Eastern View Rock Wall Finished
Two years ago Victoria's coastal authorities were in a bind. With erosion on various stretches of the Great Ocean Road reaching a critical stage they had a decision to make: save the road or save the beach.
The governing authority is Victoria's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, and at Eastern View, where the road runs within metres of the sand, DEECA chose the former.
Late last year, construction work began on a 90 metre long rock revetment wall below the Devil's Elbow carpark. The cost was $2 million.
Unlike vertical rock walls, that reflect rather than absorb wave energy, the Department built a sloping rock wall hoping sand will accrete around the base of the wall.
The southern end of the 90 metre wall (Photo: DEECA)
Further works will soon be carried out elsewhere along the road, including Apollo Bay, however some people think revetment walls are simply delaying the inevitable, and that the Great Ocean Road will soon have to be diverted further inland.
“It's an option that deserves to be looked at before they start buggering up the coastline,” said Charlotte Allen, who's the president of Aireys Inlet and District Association, to The Age.
Melbourne University coastal erosion expert David Kennedy expresses a similar, though less colourful, sentiment arguing that re-routing is inevitable.
“We’ve really got to think about a managed retreat,” says Kennedy.
The Great Ocean Road is losing its shoulder at Smythe Creek (Photos: Shane Maliki)
Comments
There's already three groynes at Apollo Bay. They have kinda ruined the aesthetic appeal of one of the best beaches in the state, but otherwise the surf is as shit as it's always been there and the erosion appears to have been halted.
“One of the best beaches in the state” someone loves their cold shitty onshore closeout a bit too much
Not talking about the surf. As mentioned, it is shit. Bit confused by your mention of it being onshore though. It's as onshore as any other beach on the Surf coast. It's curved nature means parts of the beach are offshore anywhere from SW to NW and it can be fairly sheltered from S winds too. It's actually offshore pretty damn often. Just small and shapeless to go with it.
When I say one of the best in the state, I mean it's aesthetically one of the best. A beautiful long curved stretch of sand with a great backdrop in the Otway hills. The groynes only interrupt this beauty.
Anyway, i'm not the only one who thinks so https://www.timeout.com/melbourne/news/apollo-bay-has-been-named-the-fou....
I once saw a very old photo of Apollo bay in its natural state( possibly on swell net), there was clearly a long peeling right of the southwest end of the bay. Anyhow Peabo is clearly describing the areas aesthetic rather than its surf quality.
Yep, 1935, pre-breakwall.
See here: https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-analysis/2018/03/13/when-breakwaters-equal-broken-water
Wow! That's insane.
Had always wondered how it got pre wall because you can see swells running diagonally along rock wall now and barreling right onto the rocks.
What a shame!
Wow. Thanks for sharing Stu. I have never seen that particular photo of Apollo Bay pre breakwall/harbour before, but have seen a different shot of the bay with a right running down the point where the breakwall is. I wonder if anyone has a link to that?
Who knows, Apollo Bay might have been the best right point on that almost cause between Cape Otway and Lorne Point.
This road is going to cost billions not just down on the beach but all of the cut batters from start to finish will soon be fortified with steel cages. The contractors love it they get paid thousands a week to climb rocks and will continue to lobby the govt that works should be done for safety reasons, however it’s no longer the great ocean road but the great concrete and steel road. Two more beaches waiting to be inked
and their natural beauty ruined forever where you could watch nature change slowly over time, sometimes being in a sand deficit but she will always heal her wounds.
They’ve also managed to fuck up the sand system at two of the premier waves in the area that used to be a breeze to come in on now a land mine of rocks to navigate on your way in on the big days with backwash being sent through the inner lineup. Havnt seen this break properly since the rock wall establishment RIP.
Re. those final two images:
Apart from the rock wall, could 3 years of La Nina have also played a role in the lack of sand at this spot?
Most likely. SE swell slams directly into that corner.
Yes relentless easterlies has definitely been the biggest culprit on hand as this pattern of below average sand bars for the last few years from Torquay to the border of SA doesn't discriminate whether a rockwall was built or not. What distinguishes these two setups is backwash being sent back out through the lineup as waves rebound off these structures. It is impossible to predict what could happen in the future once sand starts to fill back in but common-sense permits that it'll be harder for sand to settle if wave energy is taking it back out to sea. One thing for sure the sand doesn't replenish at the rate of our northern Neighbours, so maybe it could be 5-10 years till we are back at a baseline of available sand to compare wave quality with/without the wall but the ocean always has its own way in the end and only time will tell until find out.
