Virtual tour image showing a view of the Island Arch rock formation at Loch Ard Gorge on the Great Ocean Road in Australia. The sea arch itself is clearly visible, as are the steep cliffs at the back of the bay. Loch Ard Gorge is, in my opinion, one of the best places in Port Campbell National Park. Far better than the Twelve Apostles.

Island Arch and Bay at Loch Ard Gorge - Great Ocean Road visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Island Arch and Bay at Loch Ard Gorge' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Victoria.

Loch Ard Gorge is a dramatic, deep cut, cove on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, southern Australia. From the car park at the top of the cliffs there are several walkways to lookout points over various coastal formations. One is the Island Arch formation shown in this picture. Nearby is also the Razorback, a small island or large sea stack.

Loch Ard Gorge is named after the Loch Ard, a sailing clipper named after Loch Ard in Scotland, which ran aground on Muttonbird Island near the end of a 3 month voyage from England to Melbourne in 1878. Only two of the 58 on board survived, washed ashore in the gorge. Both just 18 years old, they were Tom Pearce, a ship's apprentice, and Eva Carmichael, an Irish emigrant whom he pulled from the water. Tom then climbed out of the gorge to find help from local people.

Today, Loch Ard Gorge and the surrounding formations are one of the top tourist attractions on the Great Ocean Road. Further east along the road are the Twelve Apostles (the top tourist attraction on the Great Ocean Road) and Gibsons Steps, while to the west beyond Peterborough are Bay of Martyrs and Bay of Islands.

Car: Loch Ard Gorge is on the Great Ocean Road, about 8 km east of Port Campbell and 8 km west of Princetown.