Can You Say These Tongue-Twister Australian Place Names?

The awkward moment when you realise you’ve been mispronouncing a place your whole life…

In Australia, our place names often originate from First Nations languages that have unique phonetic structures and sounds that are uncommon in English. Unfortunately, that means they are often mispronounced.

New research by language learning and culture experts Preply has analysed Australian place names and revealed the biggest tongue twisters.

Sylvia Johnson, head of methodology at language learning and culture experts Preply, says Australian place names are a clue to the country’s unique cultural heritage.

“While accurate translations and spellings may have been lost to time, many Australian place names are emblematic of those who have existed before," she says.

“When it comes to pronouncing long or unfamiliar place names, my advice is to speak the name slowly and sound out each syllable. Hearing the name phonetically can help imitate the native pronunciation."

How many of these places can you pronounce correctly on the first try?

Carrickalinga Beach in South Australia with person — New research has analysed Australian place names and revealed the biggest tongue twisters. (Image: Mitch Toft)

10. Albury-Wodonga, NSW/Victoria

The border city of Albury-Wodonga is separated by the Murray River with Albury in NSW and Wodonga in Victoria. The Albury-Wodonga area was known as Bungambrawatha, or ‘Homeland’, by the Wiradjuri people, until 1838 when colonisers decided ‘Albury’ was easier to pronounce. Wodonga, meaning ‘bulrushes’, still retains its Aboriginal name.

Pronunciation: Al-buh-ree-Wod-on-gah

Couple enjoying a riverside picnic at Noreuil Park, Albury. — Albury-Wodonga is separated by the Murray River. (Image: Destination NSW)

9. Widgiemooltha, Western Australia

An abandoned town in Western Australia, Widgiemooltha is not quite a ghost town, but it was once a thriving mining community found on the southern shoreline of Lake Leffroy. Located on Kalaako land, Widgiemooltha is believed to be derived from a word meaning ‘beak of an emu’.

Pronunciation: Wid-gee-mool-tha

Lake Leffroy near Widgiemooltha in Western Australia. — Lake Leffroy is near the abandoned Widgiemooltha.

8. Koolyanobbing, WA

Meaning ‘place of large rocks’, Koolyanobbing is an iron ore mining town between Perth and Kalgoorlie on Kapurn Country. Salt is also harvested from nearby Lake Deborah, a five-million-year-old salt lake.

Pronunciation: Kool-yah-nob-ing

7. Bishopsbourne, Tasmania

Bishopsbourne, or The Bourne as it’s called by the locals, is a tiny rural town (only 137 residents were recorded in the 2021 census) in northern Tasmania around half an hour from Launceston. The 13-letter place name is the easiest one for me on this list!

Pronunciation: Bish-ops-bourne

Bishopsbourne Church Of The Holy Nativity — Bishopsbourne is known as The Bourne to locals.

6. Carrickalinga, South Australia

Carrickalinga – or Karrakardlangga/Karragarlangga in Kaurna, a branch of the Pama–Nyungan languages – is a small, coastal town on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, on Kaurna land. The name is reportedly a corruption of the name given to a former Aboriginal camp meaning ‘place of redgum firewood’.

Pronunciation: Ka-ruh-kuh-ling-guh

Aerial shot of Carrickalinga Beach in South Australia — Carrickalinga has a stunning coastline. (Image: Jesse Ehlers)

5. Coonabarabran, NSW

On Wiradjuri Country, Coonabarabran is a small town that sits on the divide between the Central West and the North West Slopes regions of NSW. Meaning ‘inquisitive person’, Coonabarabran is actually the stargazing capital of Australia! The town is right beside Warrumbungle National Park, Australia’s first International Dark Sky Park.

Pronunciation: Koo-nuh-ba-ruh-bran

Scenic sunrise views across Warrumbungle National Park, near Coonabarabran. — Coonabarabran is the stargazing capital of Australia. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Nowra-Bomaderry, NSW

Nowra-Bomaderry is one of the easier place names to say on this list, but it does have 14 letters in its name. Nowra-Bomaderry sits on either side of the Shoalhaven River on the NSW South Coast. The land to the north of the river is Dharawal Country, and the land to the south is Yuin Country. Nowra means ‘black cockatoo’ and Bomaderry means ‘fighting ground’ or ‘running water’ in the native languages.

Pronunciation: Now-rah-bow-ma-de-ree

Scenic views of the Shoalhaven River passing through Nowra. — Nowra-Bomaderry sits on either side of the Shoalhaven River. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Boomahnoomoonah, Vic

Containing 15 letters, Boomahnoomoonah comes in third for Australia’s longest place names. Boomahnoomoonah is located roughly three hours’ drive from Melbourne, in the Shire of Moira in Victoria, an area known for its agriculture. Sitting between Yarrawonga and Wangaratta in north-eastern Victoria, Boomahnoomoonah is said to mean ‘big water’ in the local Yorta Yorta language.

Pronunciation: Boo-mah-noo-moo-nah

2. Cadibarrawirracanna, SA

Lake Cadibarrawirracanna is one of Australia’s beautiful salt lakes located near the well-known Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre in South Australia. It’s also the second biggest tongue twister when it comes to Australian place names with 19 letters. Often referred to as Lake Cadi, Cadibarrawirracanna means ‘the stars were dancing’ in the Arabana language.

Pronunciation: Cad-i-bar-rah-wir-a-can-nah

Aerial shot of Lake Cadibarrawirracanna in South Australia — Lake Cadibarrawirracanna is one of Australia’s beautiful salt lakes.

1. Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya, SA

Taking out the top spot is Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya, a hill in the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands of South Australia. With 26 letters, Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya translates to ‘where the devil urinates’.

Pronunciation: Ma-mung-koo-kum-pu-rang-kunt-jun-ya

Video credit: Tourism Australia

From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland , and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

a couple on Mount Oberon — Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit , which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk , even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk , usually done over seven days.

the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland — Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The best bush hikes in Gippsland

the Baw Baw National Park — The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland — Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park , along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park — Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail , a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park — The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park , known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the WildernessRetreats in The Prom — Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

Eating there

the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.