Yeah last two photos, check streetview, 2018. No sand in there just the rocks pre-wall.
I've had great sand at that spot must come and go, but the persistent south-east pattern would definitely take it way from there.
I remember a couple of photos that I think you took of that spot Craig - when you did a strike mission down the surf coast.
La Nina limited me surfing there of late - my last session was back in May '21 - I remember being told back then that "I was lucky to score it today, the sand has been poor for a while now"
Great memory, yeah was November 2018!
"November Rain" , a great read !
Found it. Thanks!
Re-reading I had totally forgot about those finer points of that trip. Was a gooden.
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2018/11/06/gallery-novem...
Looking at Nearmaps:
30th December 2015 - heaps of Sand on the shore line
19 November 2016 - complete opposite to Dec '15 - little to no sand
its not just a road, its also a war memorial. Save at any cost.
Wow, what year as the above photo taken?
It can be saved as a memorial for all eternity by tweaking its route inland or it can be washed into the ocean or rendered undrivable and memorialise no one.
The banks for this particular wave have always been a bit hit and miss - agree about the exposed rocks on the way in, but a lot of them were there before the rock wall. I haven't surfed there for a few months though, so maybe it's worse. I'm a bit inclined to wait and see what happens to surf quality - we might get lucky. The bigger issue is the erosion along the rest of the stretch. The memorial could / should be moved - tourist and influencer photo ops have rendered this section of the road dangerous.
Can anyone explain why a spot like Eastern View, facing east obviously, quite sheltered from the full force of southern ocean swells and many other 'cosy' corners are turning out to be the most vulnerable to the creeping impacts of whatever the hell we've done to the climate?
I'm on one of these Alt Routes (Band name?) to the GORd. Used to be pretty quiet. Lately the roads around here have been getting smashed by the heavy trucks who have to haul load after load of huge rocks out to the coast.
There's a lot of money to be spent either way.
"Can anyone explain why a spot like Eastern View, facing east obviously, quite sheltered from the full force of southern ocean swells and many other 'cosy' corners are turning out to be the most vulnerable to the creeping impacts of whatever the hell we've done to the climate?"
Quite possibly it's been exacerbated by three years of La Nina and small yet persistent SE swells getting into otherwise quiet corners.
Doesn't have to be big to erode, just something different from the norm.
Perhaps the eastern aspects for some reason allowed the road to be built closer to sea level
No doubt that 3 years of La Nina (which is pretty rare) has removed so much sand from Fairhaven beach and surrendering points. Some of the rocks on the beach haven't been exposed for over 25 years. What sort of time frame is required for that sand to be replaced and what kind of weather systems help with the build up of sand on that stretch?
Yes thanks that makes perfect sense considering the recent weather. Seem to remember coastal retreat before Nina but yes exacerbated.
To me the casual user over time it's not so much dependent on surface conditions. It feels like an eddying effect, if you know what I'm trying to say, I'm not sure but seems like deeper water gets in closer where it didn't before.
Went to surf there the other day and the excavator had the carpark. It's fantastical what they've done and pretty sensitive to the site, skilled coastal engineering crews doing great work won't be out of a job.
Was at the Fairhaven SLSC on Friday and could not believe the erosion directly below/underneath. A rock wall has to be incoming there also. Will be Australia's costliest stretch of road per km soon, if it isn't already.
Often thought of floating moveable offshore reefs could be used and moved as needed.
This could be pie in the sky or thought of already.
Waves need to feel bottom to break.
How about a very large say 50 mts on all 3 sides. inflatable triangular Li LO type structure anchored at its 3 points to the bottom with adjustable depth cables. It dosent reach to to the bottom but maybe a metre or so thick.
As the swell passes over it would it cause the wave to break or does the object need to be solid to the bottom.
3 of these anchored say 100mts off shore between Flynns and Right Point on Phillip Island or similar close out on the sand beaches on our coastline.
If they worked they could soften wave action and reduce erosion or be used for comps etc.
They could be towable and filled with air or something else.
Would the Physics of this work? Or am I dreaming.
Or has it already been done?
A similar idea has been around for a while.
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2019/06/06/more-mind-gre...
Always thought similar. There's something in it for sure i reckon.
Divert the energy instead of trying to put up a wall to stop it.
