Top 10 Remarkable Facts about 12 Apostles, Victoria

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about 12 Apostles, Victoria

Port Campbell National Park by Dietmar Rabich from Wikimedia Commons

The Twelve Apostles are a group of limestone outcrops that may be seen near Port Campbell National Park on Australia’s Great Ocean Road. Twenty million years ago, the Twelve Apostles were founded. Due to how close together the stacks are now, they are a well-liked tourist destination. Unfortunately, only eight apostles or limestone stacks are still standing. One fell in 2005.

For more information about the Twelve Apostles of Victoria, see the 10 facts about the 12 Apostles, Victoria.

1. A collection of rocks known as The Twelve Apostles

The Twelve Apostles by Michael J Fromholtz from Wikimedia Commons

A collection of rock formations known as The Twelve Apostles may be seen in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Port Campbell National Park along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. It is one of Australia’s most well-known natural sights and a popular tourist destination in the state of Victoria.

2. The Twelve Apostles were sculpted by erosion

The Twelve Apostles by Beau Wade from Wikimedia Commons

The Port Campbell Limestone, which was deposited between 15 and 5 million years ago, is what makes up the rock stacks. Over millions of years, the abrasive Southern Ocean weather sculpted the stacks by eroding the fragile limestone. The limestone cliffs were first eroded into caves, then into arches, and finally into stacks as a result of additional erosion.

3. There are eight stacks, not twelve

The Twelve Apostles by Diceman~commonswiki from Wikimedia Commons

There were never 12 rock stacks, despite the name. The first rock formations were nine. However, just eight remained when they were called “The Twelve Apostles” by authorities. A 50-meter-tall (160-foot) stack toppled in July 2005. From the Twelve Apostles’ perspective, just seven stacks are still there.

4. The Sow and Piglets was the original name

Mutton Bird Point by David Stanley from Wikimedia Commons

The Pinnacles and the Sow and Piglets were two names for the rock stacks up to the 1960s. The Sow is Mutton Bird Island, which is located at Loch Ard Gorge’s entrance. The Twelve Apostles and other many rock formations dotting the coastline are known as the Piglets.

5. To attract tourists, the formations were given a new name

The Sow and Piglets were dubbed “The Apostles” by officials in an effort to increase tourism. They did this purely for marketing purposes since they thought it sounded nicer and would increase visitors to the area.

The Twelve Apostles are the name given to the sea stacks over time. The new name was successful. The Twelve Apostles get more than 2 million visitors each year. It is one of the most well-liked tourist attractions in Victoria. After Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef, it is Australia’s third most visited natural attraction.

6. There are additional rock formations nearby

Blow hole and thunder cave by Chensiyuan from Wikimedia Commons

Other noteworthy rock formations, such as London Bridge, Thunder Cave, Razorback, Island Archway, Bakers Oven Rock, Sentinel Rocks, and the Grotto, may also be found along this section of the shore in Port Campbell National Park.

7. A section of the Shipwreck Coast includes the Twelve Apostles

Port Campbell National Park by Dietmar Rabich from Wikimedia Commons

The Loch Ard Gorge is located in Port Campbell National Park. The clipper ship Loch Ard, which grounded on adjacent Muttonbird Island, gave this canyon its name. Soon enough, you’ll understand why this stretch of the Great Ocean Road is known as the Shipwreck Coast. There are around 638 shipwrecks that are known to have occurred along Victoria’s 130 km-long coastline, which runs from Cape Otway to Port Fairy.

The most well-known shipwreck, Loch Ard, went down in 1878. Only two of the 54 passengers, cabin boy Tom Pearce and passenger Eva Carmichael managed to live. The beach where the pair washed ashore has been renamed Loch Ard Gorge in honour of the stricken ship.

8. They Are Ancient

Port Campbell National Park by Alankang from Wikimedia Commons

Although the precise date of the soft limestone’s reduction to the present-day stacks is uncertain, estimations place the event at some time about 6000 years ago. What is known is that the rocks’ location, the limestone region surrounding Port Campbell, is thought to be between 15 and 20 million years old.

Because soft limestone is a sedimentary rock, which means it was created by continuous erosion over time by accumulating additional minerals and organic particles to make the rock itself, geologists can determine this.

9. They will eventually completely disappear

Scientists have calculated that the Apostles’ weaker limestone is still degrading at a rate of 2 cm per year; another Apostle fall may not occur in our lifetimes, but it is undoubtedly feasible.

Don’t worry, though; these forms won’t completely disappear. Yes, they will gradually sink into the water one by one, but as the cliffs are further eroded by the waves, new arches will appear. These arches will finally crumble into new rock formations. In essence, the Apostles will return at some point.

10. A Twelve Apostles Center exists

Facts about 12 Apostles, Victoria by Camelboy from Wikimedia Commons

If you’re in the vicinity, it’s worthwhile to stop by the Twelve Apostles centre to learn more about the Shipwreck Coast, the origins of the rocks, and what to expect as erosion progresses.

Additionally, you’ll learn more about the role that they have had in culture across time.  Make sure to tour the centre as well to understand more about these incredible limestone stacks, even if the rocks and the Ocean Road are stunning vistas.