Great Ocean Road

“No warning seen from Otway’s lighthouse,

On the coast a hazy gloom,

Limestone cliffs stood quiet to welcome,

Loch Ard to its doom.”

“The Loch Ard” by Jim Low.

Along the coast of Australia, there is a long and beautiful drive called the Great Ocean Road. This is close to the area known as Shipwreck Coast where many ships, including the Loch Ard, have gone to a watery grave.  To this day the coast is full of stories from the past which definitely adds to the atmosphere.  We decided to take two days to explore the area.  The weather was blustery with high speed winds and lots of rain, but we were prepared with our rain jacket armour.

Overview

The Great Ocean Road is more than 200 kilometres of road stretching along the Australian coast. It begins in Torquay and ends in Allansford, along the way passing through Anglesea, Lornes, Port Campbell, Apollo Bay, and Peterborough. We took a walk around Apollo Bay and the weather was half sunny, half rainy and windy, but we’re explorers so no matter what the weather, we would keep going.  Unless it was a tornado or earthquake, of course.  The road is considered one of the most beautiful and scenic drives in the world, and has a place on the Australian National Heritage list.

History

In the early 20th century, there were small towns connected by rough paths through the bush. The Great Ocean Road was constructed to connect all the towns. It also served to give more than 3,000 servicemen who had returned from WW I a job and a form of therapy. Today, the road is the biggest war memorial in the world, so we wanted to get our picture taken in front of it.

Attractions

The Grotto

The Grotto is an arch in between two limestone cliffs. Looking through the space under the arch, one can see the ocean and other beautiful rock formations.  I felt like I was looking through a naturally made window!  This reminded me of the grotto of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes.

London Bridge

The London Bridge, or the London Arch, is a stone formation close to the cliffs. It used to resemble the London Bridge in England, but the part connected to the land collapsed due to erosion. When it fell, two tourists were stranded on the other side and had to be rescued by a helicopter!  If I were in their position, I would be scared to be stranded, but it would be fun to have a helicopter ride.

Loch Ard Gorge

The gorge was going to be one of the first formations we visited.  But when we got there, it was pouring rain with hurricane winds!  The gorge wasn’t going anywhere, so we decided to come back the next day. 🙂

This gorge got its name from the ship “Loch Ard” which sailed from the United Kingdom and was destroyed there. Only two of the 58 passengers survived: 15 year old Tom Pearce and 17 year old Eva Carmichael. Tom washed ashore on an upturned lifeboat and rescued Eva from the water. He then climbed out of the gorge and notified some pastoralists who organized a rescue. Eva eventually returned to Europe and Tom was hailed as a hero.

One of the highlights was standing on the beach below the gorge and watching the waves soak people!  The waves would be crashing onto the beach, but they weren’t very big.  People would get closer and closer to the water, thinking the waves would stay small.  But then, a big wave would come and soak everyone!  It was so funny, I could stand on the beach for hours and watch the waves drench people. 😀

12 Apostles

The 12 Apostles are a group of tall stones jutting majestically out of the water. They were originally called “The Sow and Piglets”, but the name was changed to the 12 Apostles to attract tourists. The rocks are so amazing, it’s hard to imagine them being named after pigs!  Today there are only 7 standing due to erosion from the fast moving water.  The formation reminds me of Aphrodite’s rock in Cyprus.

Gibson Steps

The steps are on the side of a cliff and lead down to the beach. Here, you can get a different view of the surrounding cliffs and the 12 Apostles.  When we were on the beach, my dad was getting set up for the perfect shot.  But just as he was taking the picture, a huge wave came up and soaked him!  Luckily Zoe, my mom, and I were able to run away in time to avoid getting wet.  We couldn’t stop laughing!  My dad didn’t find it as funny at first, but later on he was laughing with the rest of us. 🙂

From its history as a ship graveyard to a modern tourist attraction, the Great Ocean Road and the sights around have evolved a lot. It shows how something built to connect people brings people together today as they see the sights. Everything we saw was amazing and I had a great time, especially watching people get soaked.  I can understand why this place is called Shipwreck Coast because between the powerful wind and the gigantic waves, it would take a lot of skill and luck to make it through.  Who knows how much the area will change for the next generation?

“From Gravesend to grave’s end

Kingdom Come to see

The little ship the Loch Ard

Sails into memory.”