I have seldom seen a more fearful section of coastline
— Explorer Matthew Flinders (when first rounding Cape Otway)
Stretching some 130 km, from Port Fairy to Cape Otway and Moonlight Head, the
“Shipwreck
Coast” is an accessible coastline that also encompasses one of the most
spectacular coastal drives in the world, Victoria’s “Great Ocean Road”. It is a
drive that winds along the south-western coast of Victoria, around rugged
cliffs, windswept beaches and tall bluffs, passing through towering eucalypts
and lush rainforest. This drive also follows a coastline with some 700 known
shipwrecks, of which only 200 of them have been discovered. There are currently 25 sites along the Historic Shipwreck Trail that have been
sign-posted, leading to information plaques that over look the cliffs where the
wrecks occurred. The stories reveal the fascinating maritime history of a time
when the Bass Strait was the route to the riches of Victoria. Check out our
listing of
Shipwreck Coast accommodation. For additional attractions, tours, maps and
other information contact the local tourism visitor centre. |
