Great Ocean Road ~ April
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The gorge is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which ran aground on nearby Muttonbird Island on 1 June 1878 approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne. Of the fifty-four passengers and crew, only two survived: Tom Pearce, at 19 years of age, a ship's apprentice, and Eva Carmichael, an Irishwoman emigrating with her family, at 19 years of age. According to memorials at the site, Pearce was washed ashore, and rescued Carmichael from the water after hearing her cries for help. Pearce then proceeded to climb out of the gorge to raise the alarm to local pastoralists who immediately set into plan a rescue attempt. After three months in Australia Carmichael returned to Europe. Four of her family members drowned that night. Pearce was hailed as a hero, and continued his life living until age 49. He is buried in Southampton, England. (Source: Wikipedia) The arch of the nearby Island Archway collapsed in June 2009. The feature now appears as two unconnected rock pillars. They have since been officially named Tom and Eva after the two teenage survivors of the Loch Ard shipwreck. [Source: Wikipedia]
This image was taken during a heavy rain storm. At this occasion, the sun peaked through to produce this rainbow.
The original pier dated back to 1879 but over the years’ time and the sea had taken its toll. In 2006 construction started to build a new pier with modern facilities for both the fisherman and their fishing boats. Being the same length and width of the old pier, Lorne’s new pier opened in March of 2007 and cost five million dollars to construct. The end of the pier offers a wider section and lower platform which are very popular for the dozens of fishermen who fish from the pier each day.
Until recently, "London Bridge" consisted of a long finger of limestone with two arches. In January 1999 the arch closest to the coastline collapsed into the water below. This trapped two tourists out on the end requiring their rescue via helicopter.
Even on a perfectly calm day, one can capture a glimpse of the force of the Southern Ocean. These ways are crashing over a hidden reef with the tops of the waves being blown off to form a trail of sea spray.
Along the south coast of the state of Victoria, Australia are many 'sea stacks' formed by the eroding effects of the ocean against the limestone shoreline. The force of the erosion eats its way into the shoreline and eventually cuts through forming stacks.