Tasmans Arch, Tasmania, Australia
© Gary Bell/Minden Pictures
An arch that rocks
Ready for a coastal adventure? Welcome to Tasman National Park in Tasmania, an island state of Australia about 240 kilometres off the mainland's southeastern coast. Spanning more than 100 square kilometres, this park covers sections of both the Forestier and Tasman peninsulas, including all of Tasman Island. This park is home to several unique flowering plants, as well as Australian fur seals and little penguins. Dramatic cliffs and distinctive columns of dolerite are a key feature of this area. The Tasmans Arch in today's image is a standout example. Shaped over time by the Tasman Sea, it was once the roof of a massive sea cave. The sea's pressure, combined with air, sand and stones, slowly pried open the vertical cracks in the cliff, dislodging chunks of rock.
The cave kept growing, deepening and lengthening, until it eventually gave way, leaving behind this towering natural bridge. Tasmans Arch is named after the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who also lends his name to the state of Tasmania.