The ‘Great Ocean Road’, located about 2 hours by car south of Melbourne, Australia, is a coastal road that stretches for a total of 241 km. There are pathways or observation decks along the road where you can stop your car and go down to the beach. It is one of the most famous coastal tourist roads in the world where you can see the view of the beach and cliffs where the big waves crash.
zoom inThe best view of Australia’s representative tourist destination, the Great Ocean Road, is the ‘Twelve Apostles’. It is a place where huge limestone rocks rise above the sea water along the winding coastal cliffs. The name ’12 Apostles’ is a very sacred name in Western Christian civilization. The pilgrimage route to Santiago in northern Spain to visit the tomb of St. James, one of the 12 apostles, has become a world-class walking pilgrimage route beyond Europe. The ‘Great Ocean Road’, where the 12 Apostles stand one after another, also has a 100km walking trail course along the coastline. On the trail course that crosses the sea and mountains, you can often meet young people walking with large backpacks and tents on their back.
zoom inGreat Ocean Road 12 Apostles Rocks. Courtesy of Tourism Victoria12 apostles disappearing into the sea
The Great Ocean Road is one of the BBC’s favorite places to visit before you die. Why did you say you must go before you die? The reason is that rocks made of soft limestone collapse one by one and disappear into the sea due to the erosion of waves on the coast, wind, and typhoons.
zoom inView of the 12 Apostles from a helicopter. Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon [email protected]This is also closely related to the fact that the 12 Apostles Rock was born as an ‘work of art of waves and wind’ in the first place. The strong waves constantly crashing into the original winding coastline collapsed the weak part, and the cliffs remaining on the sea became islands. Even this island is broken at the bottom by the waves, and salty rainwater enters through the cracks in the rock and splits it, eventually collapsing. Only 8 of the 12 apostle rocks remain.
zoom inLondon Bridge on the Great Ocean Road in Port Campbell National Park. Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon [email protected]In fact, when I went to the ‘London Bridge’ rock in Port Campbell National Park on the Great Ocean Road, I could feel the power of the terrifying waves. Originally, it was a cape that stretched out toward the sea, but two arches were formed at the bottom due to wave erosion.
zoom inThe arches of London Bridge before it collapsed in 1990. However, in January 1990, at around 7:45 pm, in the presence of two tourists, one arch suddenly collapsed with a roar. The thinned arch could not support the weight of the heavy stone on the upper part connected to the land. It is said that the two tourists who were stranded on the island that suddenly became an island were rescued by a police helicopter three hours later.
zoom inLondon Bridge seen from helicopter. You can see that part of the cape connected to the land collapsed and became an island. Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon [email protected]The information board here reads, ‘Someday the second arch will also collapse due to wave erosion. Then two new Apostle Rocks will appear. And these two rocks will also be eroded and eventually disappear completely into the sea’.
zoom inA razorback rock with sharp razor blade-like stripes. Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon [email protected] ‘Razorback’ Rock in Port Campbell National Park is a series of rocks with razor-sharp edges. Waves that hit once every 14 seconds create long grooves at the bottom of the cliff, and as the rock erodes away, it forms a sharp surface.
zoom inRazorback Rock. Courtesy of Tourism Victoria‘Loch Ard Gorge’ is a gorge named after a ship that ran aground in 1878 with 50 casualties. Standing on the beach, you can enjoy the scenery of the waves and waves coming in between the cliffs on both sides towering over the sea.
zoom inLoch Ard Gorge. As you follow the promenade to the view point, there is an information board with the story of ‘Tom and Eva’, the two survivors of the sinking of the Loch Ard. If you go down the stairs to the beach, you can also see eroded caves where strangely shaped stalagmites and stalactites have grown.
zoom inStalactites in Loch Ard Gorge. A special way to see the Great Ocean Road is by helicopter. You can take a 12 Apostles helicopters departing from the 12 Apostles Rocks Visitor Center and fly 45 km for about 16 minutes to see the 12 Apostles Rocks, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, Elephant Rocks, and more. (The cost is 165 Australian dollars per person, about 144,000 won)
zoom inBecause of the helicopter window, taking pictures is not as good as expected. However, it was an opportunity to capture the spectacular rocks, waves, and emerald-colored sea of the Great Ocean Road from the sky with your eyes and heart.
zoom inGreat Ocean Road seen from helicopter. Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon [email protected]The world’s largest war memorial
The construction of the Great Ocean Road began as a project to provide jobs for soldiers returning home after participating in World War I (1914-1918). Australia had a total of 330,000 soldiers fighting in Europe, Turkey and the Middle East during World War I. A total of 60,000 people were killed and 160,000 wounded. The rate of casualties among veterans was over 64%, which was the highest among participating countries.
zoom inThis is because the Australian and New Zealand troops who participated in the Battle of Gallipoli, Turkey, which was a fierce battlefield in World War I at the request of the British, suffered numerous casualties. The loss of young soldiers at the time had a profound impact on Australian society, which had a population of only 5 million. Creating jobs for returning soldiers was very important, and the Great Ocean Road construction project was proposed.
The construction, which began on September 19, 1919, involved a total of 3,000 World War I veterans carrying shovels and pickaxes. The veterans say they stayed in camps equipped with cooks and pianos and worked as road construction workers.
zoom inA memorial to World War I veterans who helped build the Great Ocean Road. Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon [email protected]A monument and statue to World War I veterans stand in ‘Eastern View’, where the tollgate used to collect tolls until the road was taken over by the government in 1936. Daniel Suh, a local tour guide in Melbourne, Australia, said, “Not only this monument, but the entire ‘Great Ocean Road’ section is the largest war memorial in the world.”
zoom inThe War Memorial in downtown Melbourne.A park in the heart of Melbourne’s city center also has a War Memorial of Remembrance, which welcomes tourists. Upon entering the entrance, the first thing you see is a statue of a father and son standing back to back in military uniforms. This father and son are the images of a father killed in World War I (1914-18) and a son killed in World War II (1939-45).
zoom inA statue of a father who fought in World War I and his son who fought in World War II. In the exhibition hall, there is also a corner where you can see the flags and photos of the Australian troops who fought as part of the UN forces during the Korean War in 1950. During the Korean War, a total of 18,000 Australian troops participated in the war, with 339 killed and 1,200 wounded.
The most important space in the magnificent War Memorial, inspired by the style of ancient Greek mausoleums, is the sanctuary in the center. At 11:00 am on November 11 every year, the day before World War I ended, a ray of natural sunlight enters through a gap in the ceiling and shines on the ‘Memory Stone’ made of marble. The word ‘LOVE’ is engraved on the memory stone placed in the center of the sanctuary.
zoom inA view of the city from the balcony on the roof of the War Memorial of Melbourne. Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon [email protected]A balcony at the top of the War Memorial offers panoramic views of the 250 trees planted in the gardens, the skyscrapers of Melbourne’s city center and the Yarra River. In the 13-hectare garden around the memorial, you can take a walk among numerous sculptures and monuments, including the ‘Eternal Flame in Memory of the Unknown Soldier’.
zoom inPoppy flower roof sculpture at the Melbourne War Memorial. Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon [email protected]Article-Photo Melbourne = Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon [email protected]