The stretch of the south-west Victoria coastline between Cape Nelson and Cape Otway is littered with reefs, unexpected shoals and shallows. For some reason this made it a popular spot with passing mariners, who had managed to sail half way round the world missing everything else. As a result, the area became littered with shipwrecks. During the second half of the 19thC ships were committing the nautical equivalent of hara-kiri here at the rate of two a year. Many salvaged relics and mementoes from these wrecks can be seen in the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village at Warrnambool.