Work with nature instead of against it (whether an inflatable balloon ducking up and down off the coast is working with nature may be debatable in some eyes).
Imagine being able to transform straighthanders to sidewinding peaks just by blowing up a few big balloons! Yew!
The balloon thing has been around for a while too. It's on another thread somewhere...most likely covered in detail by TBB.....here's another link, but they're probably not suitable for this stretch. Too much energy most of the year to control.
https://www.waveco.com.au/airwave/
Wow how good is that.
Thanks.
Maybe a fundraiser for one or three in the Cat Bay carpark over Easter or get a crew to walk along the Easter Gridlock rattling cans for some new breaks.
Yeah sort of like that but this would be made of Kevlar or something similar and was inflatable maybe with separate chambers like a giant blow up air mat but shaped to make peaks like in the example you just posted.
Say in 8 feet of water that are positioned with the top 3 foot under and the bottom 6 foot under.
Some sort of auto adjusting attachment to rise and fall with the tide.
Light enough to be land transportable when all the air is sucked out or be towed by a boat or zodiacs Jetskis etc into position.
Maybe I should stick to gardening.
Love it. Got my vote.
Surf break gardening!!
Calling that famous outdoor brand that gives to the planet and has experimented with heaps of recycled materials for various outdoor uses.
Back to weeding
Any energy source be it wind, swell, tide or the burning of fossils can be diverted in part or completely away from unwanted or destructive objectives in favour or generating energy. It’s all just a matter of engineering and willingness. As to floating mobile structures, I once heard of a guy who drove 100s of km along a coastline with everything in place for great surf except for an onshore that blew for his whole trip. though he was saved at the last minute by a seaweed island drifting just offshore creating glassy conditions by blocking the wind while he surfed inside it as it drifted olong with him and saved his trip.
Seaweed island glass. I'm loving it but Stu will want photos lol
The sand along that stretch from Eastern View to Aireys has been receding for many years. Carparks getting eaten away and rocks appearing etc. The immediate concern is those power poles in the first photo. Some were only a metre or two from falling into the ocean. The wall and bags of rocks have saved them for a while at least. As with the carparks and road. Who knows how the sand situation will be affected long term, but it does seem to have come back a bit just there. There are a number of other places along the SC with problems, eg inside Pt Roadnight, Grinders cliffs, Jarosite etc.
Great comments & yes icandig either dobbed tbb in or sucked tbb in.
Mostly as a cry for help...hoping for some neutral anomaly to absolve everyone.
Well yer in luck...coz outsiders have a distinct advantage of seeing the bigger picture here.
Yes! Yer all officially off he hook!
It's not this & it's less that other thingy!
OMG! tbb...this better be some shit hot blowin' Kook rant! (Promise!)
Obviously GOR < > Surf Coast conflict with each other...well durr! All say Aye!
Let's just say there's a Higher Authority of immense Power.
Still don't get it...C'mon! Take a look at the one thing that sticks out here!
Govt is least concerned about the best ever Surf Coast or the Greatest ever Ocean Road...
They only wish to uphold the Powers that be! No crime in that!
Seriously! One needs to be a tourist to see the bigger picture here.
No! Not just saying that...coz only a tourist sees daggy shit that excites them.
You know! When they ask the most ridiculous question to a local!
Local reply : "How the fuck should I know & who fuckin' cares!" (Just Like That!)
"How about you go away...yer drivin' me insane ya Freak!" (That's always the next bit!)
Might pay to check google earth for the Bigger picture...
Only coz there's few photos of here! Ok...we got that!
Now! Check that lower road that leads to nowhere in particular. Huh? (Very Suss!)
Is it some ancient low undersea Coastal route or...
But it does draw attention to that Lone Last Power Pole on the Surf Side of the Road.
Now check why a little puny power pole has it's own VIP Service Road?
Like Seriously! Just how important is this humble Power Pole to the State of Victoria.
Like no one even lives here...But Wait up a bit ...check where the wires go...
tbb figures that little Power Pole wields immense power.
Free Tip!...Check out the Longest ever Span of Southern & Western Cables.
Man that is a huge run of sea level to > ridge top wires in both directions...Iconic in it's own right!
That little power pole is the boss of Devil's Elbow & likely holds Victoria together!
Pretty sure they need to sure it up & then Bulk it Up before the wires lower across the GOR.
Ok! So now Department of Energy state climate change is Frontline at Devils' Elbow!
