A collection of limestone stacks known as the 12 Apostles in the Victoria state coast have recently added to their number.
These rocks are already a popular attraction, but since researchers from the University of Melbourne have discovered five more of the stacks, the area could yet see a bigger draw from tourists, according to several reports.
Scientists found them about six kilometres offshore from the Great Ocean Road and they are around 50 metres below the surface of the water.
They were unearthed, in a sense, when the researchers were carrying out a sonar mapping of the sea floor in the area.
Unlike the other 12 stacks, these are entirely submerged underwater and "this is the first of their kind that we've found so far", according to a statement given to AFP Online by Rhiannon Bezore, one of the members of the university geography department.
She commented that they were all shocked to come across these blocks as it's unusual for them not to show signs of erosion. As they have managed to survive under such a depth of water, they are incredibly unique rock formations.
Not only this but the columns, dubbed the Drowned Apostles by the scientists who discovered them, are likely to date back as far as 60,000 years.
It seems that the reason for the pillar's survival is that "as the sea level rose after they were formed, it must have been rising at such a fast pace that they were submerged before the waves had the chance to erode them away".
Such an unusual formation of rocks is sure to draw the attention of geographers and geologists from all over the world and the tourism in this area is expected to see a sharp spike.
