mountains Line train from Hazelbrook to Sydney for a couple of outings to avoid the problems of finding a parking place in the city. Which beach location was NOT a station we passed through on our route to Sydney Central?

Answer: Manly

From Sydney Central we transferred to another train to Circular Quay. From there we took a ferry through Sydney Harbor to Manly. Manly is known for its beaches, both on the ocean (eastern) side of the city, and on the harbor (western) side.

7. My sister explained to me the reason for the "P" plaques that some of the cars we saw on the highways had attached near the vehicle license plates. What information does that "P" give to other Aussie drivers?

Answer: A variety of restrictions apply to the driver's license.

The "P" designation (Provisional) is one of two used in Australia that place restrictions on drivers. The other is an "L" for "Learner," which is even more restrictive and used for those still learning to drive, such as students. Often newcomers who have full licenses from other countries are given the "P" status for a designated period of time. Each state has different restrictions and requirements for advancing to an unrestricted license.

The Australian Capital Territory is the most lax of the states regarding the "P" license and has no speed limits or vehicle restrictions. A driver over age 26 can gain a full license after just six months.

New South Wales has the most restrictive rules, including P1 and P2 levels. For example, P1 drivers cannot drive faster than 90 km/h, nor (if under age 25) carry more than one passenger under age 21 between 11 pm and 5 am. After a year, the driver may get a P2 license and may drive 100 km/h.

8. In Australia, cookies are called biscuits. I sampled lots of different kinds of biscuits that I could not get in Iowa. Which of the following contained the most chocolate?

Answer: Tim Tams

Three of the four choices are made exclusively by Arnott's Biscuits, a subsidiary of the US Campbell Soup Company. Based in New South Wales, Arnott's goes back to a bakery established in Newcastle in 1865 by William Arnott. Today it is headquartered in Sydney.

"Anzac" is a term protected under law and cannot be used without permission from the Minister for Veteran Affairs. Thus "Anzac biscuits" is a general term for both a type of cookie, as well as a common recipe for cookies, featuring rolled oats and coconut.

The original Tim Tams has a chocolate cream center between two biscuits, all covered in chocolate. Today there are over ten varieties. Scotch Fingers is a shortbread cookie, although there is also a chocolate-coated variety. Monte Carlos feature a raspberry and cream center sandwiched between two honey and coconut biscuits.

9. My wife and I both enjoy watching "Family Feud" on TV in Iowa. But when we watched it in Australia, there was an unexpected difference we noticed right away from the American program. What was it? (The survey says you have an 80% chance of getting this question correct.)

Answer: Each team only has four players, rather than five.

We were watching the fourth incarnation of "Family Feud", which began airing in July of 2014. The original Aussie version began in 1977, running on the Nine Network until 1984. In 1988 it began again, running on the Seven Network until 1996.

10. While visiting Sydney's Darling Harbour one refreshingly breezy day, I happened to notice among the many flags flying from their poles one with a large yellow circle imposed on a background divided horizontally by a black upper half and a red lower half. When I asked my sister what it represented, what did she tell me?

Answer: Australia's Aborigines

By proclamation of the Government of Australia, the flag is to be known as "the Australian Aboriginal Flag." It was designed by Harold Thomas, an Aboriginal artist, in 1971. In the background, the Black represents the Aborigine people and the red represents the red earth, as well as the red ochre used in ceremonies and the Aborigines' spiritual relation to the land.

The yellow circle represents the sun, which is the giver and protector of life. The Australian Aboriginal Flag holds special legal and political status as one of the official Australian flags, along with Australia's familiar national flag, as well as the Torres Strait Islander Flag.

Source: Author shvdotr

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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An Iowan Down Under Trivia Quiz

I visited my sister in Australia, with a week in New Zealand, and discovered a wealth of new information. This quiz may be a breeze for Aussies, but a bit of a blighter for my countrymen. I'll try to give some helpful clues.

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