Australian coast

Most of Australia’s population lives along the country’s southeastern coast. To the west, there’s the vast and dry Australian outback. Then — all the way in the northwestern corner — is the place we want you to name.

It’s a strip of coastline bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west and the Timor Sea to the north. The region is home to coastal red rock canyons, tropical mangrove stands, even patches of rainforest. It’s also home to rare and endangered plants and animals, both on land and in the water.

What it doesn’t have much of is people. Barely 40,000 residents, in an area roughly the size of California. Much of the coast is unspoiled by development. But a big environmental threat emerged this week. It’s a leak from an offshore oil platform.

So, we head to northwestern Australia to get the answer to our Geo Quiz. It’s a remote stretch of coastline that even most Australians don’t know much about. It’s bathed by both the Indian Ocean to the west and the Timor Sea to the north.

It is the Kimberly Coast, where this week an undersea oil pipeline ruptured and is spewing crude oil and natural gas into the sea. Anchor Jeb Sharp finds out more from John Carey, director of the Pew Environment Group’s Kimberley Conservation Project.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3

Drilling rig rushed to huge oil leak

Australian oil spill clean-up to take seven weeks: minister
Oil, gas leak in Timor Sea

PTTEP attempts to bring the Montara leak under control

Environs Kimberley

The Wild Australia Program