The 12 Apostles of Australia

The Twelve Apostles are a series of limestone cliffs off the coast of Port Campbell National Park in Victoria, Australia. They stand very close to each other, and their uniqueness and the beauty of the surrounding landscapes have made them one of the most popular attractions in the region.

The Apostles are a series of Miocene limestone rocks sticking out of the water in the Port Campbell National Park, between Princetown and St. Petersburg in Australia. (Yuru Prokopenko)

Various tourist excursions (including helicopter flights) can be booked at the information center on the island. (Tahni Maree)

Victoria Parks considers these rocks very important. Every year the region attracts about two million tourists. (Jamie Greenberg (jamiegphoto on Flickr))

The Apostles were formed by erosion: severe weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone, forming caves in the cliffs, which then turned into arches, and those, in turn, collapsed, leaving behind rocks up to 45 meters high. (Sergey Rumyantsev)

Until 1922, this place was called "Pig and Piglets", and then renamed "The Twelve Apostles" in order to attract tourists. (Ray Mosley)

As a result, this place became widely known as the "Twelve Apostles", although there are only nine rocks there. (Thomas Enguehard)

The rocks are still subject to erosion from the waves. (Diceman)

On July 3, 2005, a 50-meter cliff collapsed into the sea, and there were only eight of them left. (Ray Mosley)

The rate of erosion at the base of limestone columns is about 2 cm per year. (Yuri Prokopenko)

Due to the waves eroding the rocks on this coast, even more "apostles" may appear in the future. (James Penner)

(Hendy Ongkodjojo)

(Richard Mikalsen)