Scenario: A Mega-Tsunami occurs, one that will cause floods to cover
100 kms from the coast of Australia. It could be any coast. It could
be 200 kms.

I want to pre-prepare a place to be if this was to occur. Presume I
could predict when it would happen.

The place needs to be a good spot for long-term (years) of
self-sufficiency. This means fertile ground, natural water supplies,
and a town of at least 1500 people within 50 kms.

I want to locate the 5 best matching Australian locations for the
above scenario. The most important aspect is distance from the coast.
Second most important is being able to grow food. Third is proximity
to a reasonably-sized town.

I don't want Alice Springs as an answer :)

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Clarification of Question by robskelton-ga on 02 Sep 2006 18:23 PDT

The distance from the coast is the most important aspect. All I care
about is the possible locations to meet my needs. Please don't include
any discussion of tsunamis and survivalism in your answer.

Hmmm, I would insist that there also be a brewery in the area.

First, even a mega-tsunami with several 100 m waves (it's mega,
right?) still won't be able to flood that far inland; there just
wouldn't be enough water.
Somewhere in the Blue Mountains would be safe, ditto for Canberra.

"Here's Toohey," Myoarin

I was going to suggest anywhere between Merredin and Kalgoorlie, along
Great Eastern Highway.(for 200 kms from the coast)

However there is no longer a brewery at Kalgoorlie.

Bridgetown has a brewery and just might scrap in 100 kms from the coast.

Cheers

The most catastrophic tsunami in recorded history was the Indian Ocean
event of 2004. The energy of this event has been measured at about
1.10 x 10^18 joules. This corresponds to the impact of a solid iron
asteroid with a diameter of over 14 meters at more than 13,400
meters/second.

   Yet as powerful as the 2004 event was, it never came near to
propelling water 100 km inland. Even if the requisite energy is pumped
into the ocean water right at the coast, it needs to have components
of velocity imparted to it such that it both heads inland and rises to
an altitude which will bring it down that far in. The energy in a wave
is proportional to the square of its amplitude (height). Such an event
would be so powerful as to possibly be of near extinction magnitude.

   Even if it's merely a "blast us back to the stone-age" level event,
you won't be the only one in need of a prime parcel of land.
Everything will be changed. You'll be in competition with lots of
displaced others.

I don't think it'll matter where you park yourself.

Your question assumes that a wave large enough to flood 100-200 km of
coastline will not reach inland 50 km. Based on that alone I suspect
any research you recieve may not be accurate in terms of the "safest"
place. Your question also asumes that this hypothetical town of 1500
won't be inundated with tens of thousands of people like yourself.
Such a sudden influx of people would render the resources of this town
virtually nil and as such, your very reasons for going there would be
pointless and therefore not the safest or most reasonable place to go.