The cliff base is constantly attacked by marine erosion. Cliffs, platforms, notches, arches, bridges and narrow beaches result. Undercutting eventually causes collapse along vertical joints, keeping slopes steep.

The area here is one of the considerable number of sites in Australia and New Zealand where tourism is based around the quality of the natural landscapes. Shipwrecks were common along this coast; the story of the "Loch Ard" wreck is intertwined with the rugged coastal landforms. This story is well described on pamphlets and signboards at coastal lookouts and at the nearby service centre of Port Campbell - the only suitable safe haven for boats along this section of coast.

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Fig 1 - Wave action erodes the cliff face, leaving harder rocks as headlands.
Fig 2 - Waves eat away the rock at sea level, forming caves on each side of the headland. The caves eventually meet up, forming an arch.
Fig 3 - The arch collapses, leaving a rock 'stack'.
Fig 4 - Further undercutting by waves, and opening up of vertical cracks in the rock by rain and saltwater, gradually reduce the stack to a low platform or reef.

These features are found within the Port Campbell National Park. Note that national parks offer protection to our key landform and landscape features, as well as to living and cultural heritage.

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Where a joint occurs in the rock at sea level, erosion is faster, producing tunnels and blow holes initially, and arches later. The next stages will include collapse of the arch portion to give stacks, and then final destruction and removal of any area above sea level. The varied features of this area illustrate the role of 'solid' geology (in this case, horizontally bedded limestone) in combination with the processes of coastal geomorphology.

Islands such as this offer haven to sea birds of the district, safe from mainland risks which include loss of habitat and predators. Penguin colonies are found on some of the isolated beaches.