More Than Just a View
More Than Just a View
Long hikes to breathtaking lookouts, wild swims beneath waterfalls — we love them all. But what about the hikes that don’t play by the usual rules? Some of our favourite trails have led us instead to the weird, the wonderful, the old, and the odd — places that show us a jumble of giant boulders, a forgotten structure, or something that makes you stop and think — well, that’s different. This collection is about those hikes: not your usual destinations, but the ones that surprise you, spark curiosity, and stick in your mind long after the hike is over.
Evans Crown
The hike up to Evans Crown is fairly straightforward, winding its way steadily uphill without much fuss. It’s the kind of track that doesn’t demand much attention, almost as if it knows the real experience begins at the top.
What waits at the ridgeline is a granite playground — massive boulders scattered across the hill like a giant’s marble set. There’s no single route through them and no obvious place to start; you simply head off in whatever direction makes sense at the time, picking your way across rock and between gaps as you go.
You can spend hours here scrambling, squeezing through crevices, or sitting still and watching the light change across the stone. It’s the kind of place where every visit feels a little different — familiar enough to move more confidently each time, yet open enough that you’re always finding new ways through the rocks. You can check out our last visit to Evans Crown here.
Muogamarra Nature Reserve
Muogamarra Nature Reserve is only open to the public for twelve days each year, during wildflower season. That limited access shapes the whole experience — visiting isn’t something you do on a whim, but something you plan for, knowing the window is brief and the timing matters.
Walking through the reserve during wildflower season feels quietly special. The trails are gentle and family friendly, winding through sandstone ridges and open bushland where wildflowers are easier to spot than on many more rugged tracks. There’s a sense of shared appreciation here too, helped along by the volunteers who know the reserve inside out and are always happy to stop and talk.
What makes Muogamarra special isn’t just the flowers or the views over the Hawkesbury, but the knowledge that you can’t come back next weekend if you feel like it. Miss the window and you wait another year. Each visit is shaped by what’s flowering, what’s in seed, and what’s quietly changed since the last opening. You can check out our last visit to Muogamarra Nature Reserve here.
Ultimate Slot Canyon
Ultimate Slot Canyon is short, but its scale is incredible. The entrance squeezes you into a tight corridor before opening into a chamber where the walls soar overhead, higher than a cathedral. Light drops in from a thin strip of sky far above, and the temperature shifts — cold at the entrance, still and unexpectedly warm deeper inside.
It’s a place that slows you right down. You crane your neck to follow the stone upward, trace textures along the walls, and notice how sound and air move differently here. The wind rushes through the narrow opening, but disappears completely once you step inside, leaving the space quiet and enclosed. You can check out our last visit to Ultimate Slot Canyon here.
Knapsack Viaduct
A towering sandstone bridge to cross a deep gully, is now slowly being reclaimed by nature. Once an engineering marvel built by hand in the 1860s, Knapsack Viaduct now sits quietly among the trees, its arches weathered but still standing strong.
Standing beneath the viaduct, the craftsmanship is what stands out most. Each arch carries the weight of history, designed to solve the very real problem of crossing the mountains. It’s easy to imagine the rumble of trains overhead, then later the passage of cars, and finally the stillness that remains now.
What makes this walk memorable isn’t a dramatic natural feature, but the way engineering and landscape coexist. Knapsack Viaduct isn’t something you rush past — it’s a place to wander under, around, and across, tracing old stonework and thinking about how many journeys passed this way before it became a quiet walking track. You can check out our last visit to Knapsack Viaduct here.
Tessellated Pavements
The hike out to the tessellated pavements doesn’t feel remarkable at first. It’s a gentle trail through bushland, with a couple of small climbs and a few moments where the track fades into rock. Nothing dramatic, nothing to hint at what’s ahead.
Then the trees fall away and the ground beneath your feet changes completely. Instead of dirt and leaves, you’re standing on broad sandstone slabs broken into geometric patterns, like stone tiles laid by hand. Some sections are deeply grooved, others smoothed flat by time, each area slightly different from the last.
It’s a place that rewards slowing down. You find yourself wandering without much direction, following cracks, shapes, and patterns rather than a defined path. The views stretch out over the surrounding valleys, but it’s the ground itself that holds your attention — a reminder that sometimes the most interesting destinations aren’t above you, but right underfoot. You can check out our last visit to the Tessellated Pavements here.
Tips and Tricks
These hikes aren’t about ticking off a lookout — they’re about the experience. Build time into your walk to wander, backtrack, climb a little, or sit still.
Many of these places sit just off main trails, or involve sections where the path fades into rock, bush, or open terrain. An offline map is a good idea, especially if you’re used to clearly marked routes.
Scrambling over rock, walking across old stonework, or navigating uneven surfaces is part of the experience. Good grip matters more than speed, and taking it slow will make the hike more enjoyable anyway.