Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
TRAVEL QUIZ SOLUTIONS
1 Meter Maids, of course! Originally dressed in gold lamé bikinis matched with tiaras, the maids now wear gold Lycra bikinis and Akubra hats and have become an enduring tourist favourite and an iconic international celebration of Surfers Paradise. And thank you, Meter Maids, for saving us from all those parking fines!
2 The world’s largest war memorial is the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. It begins in Torquay and ends 243km later at Allansford near Warrnambool. Roads Board chairman William Calder considered it an opportunity for World War I returned servicemen (about 3000) to be gainfully employed to build the road between these remote areas, and work began in September 1919. A plaque and memorial arch welcomes travellers and it is now National Heritage listed and one of our most popular international tourist attractions.
3 In the heart of our stunning Red Centre, Alice Springs in the Northern Territory has been credited with having more art galleries per head of population than anywhere else in the country. The Alice is the place to visit if you’re after amazing Aboriginal art.
4 The oldest living culture on Earth is the Aboriginal community in Kakadu. With about 6o,000 years of history, the traditional owners are still with the land in partnership with Parks Australia. Covering almost 20,000sqkm, with 20,000-year-old rock art and unbelievable six-metre-high termite mounds, it’s one of the most amazing places to visit in Australia.
5 The Yarra Valley, about 50km from Melbourne, is Victoria’s oldest wine region, dating back to 1838. Best known for pinot noir, chardonnay and sparkling wine, it’s also popular for local produce, breweries and artisan cider.
6 The Kimberley has two seasons – dry and wet. The dry, from May to October, averages 28°C with warm days and cool nights. The wet, from November to April, is often impassable with monsoons, heavy rains and flooding rivers. Visit in the dry!
7 MONA stands for Museum of Old and New Art. Located at the Moorilla winery on the Berriedale Peninsula, Hobart, the museum holds Tasmanian multi-millionaire David Walsh’s private collection of ancient, modern and contemporary art and antiquities. Visitors descend stairs to three levels of displays built into the side of the cliffs, reminiscent of Egyptian tombs. A top tourist spot, Walsh calls it a "subversive adult Disneyland".
8 Iconic band AC/DC’S first performance was held to mark New Year's Eve in 1973, when they performed in Sydney.
9 At 22.24mm in diameter, the world’s largest fine-quality round pearl was grown at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, north of Broome. On show internationally for verification, it has been decreed, uncontested as yet, as the world’s largest. James Brown, owner of the farm, says you can visit, but it’s not for sale!
10 Each single crazily named destination is in Tasmania. And is well worth a visit!
11 Uluru is considered to have the most exquisite night sky in Australia – and one of the best in the world. The rock is about 600 million years old, most of it underground, and is particularly famous for its changing colours during the day, in addition to its glorious stargazing nights.
12 Covering an area measuring more than 250 kilometres, the Blue Mountains have the largest network of walking tracks in Australia, with the longest boardwalk in the Southern Hemisphere. And, with much of it being wilderness, police report more than 100 walkers get lost or need rescuing each year – most are found within 24 hours!
13 Visible from outer space, 2300km long and the size of Victoria and Tasmania combined, The Great Barrier Reef is so big it could fit 70 million football fields.
14 The fairy penguin family, of course! Thousands of them live on Summerland Beach and emerge at dusk after a day at sea. Weighing about 1kg and standing about 33cm tall, they can swim up to 100km a day and hold their breath underwater for more than 110 seconds!