The Ocean Defence is a work place issue to secure the perimeter for Vital Power pole Upgrade.
The pole needs to be secured for State Power Supply & Coastal Transit Access...reckon that's worth $2m of Rocks.
tbb is not saying it's the best solution but best solution for Emergency Response for Vic Supply.
10 March 2023
A section of Rock Wall was Built at the Devils Elbow Carpark , while power poles were installed north of the Iconic Memorial Arch...
https://www.bay939.com.au/news/local-news/139295-coastal-protection-work...
Meaning Vic Govt are focused on Power Pole upgrades in this Area along or near Rock Wall/s.
Yes! $2m to protect Vic Power Supply by Rock Walls.
Again here...
https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/protecting-eastern-view-and-great-oce...
Rock revetment at Devil's Elbow > Protection for Carpark & "Power poles"
Crew can see that this power line was laid with original Road.
https://www.torquayhistoricalsociety.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/3...
Now check greatest ever Surf Journo's top photo choice...see how he always does this...
See Stu once again exhibits the elephant in the room before our very eyes.
Stu has a knack of ever selecting the best Photo composition...should see Craig about that!
See: Pole is on a lean & tied down...for how long... Yep! You bet it's of major concern!
So we see the Rock works directly here beneath Vic Power's Pride & Joy!
The answer is hiding right in front of us but as always ever it takes a dorky tourist to see that.
Wotz That ! Why are the doing that there & not one inch over there...Huh! Huh!
Just shoot tbb!
Haha. Brilliant TBB.
Some of your finest super sleuthing yet!
Ha ha. Love your work TB - you might just be onto something. Incidentally, one of those poles was smashed into recently by a young fella. He was reportedly hooning prior to careening into it. Power outage followed for a few hours after.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-30/3d-printers-used-to-halt-erosion-...
Thanx crew...just won an encore...
So what if these Power poles are the problem...Huh!
Memorial Arch of Power Poles dedicated to Great Ocean Linesmen.
Songs in the Key of Torquay (Cover Versions)
"Surf Coast Linesman"
I am a Linesman for the Surf Coast
And I tour the Great Ocean Road
Searchin' in the Sun, for another overload
And if it snows that stretch down south
Won't ever stand the strain
And Surf Coast Linesman...is still on the Line.
Lie of the Land + 3 Peat La Nina
Great Ocean Road : Welcome Sign : [ You are entering a High Risk Area ]
Drool! Exactly what people fly halfway around the world to experience!
Memorial Power Pole Arch disguises or salutes ugly Major Coastal Electricity Junction.
That's right! Let's all [P] & gather beneath the Coastal Power Junction. {Warning : High Risk Entry} Cool!
Noting each Beach Entry [P] aligns with Power Junction > Other Power Poles also begin beach tracks.
This is no accident as GOR / Views & Power Maintenance requires excess Weed spray
Devils Elbow is less walled & less vegetated so massively Erodes from Cliff Face down & thru Creeks.
This represents as Rocks & Silt & a lot of water all crossing over & under the road.
One can see these creeks pushing their silt / rocks onto the beaches & in thru the surf.
Fuelling the Angry Surf with powerful gritty eroding payloads.
Where these photos are taken is where all winding Cliff Top cutting / Creek slurry / seeping water meet.
High weed growth > Excess Poison > Note even small posts are on a lean...
Larger poles with support lines / braces...this is exactly the high risk area the Signs Warned about!
No decent vegetation of substance can take hold to bind foreshore together!
Record ridge top rain races down the Wires to collide at these seaside Mast/s.
Constantly dripping to gather at the Mast base to undermine the Substrate.
Wind then vibrates the wired poles to loosen the soil to hasten erosion of the foreshore.
This then weakens the base Pole to lean over requiring tethers to shore up support.
All require more than usual access > requiring more Poisoning of more weeds.
tbb earlier pointed to Safe Work environment access is priority which counters vegetation aim!
Kinda like fire roads thru NP or Beach Ramps for Bulldozers & tractors...
(Photo) Ask! How the hell did they get those massive earth movers there for the Wall or Whale?
tbb is guessing they entered via a reconfigured Power Pole easement
Seriously! You can't just barge them in thru the Point Break.
Basically the whole corner must be kept Workplace Compliant...which can equally mean exposed!
All see that there arsehole with the massive driveway that wiped out the forest on the bend...
Can always just send all yer bills to him!
