AUSTRALIA

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia   http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand

www.australiaday.gov.au  & www.newzealand.com

Australia Quiz:

1. What is the capital city of Australia?
Sydney Canberra

2. What is the name of the large island off the southern coast of Australia?
Guam Tasmania

3. Which of the following animals is native to Australia?
Koala Panda

4. What type of animal is the kookaburra?
A bird A snake

5. What are the wild dogs that live in Australia called?
Dingoes Wombats

6. Are there any rainforests in Australia?
Yes No

7. What is a didgeridoo?
An aboriginal musical instrument A poisonous snake

8. What is the name of a large, hopping marsupial from Australia?
Peccary Kangaroo

9. Fossils of which of the following dinosaurs have been found in Australia?
Muttaburrasaurus Triceratops

10. What is the official language of Australia?
English Portuguese

 

 

Canberra, Australian Capital Terrritory - Canberra is the capital city of Australia - located in the southeast of Australia in the Australian Capital Terrritory. Coral Sea - The sea to the northeast of Australia. Great Barrier Reef - A huge coral reef off the northeastern coast of Australia. Indian Ocean - The ocean that borders Australia on the west. New South Wales - A state in southeastern Australia (the capital of Australia is in New South Wales).

Northern Territory - A territory in north central Australia. Queensland - A state in northeastern Australia. South Australia - A state in south central Australia. Tasmania - An Australian state and an island off the southeastern coast of continental Australia. Tasman Sea - The sea to the southeast of Australia. Victoria - A state in far southeastern Australia. Western Australia - A large state in western Australia.

AUSTRALIA DAY TRIVIA QUIZ QUESTIONS

General Knowledge

1.      How many countries are larger than Australia?

2.      Australia has the world’s largest sand island. What is its name?

3.     What animal is on the Western Australia flag?

Sport

1.      Who is Australia’s only Formula One driver?

2.      Which Australian has won the FIM World Motorcycle Championship 5 times?

3.    What Australian company is the largest surfwear manufacturer?

Arts and Literature

1.      Who designed the Sydney Opera House?

2.      Which band has received an Australian of the Year Award?

3.  Who has an award-winning album is titled Barricades and Brickwalls?

History and Science

1.      Who invented the bionic ear?

2.      Which Australian won a Nobel Prize for immune defence research?

3.  In what year was decimal currency introduced?

Geography

1.      How much of Australia is classified as desert A) 8% B) 16% C) 25% D) 35%

2.      In what state/territory is the Brisbane Ranges National Park?

3.    What is South Australia’s largest island?

An A to Z of Australia

Read the clues and try to work out what the letters stand for in the "A to Z of Australia".

A is for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
This word has been used since the 17th century to describe Australia's indigenous peoples. Most people think they live in the wild parts of Australia, but the largest number actually live in urban areas.

B is for _ _ _ _ _
This is where many people will be relaxing as you read this because in Australia it is now summer. Australia has some of the best in the world. They are part of the Australian way of life, for swimming, surfing, or simply relaxing and doing nothing.

C is for "_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hunter"
This is the title of the TV series that made Steve Irwin an international celebrity. Before he died in a tragic accident in 2006, he starred in more than 200 wildlife documentaries.

D is for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
These are the most precious stones in the world. They are also the hardest known natural material that we know. Australia produces a quarter of the world's natural _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

E is for _ _ _
This is a large bird with three toes on each foot. Although it is a bird, it can't fly. It is related to the ostrich and is not the most intelligent creature on the planet.

F is for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
This game is extremely popular in Australia, and in 2006 the national team reached the World Cup finals for the first time in 32 years.

G is for _ _ _ _ day
This is a very common greeting in Australia and is usually abbreviated to "g'day". Australians are friendly and like to call people "mate" (friend), so you will often hear the phrase "g'day, mate".

H is for H _ _ _ _ Kewell
He is Australia's best-known football player, and he currently plays for Liverpool F.C. in the English Premier League.

I is for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
A quarter of Australians are children of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ who do not have English as their mother tongue.

J is for _ _ _ _ _ Cook
He was the British Captain who reached eastern Australia in 1770. The first British convicts started arriving soon afterwards, in 1788. Australia became independent from Britain in 1901.

K is for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _
The first is one of the animals we always associate with Australia. The other is a superstar singer who started her career on TV.

