Loch Ard Gorge

Loch Ard Gorge is a coastal inlet between layered limestone cliffs in Port Campbell National Park. Waves push through its narrow mouth toward the sandy cove. It is a worthwhile stop for the close cliff views and the story behind its name; allow at least an hour for the main precinct if you want more than a quick look.

From the main car park, the level 900 m return Geology Walk runs on crushed rock and bitumen to clifftop views of the Razorback and the split stacks of Island Arch. The separate Loch Ard Wreck Lookout walk is a 600 m return over undulating bitumen. A longer 1.4 km Wreck of the Loch Ard walk passes the cemetery, while the 3.2 km Living on the Edge loop has inclines. The wider network adds up to about 7 km across three separate car parks, so note which lot you started from and allow two to three hours for a longer wander. There are no toilets on site.

The clipper Loch Ard struck Mutton Bird Island near the gorge on 1 June 1878, near the end of a three-month voyage from England to Melbourne. Fifty-four people were aboard; only two survived: 19-year-old apprentice Thomas Pearce and passenger Eva Carmichael. The nearby cemetery and wreck lookout connect the inlet to that disaster without confusing the wreck site with the gorge itself.

The cliffs expose Hesse clay above yellow Port Campbell Limestone, which is about eight million years old here. Waves cut into the softer rock and wind and rain keep working the layers, shaping the caves, arches and stacks along this coast. The close view makes the bands in the cliff face easy to pick out.

The nearby Island Archway collapsed in June 2009. Its two remaining stacks are now called Tom and Eva, after the shipwreck survivors. It is a striking example of how quickly an arch can become a different landmark on this exposed coast.

At a clifftop lookout, keep both limestone walls in the frame and leave the narrow opening to the ocean between them. That shows the inlet’s enclosed shape and the layered rock at the same time; the Geology Walk also gives you distinct views toward the Razorback and Island Arch stacks.