Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge may not be as instantly recognisable as the Twelve Apostles, but this Great Ocean Road landmark tells a fascinating story and is well worth the trip from Melbourne.
This beautiful gorge was the scene of a historic shipwreck back in 1878. The Loch Ard was coming to the end of its three month voyage from England to Melbourne when it hit a reef off the coast. Sadly, all but two of the passengers and crew survived the wreck. The survivors, Tom Pearce, a 15 year old crew member and Eva Carmichael, a 17 year old Irish emigrant, were washed on to the sandy beach of what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge.
You can climb down the steps into the gorge and learn more about what happened to Tom and Eva after that fateful voyage from England to Australia.