Monday, June 8, 2009

MY WORLD ~ 29 The Twelve Apostles

To see the bigger picture, just click on it!



When travelling between Adelaide and Melbourne
there are two main alternatives. You can either go
some 700km by the direct route along the Duke's
and Western highways or take the much longer and
slower but more scenic route along the coast. This, even
when pushing along, takes three full days and if you
wish to explore a little more, a good week.

These photos were taken near Port Campbell in
Victoria along The Great Ocean Road, in an area famous for
its sandstone coast sculpted by the sea into freestanding
columns, bridges, caves, blowholes and grottos.
In one bay stand the Twelve Apostles.



We unfortunately had a rather dreary, overcast day
that was not ideal for photography. Even so, the
scenery was quite impressive.



The wear and tear on the coastline in the last twenty
years has been so dramatic that some of the landmarks
were quite confusing...are these part of the Apostles or not?



Even London bridge, which was a large arch across the
gap, has gone leaving but a remnant like the famed
bridge at Avignon.
The story goes that, although there were warning signs
that the bridge was unsafe to walk upon, some bright spark
landed a helicopter on its most vulnerable part and oops...
that was the end of the bridge. If the story is true, I hope
he had not switched off the engine yet!



The whole coast is littered with shipwrecks, blowholes
erupting quite startlingly out of the depths far enough
from the sea so you can't see it, as well as many caves
and this delightful grotto with a view.
Someday I hope we will find the time to go back again
with my present camera and a lot more time.

For now, leave me a sign of life and click on the Logo
to see a great deal more of the world.

To Klaus and the team, hats off for providing this meme.

61 comments:

  1. Those are impressive photos, the last one is my favourite. I had actually heard about the London Arch before and from what I've read, it collapsed on its own, but trapped two tourists on the far end who then had to be rescued by helicopter.

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  2. What a wonderful coast! Your pictures are so beautiful, despite the weather!
    Thank you for sharing!
    Mr Linky is lazy again today :)

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  3. aaah, now I know why I recognize that one beach. took a few moments. but British Airways had an ad a few years ago set on that beach with tons of "extras" and those wonderful rock structures in the background.

    wonderful images!

    Dale

    btw, thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog

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  4. Those are amazing pictures.This would be a great place to see in person.Thanks for sharing just a little part of your world.

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  5. Wow, what a place! When you mentioned a seven week tour, I was smiling big time. Seven days of discovery! Mmmmmm!! :-)

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  6. All of these are marvelous, but the last one takes my breath away.

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  7. Nature sure has a wonderful way of creating magnificent sculptures. This coastline is beautiful.

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  8. That is a beautiful area of Australia. I guess one should see it once like Capri! I would love to go and take my time to see these natural wonders.
    mine is on thisandthat.)

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  9. Oh the last one just had me sighing. So idyllic. I do like bridge myths too as you probably know.

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  10. Beautiful natural sculptures and shots.

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  11. Simply fascinating, I would love to see those in person, but your great photos are the next best thing.

    Have a fantastic week
    Guy
    Regina In Pictures

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  12. Fabulous with the grey skies. Sometimes I prefer grey to blue.

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  13. What fantastic shots of an incredibly beautiful coast! And I always enjoy and learn from the information you include -- so interesting!

    Have a great week, Arija!

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  14. I'm glad you took the scenic route on your trip. The scenery (and your pictures) are just spectacular.

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  15. Wow, Arija! Great post! Really interesting info and beautiful pics - especially the last photo is amazing!

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  16. Interesting story about the demise of the bridge...
    Great photos of some very impressive scenery. I love the last picture best.

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  17. I enjoy clicking on your photos to see them larger in all their details. That is such an interesting post.

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  18. It looks like a magical place.

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  19. They are very beautiful part of the nature. I visited them in 2005, love the scenery. But I was attacked by swarms of houseflies...lol. I should not go there during summer.

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  20. Wow! what great views! well done.

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  21. I hope you will find the time for the next trip soon, this was spectacular. "The wear and tear" of the coastline is scary.

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  22. Such a beautiful coastline! Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos.

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  23. Fabulous photos! It sounds a most phenomenal bit of seashore. I can't imagine not taking this scenic route given the opportunity.

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  24. ...what a gorgeous place.....I really enjoyed this post (and would definitely like to see it in person!).

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  25. I'd take the scenic route too. Love the sculpted sandstone. To bad about the arch. Sure hope you can return. Another place to add to my Australia list.

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  26. Arija, what a most beautiful coastline and your photographs are stunning with great composition. Thank you for sharing this wonderful part of your world with us.
    Blessings and smiles

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  27. Wonderful pictures. the coastline is great. I specially like your last picture best---well i think they all were best.

