Day 10 & 11. Thunder Cave, Sherbrook River and London Bridge (or Arch)!

16.01.2013

It was still Day 10 of the trip, but there were many more amazing sites to be seen. We were in Port Campbell National Park and had just enjoyed the beauty of both the Twelve Apostle's and Loch Ard Gorge. First stop today was Thunder Cave, a huge cavern cared into the limestone cliffs. Whilst you aren't able to go into the cave itself, you get an awesome view of the sea crashing into it and the sea foam it creates. The  noise of the foamy, raging sea is incredible and comparable to thunder, hence the name!

We continued to explore the area, and took a walk along the coast. We ended up at the point where Sherbrook River meets the Southern Ocean. Standing there on the sand means that in one direction you see the quiet, trickling river streaming towards you and in the other, you see (& hear) the rough ocean slamming into the coast. It is a dramatic difference to take in. Even on a hot, sunny day like this there is no rest bite for the shore from the raging ocean. We loved standing on the edge of the rocks and seeing the massive waves explode up on them. There was not a single other person around and we were spoilt with these magnificent views all to ourselves!

London Arch is a natural arch found on the Victorian coast. Originally, it was a double spanned natural bridge which, due to the similarity in appearance, gave it the name London Bridge. Until 1990, you could walk out onto it but in January of that year the nearest arch unexpectedly collapsed leaving two tourists stranded, awaiting rescue by helicopter. Whilst it is now just a single arch, it still provides a spectacular shot -especially with the raging waves surrounding it.

We had planned on spending the night in Port Campbell itself, but upon arrival we didn't like the park so we drove the extra 70km to stay in Warrnambool. We paid $42 to stay at Hopkins River Holiday Park, which was relatively expensive compared to other parks. That said, it was a huge place filled with families taking advantage of the hot sunshine, but this also meant there were a lot of young children around. We made use of the pool to cool down, and there were lots of facilities on site for both adults and kids to enjoy.

The next morning, we decided to enjoy a day on Warrnambool beach. It was forecast to hit a blisteringly hot 38oC so we made sure we slip, slap, slopped using high factor sun cream. It's always nice to enjoy a day at the beach but by the afternoon it was starting to get too hot, and we made a move. The radio had warned us that the extreme heat meant there was a severe bush fire alert today and needless to say, our journey saw us drive through the thick smoke of a raging bush fire nearby. Luckily we weren't too close, but it was still an experience to drive through the smoke with our headlights on in the middle of the day. It is a very real reminder of the danger of the burning sun in this dry, barren corner of the country.

                                                     The plume of smoke of a bush fire, and driving towards it.

After making it through the smoke, we made our way to a free camp spot in a town called Dartmoor. This would be our last day in Victoria on this part of the trip. The town itself was tiny, with a population of just 218 people and yet it still had a shop, Post Office, Butcher, Mini Museum, Library, School, Church, Motel/Hotel and a Bowls Club! I couldn't imagine living in such a remote place, still  thinking my hometown of 130,000 people is too small! By the time we arrived, the temperature had risen to 40oC and we spent an evening with the Kindle under the cooling shade of the tree's having explored he town and it's free shower facilities for campers. But, as you can imagine, it was an uncomfortable night spent in in Priscilla with no electricity outlet for the fan!

Escaping the 40oC heat in Dartmoor under the shade of the trees!

Day 10. The Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge!

16.01.2013

As much as we didn't want to leave the mesmerising Johanna Beach, we got up early on Day 10 as we had so many sites to see. We were continuing our journey along the beautiful Great Ocean Road towards some of Victoria's most famed natural landmarks.

Our first destination was the most famous of them all, the Twelve Apostles which form part of the spectacular Port Campbell National Park. When visiting the site, you are bluntly warned of two dangers here; snakes and unstable cliffs! To quote the sign, "You may fall and DIE." This didn't deter us and you will be pleased to hear we didn't encounter any dangerous reptiles (on this occasion, but we do see a snake later on in the trip!) or fall down any cliffs. 

If you aren't aware, the Twelve Apostles are a collection of limestone stacks located on the coast near the Great Ocean Road. They are formed by erosion caused by the rough sea conditions experienced in the Southern Ocean. The basic process is that the sea erodes the soft limestone rock to form a cave, which continues eroding to eventually become an arch, which over time collapses to leave a giant stack of rock which can be up to 45 metres high. It is ongoing and there are still many caves and arches lining the Victorian coastline which have yet to collapse. 

Despite originally being called the Sow and Piglets (our next stop, the Loch Ard Gorge, was the Sow and theses stacks were the piglets), the site was renamed in 1922 for tourism purposes even though there have only ever been 9 stacks not 12! In 2005, a 50 metre high stack collapsed and another followed in 2009 meaning there are now only 7 left - and with an erosion rate at the base of the pillars of 2cm a year, more will tumble. However, the waves continue to batter the coastline and more stacks will form in the future.

As they are now, the stacks are breathtaking and it a very special place to visit. Being another hot & sunny day, we had magnificent blue skies as a backdrop to this beautiful coastline. Along with the other visitors there, we stayed for a while just to soak up the beauty and atmosphere. I would return here in a heartbeat and recommend any visitor to Australia to make the journey if they can!

Having loved every second of the 'piglets', we were equally as excited to see the 'Sow' - or Loch Ard Gorge as it is known today. You learn about it's history on the signs scattered around the gorge. The site was named after a ship called Loch Ard, which ran aground nearby in 1878 after a 3 month journey from England to Melbourne. Only 2 of the 54 people on board survived; a 15 year old ship apprentice who was washed up ashore here and a 17 year old Irish girl immigrating to Australia who the apprentice saved upon hearing her cries. The arch of nearby Island Archway collapsed in 2009 forming two unconnected rock pillars which have been officially named as Tom and Eva in memory of the two survivors of the tragedy.

Once you arrive, you are able walk along the edge and look back to get this amazing shot back towards the gorge. However, for the best view of all you walk down the stairs onto the beach itself. From here, you get an incredible view and it shows just how beautiful the ugly process of erosion can be. On one side, you see wonderful rock formations and on the other, you see the pathway which has been carved into the rock by the sea, forming this picturesque oasis. The waves gently lap onto the golden shore, with the steep cliff faces & rich, blue sky forming an amazing backdrop. Once again, we were witnessing one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen and the memories will last a lifetime.

This was just one half of one hell of a day - in the next post we continue our journey to visit Thunder Cave, London Bridge and where Sherbrook River meets the ocean!