L is for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
English is the official one and is spoken at home by around 80 per cent of the population. The next most common languages are Chinese, Italian and Greek.

M is for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
This is Australia's second largest city, and it is home to the biggest backpacker hostel in the world. The majority of the 200,000 backpackers who visit the city each year come from the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Japan, Canada and Korea.

N is for "_ _ worries"
This is a common Australian expression, which means "not a problem".

O is for _ _ _ _ _
The Sydney _ _ _ _ _ House is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It was designed by the Danish architect Jorn Utzon and opened in 1973.

P is for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
It is currently around 20.6 million people, and is concentrated mainly in the large coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Q is for _ _ _ _ _ _
This is the country's national airline and one of the oldest and safest in the world. It is often claimed that the company has never had a fatal jet crash.

R is for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Crowe
Like Nicole Kidman, he is one of Australia's most famous stars who wasn't actually born in Australia. He was born in New Zealand, while Nicole was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

S is for _ _ _ _
Apart from being something we use to wash our hands, this is the name given to a type of television drama usually shown during the day. Neighbours and Home and Away are two examples.

T is for _ _ _ _
Normally the eastern states of Australia are 10 hours ahead of GMT, but this alters with daylight saving. Western Australia is two hours later.

U is for _ _ _ _ _
This is the official indigenous name for Ayers Rock, one of Australia's most famous natural sites. It is the largest monolith on Earth, standing 348 metres above the desert floor. It is 3.1 km from east to west, 1.9 km wide and 9.4 km around its base.

V is for _ _ _ _
You need one of these to visit Australia. The one for visitors allows you to stay for three or six months. There is also one for international students who want to study intensive English courses.

W is for _ _ _ _
There are 40 vineyards and wineries in McLaren Vale, which is near Adelaide. The Australian _ _ _ _ industry is in fact the sixth largest in the world.

X is for _ _ _ _
This is the abbreviation for Christmas. Australia's Christmas holiday comes in the middle of the summer, so they can only dream of a white Christmas.

Y is for _ _ _ _ _ hostels
There are lots of them located throughout Australia for the budget-conscious traveller. Many of them are in surprisingly exotic settings. There are also five-star hotels for travellers with bigger budgets.

Z is for _ _ _ _ cream
It is a fact that the sun is stronger in Australia so you need protection or you will start to burn after 15 or 20 minutes. This cream is a very good protector of the nose and cheeks and also looks very cool.

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• Clickable map of Australia (atlasgeo.ch)  &    Map of Australia - (freeworldmaps.net)
  
   

• Images (libres de droit) : GB, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Australia, Malta, USA... (Ac. Nantes)  

NEW ZEALAND

www.virtualoceania.net  &  www.newzealand.com

• Complete the missed information about the country: 

• Population: _______________
• Capital: __________________
• Major languages: English, Maori
• Major religion: _______________
• Life expectancy: 76 years (men), 81 years (women)
• Monetary unit: ______________________________
• Main exports: Wool, food and dairy products, wood and paper products
• Internet domain: ._______________
• International dialling code: ______________
   

New Zealand lies in the southern Pacific Ocean, 1600 km east of Australia. It is made up of the North and South Islands and a number of smaller islands, with a total area of 268 000 sq km.
Mountain ranges and hill country dominate NZ's landscape; one of the most striking physical features is the Southern Alps. These, along with fiords glaciers and lakes and the coastal plains of Canterbury and Southland add to the variety of the South Island scenery. In the North Island the volcanic interior contains NZ's largest lake, Lake Taupo, and most of the country's active volcanoes - Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro - Ruapehu erupted as recently as 1995 and 1996. Hot springs, geysers, mud pools also form part of the volcanic system centred around Rotorua.

Try this link to get more information about New Zealand:

http://education.otago.ac.nz/NZLNet/lesson-plans/ConoverAlcock/NewZealand.html#anchor492711

  Land of the long white cloud

How much do you know about New Zealand? Try our quiz to find out. You’ll find all the answers in the fact file on the next page.