    Regarding the red in my garden--I think you are right. I do need some cheering up and I think that is why i have chosen so much red. As a child I didn't want to wear red because i thought it brought attention to me so now I guess i do want attention. HA!! MB

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  28. Beautiful photos and wow, what a location to visit. I'm so glad you shared these.

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  29. Sometimes an overcast day is better for photos than a sunny day. Beautiful shots.

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  30. I love the drama of the shots!

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  31. Thank you for taking us around - hopefully one day I will see it IRL.
    In a few years when I have my 40 birthday we will go the hole family for a few months to Australien.

    /Maria Berg, Sweden

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  32. Hello Arija, These are beautiful photos of beautiful country. Your love of the land shines through in every post and throughout your beautiful blog. Please come over to mine where I have an award waiting for you. You'll find it here: http://postcardsfromwildwood.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/another-great-day-for-the-isle-of-wight/
    Enjoy!
    Janice.

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  33. Great photos of a beautiful coast Arija! Thanks for posting these.

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  34. Arija;) this is stunning photography as always. Thanks for sharing. (((Hugs)))

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  35. What a wonderful area! I would definitely choose the route along the coast to enjoy that natural beauty. Those sandstone sculptures look so beautiful and impressive. All your photos are fantastic. I am simply delighted with them.

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  36. Arija: I must say that this is an interesting place and you took some really neat photos.

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  37. Our son and his family live in Adelaide and one time when we were visiting we did the trip from Adelaide to Melbourne and saw the Twelve Apostles - magnificent. Great pictures. A x

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  38. I'd want to spend days and days there. It's spectacular.

    I can't believe some bozo thought it was OK to land a helicopter. OMG.

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  39. I think your photographs turned out great in spite of the weather and time limitations. Great post.

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  40. most lovely captures of the coast...that last with the reflection is awesome...thanks for sharing it with us.

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  41. Ah, yes, this is a place I would live to visit some time...one day when I am visiting family in Melbourne maybe!

    Thanks Arija. Great shots!

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  42. Great shots really!
    My eyes were stuck at the last shot. :)

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  43. Very Impressive !! The Photos All are Simply Amazing And Well Captured..Thanks For Showing Us The Beauty..Also I Have Started My Own Website And Would Like You To Have A Look At It.I Would Love To Have Your Comments On That Also.Unseen Rajasthan

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  44. such a beautiful place! I actually wanted to visit the 12 apostles during my stay in Melbourne last year, but the trip was canceled because it was raining so heavily and we were forced to do something else.
    anyway, hope to see it next time round.
    thank you for sharing.

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  45. Beautiful photos, especially that last one. I love the colours of the sandstone and the reflections in the water..

    Mother nature is a marvellous sculptor, isn't she !!!

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  46. Very impressive photos - and coast! First i thought it was from Portugal, it looks a bit like the some of the coast there.

    Very beautiful, would have loved to visit!

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  47. It must be a beautiful country ! My son has travelled through for 6 weeks by plane and car and he brought back thousands of pictures !
    The Morrocans at least in the South are not very friendly (except the Berbers) what a difference with the Egyptians who always have a smile for you ! I had one who spat almost on my feet because he thought I had taken a picture of him, but I only had photographed the street !

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  48. What a wonderfully dramatic place, I do love rock that has been carved by water, it forms such unique shapes.

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  49. A wonderful series of photos of the place where you live... :)

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  50. Had some computer problems Hope it works now. Have to tell you that your photo's are unique. It makes me want to go over the ditch and look at it myself

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  51. Beautiful seascapes, Arija. The reflected arch is just fantastic!

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  52. Arija, wonderful photos, wonderful post! How interesting!

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  53. The views are so breath taking. I specially love the the last photo, like a window to your beautiful world.

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  54. I have not been to the 12 Apostles but have heard they are very impressive, and your photos show thats very true, hope I do get to see them one day.

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  55. Impressive place, Arija. It reminds me of an area in the south of Portugal called Praia da Rocha, but like your Twelve Apostles I visit it now and erosion has taken its toll on all those beautiful formations.

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  56. What a beautiful place! Nice pics!

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  57. Those names are so incongruous with the lovely natural scenery you are displaying! For London Bridge, I expect formal and stodgy. Looks like a great place to visit, photogenic.

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  58. Oh neat, we don't have a coast here so I find these absolutely delightful!! How I would love to visit there one day... I hope to visit the Ocean once more someday.

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  59. This series is magnificent. As others have commented about their cities and countries, we don't have a coastline like this on the Gulf of Mexico so your photographs are so spectacular and interesting. Thank you for sharing with us. I will visit again soon.

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