Trans-Tasman Challenge

Students linked up from Otago, Bairnsdale and Sale for the annual Pat Farry Quiz.

Students linked up from Otago, Bairnsdale and Sale for the annual Pat Farry Quiz.

The annual Pat Farry Memorial Trans Tasman Quiz between Otago University and Monash University, East Gippsland, was again a huge success – especially for the East Gippsland team!

Competing for the highly sought after “Pat Farry Cup” Year 3B and 4C students from Sale campus along with Year 4C Bairnsdale campus students made up the 18 strong Monash team. Otago had the edge on the numbers with 20 students but Monash students were determined to retain the coveted trophy.

Questions such as, “Name the three actresses who have all married Tom Cruise” and “Give the full name of the 1st child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge”,  were amply sprinkled with medical questions such as “what is the medical name for a tongue tie.” *

Thirty questions in all were asked, with the evening supervised by Monash and Otago staff to ensure there was no underhand access to Google or Wikipedia.

Quizmaster Buss Burrell, the Otago University Rural Medicine Immersion Program (RMIP) Regional Coordinator for Marlborough area, entertained everyone dressed as a large red lobster. He ran the quiz like clockwork, without a hint of home-side favouritism and although the incumbents got off to a slow start things warmed up as the quiz progressed.

Monash students were well fed with brain food to give them every chance of retaining the cup but it was their quick responses and entertaining exploration of details which won the day.

It was a close finish with the Monash side retaining the cup with a 23 to 19 win. (Yes we know that 23+19 does not add up to 30!) Scoring is another Quite Interesting exercise!

So the cup is East Gippsland’s and will be displayed at the Sale campus until the Kiwis and the Aussies meet again next year.

PS: *If you are interested, answers to the quiz questions listed are:

1. Katie Holmes (latest ex-wife), Nicole Kidman and Mimi Rogers

2. George Alexander Louis Mountbatten-Windsor

3. Ankyloglossia

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