Victoria - Thunder Cave/Loch Ard Gorge

Thunder Cave and Loch Ard Gorge

Thunder Cave


Looking west from the Thunder Cave lookout, with the "Baker's Oven" lookout not too far away.


Having a look around. No caves on the left, no caves on the right.


Ah, there it is, all tucked away back and to the left.
Loch Ard Gorge


Let's take an extra-long pan from left to right. I'm standing in the centre of Loch Ard Gorge here, with inlets to my left and right. I do see one cave to my right...


So let's try right first and see where that gets me.


Fruitful find: there is indeed a cave along the north inlet. My choices are walk along the beach or drive to the next lookout point. I didn't bring my beach shoes, so back I go.


The first photo looks north at where I was just standing. The second looks back at the first tiny cave I saw, revealing that there is a second cave to its right, invisible from the centre lookout.


And from here, I prove that the south inlet also has a cave. Thunder Cave: exactly one cave. Loch Ard Gorge: not called "Cave," but has a lot of caves.


From the tip of Island Arch Lookout, which is the south wall of Loch Ard Gorge, I spy... another cave! And an arch! The gorge that keeps on giving. This is not actually Island Arch - that's to my south and not easily visible from the path. This one's on Mutton Bird Island, which already has its own Mutton Bird Lookout, so I suppose VIC just decided to borrow the nearest other geographical name for this lookout instead.


Closeups of those two features.


Looking back toward the twin caves of the gorge. If I only showed you this first, you'd know where I was standing and looking at all times, but I wouldn't have had as much fun captioning this page.


Last looks to the northwest (the bluff with Mutton Bird Lookout on it) and northeast (the tip of the island that has Island Arch on it, out of view).
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