Ha snigger lol. Karaoke night with truebluebasher. I'll just leave that for you all to ponder
TBB breakin into song. Please record and post to you tube.
Power poles are indeed part of the problem - see link and accompanying pdf. (page 3)
Access for machinery probably from old boat ramp. (I think it has been decommissioned - at the very least I wouldn't want to back my car down it).
I believe the owner of the massive driveway is also the owner of all of the cleared land on the hill behind him - not sure if they are the original actual "arseholes" who cleared it.
Here's some light reading for y'all @ 97 pages....enjoy
https://www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0038/59878...
Spooky timing TBB...Power outage right now.
How about a version of the one around St Leu?
https://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/reunion-island-new-coast...
All these last few posts are friendly & healthy and a touch eerie.
Thanx icandig...ya just clawed out the guts of it...memlasurf share is other worldly!
tbb can dedicate an ancient End of World 1984 Apocalyptic Karoke rendering.
Reason being coz it is very much eerie!
1983 "Progress Report" by Qld Upper House
[ Heavy Grunge slab of Psych Punk ] tbb : Vocals / Drums
Lyrics by tbb.
The World is opening up beneath our feet, not from natural disasters but from the pressure of society.
The Trees are Falling down not from old age but from Progress of Man.
.....Communication Lines span the Globe thanks to Mr Bell.....
(Re: World is getting smaller with MTV Globalization homogenizing Youth Culture)
Yes! tbb weirdly viewed Telegraph Poles/Wires as hastening decay of humankind > now = www.
(Chorus)
This is not the World I was told it would be, there's too much confusion for a mortal like me.
Rain still falls and the Sun continues to shine, in this period of Human Decline.
Ok! So wotz the song about...
tbb was employed to periodically return to Earth to run Progress Reports on these Man-made Disasters.
Like tbb would kinda hover in a pod then touch down to briefly take Earth's surface readings.
The reports then determine if our Planet Earth was healthy or safe enough for resettlement.
Sure! Ceiling / Walls / Paintings were way way off the Charts...totally out there! (Have Photos!)
100% no shit! There was a need to write this Man-made climate change song back in 1983 as now!
Sure! Few would believe that, but tbb trusts the crew with more insight to see sense! Absolutely 100%
Probably the most punk song of around 40 tbb recorded but never started out that way.
The band overpowered tbb's track as their protest power ballad...Drummer tbb was blown away!
Kinda struck a raw nerve in a universal way...tbb can only see that now, during current climate wars!
The song encases then exhausts & consumes the listener...again, that's Mother Nature less so tbb!
Companion song 1983 "Trick or Treaty" about the Theatre of pretentious Nuke Treaties
There's a Button for each country waiting to be pressed, it's too late now to send an S.O.S
This time man has gone to far, we'll all end up on that distant star!
(Chorus)
Play another Trick for Me, one that everyone can see.
Make it plain and make it strong but please hurry I haven't long...
Song is about denying the right to live by continual increasing threat of impending apocalyptic doom!
That's tbb's fav song...bit more bleak Psych Goth than Punk.
Back in early 80's our Punk Lyric sheets were confiscated by Joh's Task Force.
Never ever intended to be heard anywhere outside those rare few that backed their local band. Salute!
40 years on...same Lyric runs on a Nightly news loop...you bet it haunts & shapes tbb's comments!
Goldie Punks knew the score back in the day & we still give a damn & happy to share so with the crew!
So if it sounds like tbb is an old hack at this...that be the way of the World...All say Aye!
Hope the daylight savings hours don't fade your curtains TB. Late one for you last night. Would have been awesome to see you bashing tunes out back in the day. From one old hack to another. Aye.
So karaoke night would be some dead kennedys, sex pistols, Ramones, rock the casbah maybe and then break into some Glen Campbell late in the night after the vocal form window has been slammed firmly shut. Haha tbb I'm so good with that. 'lust for life' is in my wheelhouse but have found it best to just stick to the classic crowd pleasers (wife has 6 sisters) and go with some crowded house.
Not surprised the young basher was just as prolifically seething with get fucked Joh Bjelke and any other caant who tried to tell you what to think but the tb care is there.
Drummer you say! .. now it all makes sense lol.
Wish I still had a cassette copy of our twenty five minute gloom rock cover of 'the end'. You could hear us choking on the bucket bong in the middle of the garage between riffs. My bros sharehouse, was a cross between Cheech and Chong and the young ones.
Here's a duet for us