Why do the mountains look blue?

Tiny oil droplets from eucalyptus trees scatter light

What is the Scenic Railway known for?

Being one of the world's steepest passenger railways

Blue Mountains Quiz: Three Sisters and Sandstone Cliffs

This Blue Mountains quiz looks out from Echo Point over the hazy valleys of New South Wales. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on why the mountains look blue, the Three Sisters, sandstone cliffs, Aboriginal stories, the 1813 crossing, the Scenic Railway, Jenolan Caves, the Wollemi pine and the UNESCO listing.

Start Blue Mountains Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

State
Which Australian state are the Blue Mountains in?
Blue
Why do the mountains look blue?
Sisters
What are the Three Sisters?
Rock
What rock forms the cliffs?
Point
Which lookout gives the classic view of the Three Sisters?
1813
Who famously crossed the mountains in 1813?
Railway
What is the Scenic Railway known for?
Caves
Which famous caves lie in the region?
Pine
Which living fossil tree was discovered there in 1994?
UNESCO
When did the Greater Blue Mountains become a World Heritage Site?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which Australian state are the Blue Mountains in?
Answer: New South Wales
They lie west of Sydney.
Q2: Why do the mountains look blue?
Answer: Tiny oil droplets from eucalyptus trees scatter light
The haze is natural.
Q3: What are the Three Sisters?
Answer: A famous rock formation
They stand near Katoomba.
Q4: What rock forms the cliffs?
Answer: Sandstone
Erosion carved deep valleys.
Q5: Which lookout gives the classic view of the Three Sisters?
Answer: Echo Point
It is in Katoomba.
Q6: Who famously crossed the mountains in 1813?
Answer: Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth
They followed the ridges.
Q7: What is the Scenic Railway known for?
Answer: Being one of the world's steepest passenger railways
It was once a mining railway.
Q8: Which famous caves lie in the region?
Answer: Jenolan Caves
They are very old limestone caves.
Q9: Which living fossil tree was discovered there in 1994?
Answer: The Wollemi pine
Its location is kept secret.
Q10: When did the Greater Blue Mountains become a World Heritage Site?
Answer: 2000
Eucalypt diversity was key.

Blue Mountains Quiz – Three Sisters and Sandstone Cliffs

The Blue Mountains rise west of Sydney in New South Wales, a deeply eroded sandstone plateau of cliffs and valleys. Their blue haze comes from tiny droplets of eucalyptus oil that scatter sunlight.

The Three Sisters, seen from Echo Point in Katoomba, feature in Aboriginal stories of sisters turned to stone. In 1813 Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth crossed the mountains by following the ridges.

The Scenic Railway is one of the steepest passenger railways in the world, and Jenolan Caves hide ancient limestone chambers. The Wollemi pine was found in 1994, and the region became a UNESCO site in 2000.

What This Quiz Teaches

Travel fans will enjoy these questions.

Where the mountains are
Why they look blue
Which sights to see
Who crossed them
What rare plants grow there

Did You Know?

Wentworth Falls is a popular walking area.
Bushfires burned large parts of the region in 2019 and 2020.
Leura is known for its gardens and cafes.
The Blue Mountains are a short train ride from Sydney.
Lyrebirds can be heard in the gullies.