Loch Ard Gorge

About 7 km west of Port Campbell is a turnoff on the right which leads to Loch Ard Gorge which was named after the iron clipper the Loch Ard which left England bound for Melbourne in March 1878 and was shipwrecked here on 1 June that same year.

The Loch Ard was not a large ship. At the time of the shipwreck it was carrying only 17 passengers and a crew of 37. Of the 54 people aboard only two survived - Eva Carmichael and a ship's apprentice, Tom Pearce, both were aged 19.

Pearce managed to swim ashore and then managed to save Eva who was clinging to part of the ship's spar. Pearce managed to carry her to a cave where he covered her with grass before heading back to the coast to search for other survivors.

At first light Pearce clambered up the cliffs of Loch Ard gorge (these days there is a pleasant set of wooden stairs from the beach to the top) where he found horse tracks and followed them until he reached Glenample Station.

Here we were, at the beach area after climbing a flight of stairs .... Wave was not that strong that day but it was scary though......

This is part of the cave ...