Capital Walk

I found these pictures a few days ago from one of the afternoon walks I took last month.  The pictures were taken around the Signal Hill area. I hope you all like the fall photos. Don't forget to check back for more!

Twelve Apostles

The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road. Currently there are 8 apostles left but the name remains significant and spectacular especially in the Australian tourism industry. The apostles were formed by erosion: the harsh and extreme weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45 meters high. Now because of this erosion there are less than ten remaining. The site was known as the Sow and Piglets until 1922, eventually became known as the Twelve Apostles, despite only ever having nine stacks. The stacks are susceptible to further erosion from the waves. On 3 July 2005, a 50-meter tall stack collapsed, leaving eight remaining. Due to wave action eroding the cliff face existing headlands are expected to become new limestone stacks in the future. 

This was one of my favorite locations that I visited during my trip. I couldn’t stop taking pictures. It reminded me of the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick, which I had visited a couple times before. I would definitely recommend the GOR as a must do, especially this site to anyone planning a trip to Victoria. This concludes the trip posts and I truly hope everyone enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed reminiscing of the adventure of a lifetime! Remember to come back for more recent pictures that I have taken. Although, one of my camera lenses has decided not to work so I feel I’m working short handed, but hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to get out soon if the weather allows me to do so. 

Loch Ard Gorge

The Loch Ard Gorge is part of Port Campbell National Park. It is a visible example of the process of erosion in action.  The gorge is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which ran aground 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 15 years of age, a ship's apprentice, and Eva Carmichael, an Irishwoman immigrating with her family, at 17 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. 

It is a beautiful location that allows each visitor the opportunity to stand in awe of the power of the waves crashing against the shore. While taking pictures near the surf I became distracted and not paying attention to the rising tide. Lets just say I happened to be caught by a couple waves lol So when my mother asked me if I dipped my toe into the water, I informed her that I didn’t get the chance, the water christened me instead lol There is only one more stop on this adventure! So remember to keep checking for it! I hope everyone has been enjoying my posts so far. Drop me an email if you have any comments or questions, and I’ll be more then happy to get feedback, especially from the viewers! 

Thunder Cave

The Great Ocean Road, one of the most scenic routes of the world. The GOR allows the visitor to follow the coastline, which showcases sheer cliffs, towering rock stacks, gorges, arches, and sea caves. A soft Pliocene limestone with karst features forms the coastline. Above sea level the limestone is exposed to violent seas and strong winds, which have carved out some remarkable features. The Thunder Cave, which despite the name is not a cave, it is actually a roofless cave, which collapsed long ago by the ongoing erosional forces of the sea. It is a must see stop on the GOR, great for taking pictures! Only two more post from this trip left. As always keep checking back for more! 

Bay of Islands

Bay of Islands Coastal Park is a 32-kilometer long coastal reserve located on the Great Ocean Road between Peterborough and Warrnambool in Australia. This coastal park has outstanding ocean views and geological features. Sheer cliffs and rock stacks dominate the bays. This was my first stop on the Great Ocean Road and the remaining post from this trip follows my journey on the GOR. This was a great day of picture taking and I hope you all keep checking back for more!     

Red Rock Road Adventures!

In the Gariwerd - Grampians National Park, the public can visit rock shelters where Aboriginal people camped and painted images of their life and law on the sandstone walls. Manja, Cave of Hands is located in Billawin, Victoria Range, beside the Billywing Pine Plantation. Manja (pronounced Manya) meaning ‘hands’ has some of the best examples of hand stencils in Victoria. The hand stencils were used to record a visit to a site, and to renew the ties a person had to a particular place. At this site there are also animal tracks and many human stick figures. Placing a hand on the rock then spraying a mouthful of pigment over it made the hand stencils at Manja, which is located in an impressive sandstone outcrop. It is not know exactly when the paintings were made. Research elsewhere has demonstrated that Aboriginal people have lived in the area now called Victoria, for at least 40,000 years. The day spent in the outback was amazing! As always I hope you all enjoy and keep checking back for more!