The 12 Apostles, Victoria

The Twelve Apostles were originally known as the “Sow and Piglets”, the mother pig and her little offspring. The early settlers renamed this amazing rock formation after the disciples of Jesus Christ.

The Twelve Apostles, like the other rock formations of the Port Campbell National Park, have been gouged away from the towering limestone cliffs over thousands of years.

The cliffs’ foundations were laid down some 10 to 25 million years ago at a time when this area was covered by an inland sea. Within that sea, over millions of years, countless numbers of marine creatures died, and as they died, their bodies would drift to the bottom of the sea and mix with the other sediment. The marine creatures’ skeletons and shells were of course rich in calcium and as the sediment compacted over the centuries, calciferous clay, or tertiary limestone, was formed.

It is the calcium that acts a cementing product, binding the rock together. Thus, where you have a higher calcium content, or a richer deposit of calcium, you have a stronger variety of rock. This stronger rock has managed to withstand the pounding of the waves and the whipping of the sand-laden winds as the weaker rock has been worn away around it, leaving us today with an amazing array of rock formations.

And without any doubt, the most famous of those rock formations is the Twelve Apostles.

You will notice that there are not actually twelve “Apostles”, and we’re not sure if there ever were. Most recently, one Apostle collapsed on 3rd July 2005. These are the world’s tallest limestone stacks and without doubt the most recognisable attraction in Victoria.

Today, car parking is across the road from the Twelve Apostles and the viewing area is accessed via a tunnel under the Great Ocean Road. Boardwalks around the top of the cliffs provide wonderful viewing opportunities. It is also possible to take a helicopter flight here to view the Apostles from the air. Ask your guide for details of our special discount if you are interested in taking a flight.

Click here for more info on our Great Ocean Road

See also our .Philip Island Day Tour.