BEST VIEWED LARGER

This image was taken at sunrise as the first rays of day reflect the cliff face of the gorge, loved the reflections in the sand.

The Loch Ard Gorge is part of Port Campbell National Park, Victoria, Australia, about 10 minutes drive west of The Twelve Apostles. It is a visible example of the process of erosion in action.

The gorge is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which ran aground on nearby Muttonbird Island on 1 June 1878 approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne.

All but two of the fifty-one passengers and crew perished – Tom Pearce, a ship’s apprentice and Eva Carmichael, an Irishwoman immigrating with her family, both of whom were 18 years of age. According to memorials at the site, Pearce was washed ashore, and rescued Carmichael from the water after hearing her cries for help. Pearce then proceeded to climb out of the gorge to raise the alarm to local pastoralists who immediately set into plan a rescue attempt.

The gorge is accessed via the Great Ocean Road, only a few kilometres past The Twelve Apostles. Stairs allow visitors access to the beach which is otherwise undeveloped. There are numerous plaques that tell the story as well and a small museum and rest area and a cemetery housing many of the people that were killed.

Equipment: Nikon D300, Nikon 18-200mm lens, handheld

Technique: HDR 5 Bracketted Exposures, Photomatix 3.2 64 Bit, Capture NX