1. In which ocean is New Zealand?
a. the Pacific Ocean
b. the Atlantic Ocean
c. the Indian Ocean

2. How far is New Zealand from Australia?
a. 12 miles
b. 120 miles
c. 1,200 miles

3. What is the friendly term given to the local inhabitants?
a. Poms
b. Kiwis
c. Zeals

4. If you come from the Northern Hemisphere the seasons in New Zealand are “upside down”. July is the middle of winter and February is the middle of ______.
a. spring
b. summer
c. autumn

5. What did Captain Cook take to New Zealand in 1773?
a. tobacco
b. sheep
c. kiwis

6. New Zealand has two official languages: English and ______.
a. Maori
b. French
c. Australian

7. New Zealand is the perfect place for people who like adventure and is the birthplace of ______.
a. skydiving
b. rugby
c. bungee jumping

8. What is the currency in New Zealand?
a. New Zealand dollar
b. Australian dollar
c. pound sterling

9. The All Blacks are the ______.
a. range of mountains on the North Island
b. shortest days of the year
c. national rugby team

10. The New Zealander Edmund Hillary is famous for ______.
a. playing golf: he won the U.S. Masters and the British Open
b. climbing Mount Everest
c. swimming to Australia

11. In 1893 New Zealand became the first country where ______.
a. women could vote
b. slavery was abolished
c. nuclear weapons were used

12. Many films have been made in New Zealand including ______.
a. The Lord of the Rings
b. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
c. King Kong

Read the Kiwi Fact File below to check your answers to the quiz and discover more facts about New Zealand.

 New Zealand hides away in the Pacific Ocean just two hours (1,200 miles) south of Australia and two and a half hours from the tropical paradise of Fiji.

- New Zealand comprises two large islands and the smaller Stewart Island. It is 1,600 km long, and at its widest part it is 450 km wide. It is roughly the size of Japan, the British Isles or California.

- The entire country can be driven in 26 hours with an island hop in the middle but with so much to see and do, a recommended stay would be a minimum of three weeks. If you drive in New Zealand, don’t forget to drive on the left.

- Summer is usually mild and dry. Winter is cooler. The temperature range in the north is 10–26º C, but in the south temperatures can reach -0º C at times. If you come from the Northern Hemisphere the seasons in New Zealand are “upside down”. July is the middle of winter and February is the middle of summer.

- The population of New Zealand is just over 4 million. People from New Zealand, who are also known as Kiwis, are often described as easy-going and very hospitable. The kiwi is New Zealand’s national symbol. It’s an unusual bird that cannot fly. You can see them in the wild on Stewart Island.

- New Zealand is also famous for its sheep. Captain Cook first brought sheep to New Zealand in 1773. There are currently about 50 million sheep, which means the ratio of sheep to New Zealanders is almost 15 to 1.

- The two official languages of New Zealand are English and Maori. Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Maori people have preserved many of their traditions and customs, as well as their language, and are renowned for their arts and crafts, sports and recreation, song, and dance.

- New Zealand’s name in the Maori language is Aotearoa. This is usually translated as “the land of the long white cloud”.

- Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, but there are other famous cities, including Auckland on the North Island. Auckland is built around a harbour and has become known as the City of Sails. It is also built on a large volcanic field with 48 volcanoes. The last eruption was about 600 years ago.

- New Zealand is the perfect place for people who like adventure. There are mountains, glaciers, fjords and valleys. You can go swimming with dolphins, sailing, fishing, hiking, skiing, jet-boating, paragliding, skydiving, caving, rafting and kayaking. And New Zealand is the birthplace of bungee jumping.

- Famous New Zealanders include Edmund Hillary, who, together with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, was the first to reach the top of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. In the world of international sport, New Zealand is perhaps most famous for its rugby team, the All Blacks.

- In 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world where women could vote. Elizabeth McCombs was the first woman to enter parliament in 1933. In 1999 Helen Clark was the first woman to be elected as Prime Minister.

- New Zealand became more famous as the location for many successful films, including The Lord of the Rings, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the 2005 remake of King Kong.

 OTHER FACTS AND FIGURES

• The currency is the New Zealand dollar: NZ$1 is approximately €0.60, £0.40, or US$0.70.
• Around 50 per cent of homes in New Zealand have Internet access.
• In New Zealand you cant buy alcohol until you’re 18.
• New Zealanders do not expect tips in restaurants.
• On the South Island, there are about 360 glaciers. The Tasman Glacier is 28 km long by 3 km wide.
• In an emergency in New Zealand you dial 111.