Loch Ard

We are stopping at Port Campbell to see the Loch Ard Gorge on the shipwreck coast. The information centre have a free program called Craters to Coast. You get to use windmeters, digital cameras and telescopes for educational activities. 

I'm using the windmeter and digital camera we borrowed to document my findings at the gorge. I'm looking forward to it. 

Dad, Jacob and I getting ready to do the activity and walk. 

This is the beautiful and dangerous Loch Ard Gorge along what is known as the Shipwreck Coast. The ship, the Loch Ard, left England on 2 March 1878 heading for Melbourne with 36 crew and 18 passengers with mixed cargo of 2275 tons. After a 3 month journey the ship was scheduled to enter Port Phillip Bay the next day only to crash into Mutton Bird island. With heavy mist the night before, the Cape Otway lighthouse couldn't be seen, so they were off course.

There were only two survivors on the Loch Ard, Eva Carmichael and Tom Pearce. They both washed into the gorge onto this beach where we are walking. 

This is known as Toms Cave. Here he spent the night with Eva after rescuing her from the water. They tried to keep warm then Tom set out the next day, climbing the gorge in search of help. 

You can see the very narrow opening to the gorge. How lucky they both were to be washed onto the same beach to safety. 

Here I am standing with the anchor from the Loch Ard. It was 24 m deep under water for almost 100 years.