THIS is a short story for The Daily Post prompt Brave.
In the early history of Australia, many a brave sailor with their wooden sail boats, made their way along the southern part of Australia known as the Limestone Coast on part of the Southern Ocean known as Bass Strait. These seas were treacherous and many a ship never reached their destination.
The weather was often against the sailors, their crew, their passengers and cargo. There are approximately 638 known shipwrecks along the coastline, many which remain undiscovered.
“The Shipwreck Coast
The Limestone coast of South Australian and the south west coast of Victoria is known as the Shipwreck Coast. This section of coastline is made up of cliffs, reef, islands and outcrops of rocks. In combination with the winds of the’ roaring forties’ and the often stormy seas, sailing these waters could be very dangerous. Along a 130 kilometre stretch of the Victorian coast from Port Fairy to Cape Otway alone there are over 80 shipwrecks.
‘I have seldom seen a more fearful section of coastline’, wrote Matthew Flinders, the explorer who first mapped the coast of Australia.”
(From http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/early-austn-shipwrecks)
Despite the dangerous journey from South Australia to Victoria many a vessel sailed these water.
There are many a wreck or part thereof still that can been seen even from the lookout points along the Great Ocean Road.
Imagine the sight that the sailors of years gone by would have seen.
If not for the lighthouses that were constructed. One of these was the Cape Otway Lighthouse which was built in 1848. Then the lighthouse known as the ‘Beacon of Hope’ and sits 90 metres above the ocean. Cape Otway Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia and considered the most significant.
See https://www.lightstation.com/
I hope you enjoyed a quick journey along the Limestone Coast where many a brave sailor and people lost their lives.
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