<Tr> <Th> State </Th> <Td> Victoria </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> LGA </Th> <Td> Shire of Corangamite </Td> </Tr> <P> The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia . Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction . There are eight Apostles left, the ninth having collapsed dramatically in July 2005 . The name remains significant and spectacular, especially in the Australian tourism industry . </P> <P> The apostles were formed by erosion: The harsh and extreme weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 50 metres high . Because of this erosion, there are fewer than ten remaining . The site was known as the Sow and Pigs (Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard Gorge, was the' Sow', and the smaller rock stacks were the "Piglets"), the Pinnacles or the Twelve Apostles . The formation eventually became known as the Twelve Apostles, despite only ever having nine stacks . </P>

What type of rock is the twelve apostles