Tessellated Pavements
Tessellated Pavements - Mt Irvine
Some trails don’t shout for your attention. They whisper. They sit quietly at the edge of the map, waiting for curious feet and an open mind. The hike to the Tessellated Pavements at Mt Irvine is one of those — a short, unassuming trail that leads to something quietly extraordinary.
Quick Details
Total Length: 5.4km
Elevation: 50m
Grade: Easy to Moderate
Best Season: Year Round
Suitable for Kids: Yes
Starting the Trail
The drive into Mount Irvine is one of our favourites. The twisting, winding road through all that greenery at Mount Wilson gives way to tall, pale gum trees as you head into Mount Irvine. We follow the road all the way to its end, parking just before a locked gate. We presumed the track from here was for resident vehicles only — and everyone else on foot.
We scoot around the closed gate on the left and head onto the trail. This first section is easy — the trail is wide and simple to follow. A few driveways peel off from the main track. At about 500m in, there’s one that makes it hard to tell which way to go — take the track on the right. There’s also a second gate to get past — this time on your right.
As we leave the houses behind, the trail heads into drier bushland. It gets rougher here, but still wide and easy to follow. At the bottom of the hill, the track curves around some trees and back onto itself. On our left, we spotted three timber poles stuck in the ground — and later found out there’s a track on the other side of them. On our visit though, we found a foot track to the right of the poles, next to a 1080 warning sign.
From here the trail narrows and winds its way through the bush. It’s not overgrown exactly, but there’s a fair amount of debris on the track, and in places where it crosses bare rock, it can be easy to lose altogether. Even we dropped it a couple of times. If you’re not confident, be sure to have an offline map of the area to guide you.
The track begins to climb the hill, still twisting through the bush. The scrub either side of the track grows pretty dense and rises above our heads, making it hard to see more than a metre or two ahead. Eventually, we reach a short rock scramble beneath an overhang and head left — to catch our breath and take in the view.
Tessellate Hill
From here, we’re looking towards the Wollangambe — even though the river itself is out of sight, you can trace the line it carves through the valley. The view is wide and mostly unobstructed. It would be a great sunset spot. But as our visit was in the middle of the day though, we kept walking...
A little over 100m from the lookout, we notice a rock ledge on the right and head over to check it out — and sure enough, another great view. This time we’re looking down to Bowens Creek snaking its way through the valley below.
Back to the Trail
We scramble down a short rocky section and continue along the track. The forest feels more open here, giving us the chance to appreciate our surroundings. This last stretch is only about 300m long and gently winds down the hill before delivering us to our destination.
The Tessellated Pavements
We step out from the trees onto an exposed area of bare rock that looks like stone pavers — neatly placed together like a jigsaw. The area is broad, and different “pavement” sections are separated by patches of low grasses and moss. Some parts are deeply grooved, while others have eroded away into smooth, flat stone.
Why does the rock look like that?
I didn’t know the answer to this question either before setting out - but from what I’ve read, it’s a dual process of “jointing” and erosion. First, subtle movement in the ground cracks the surface of the sandstone. Then slowly, over time, those cracks are deepened and shaped by erosion wearing away the edges and corners of the cracked pieces — smoothing them out to the shape we see today.
You’ll notice just in front of you as you enter the Tessellated Pavement area, there are sections of sandstone that seem to curve up, like waves. Look carefully on the outside of those formations and you might see cracking along the surface — early signs of the jointing process before erosion has softened them into more defined shapes.
Back to the Pavement
We wandered around for a while, marvelling at the formations beneath our feet. On the northern end of the platform, we found a dome shape in the rock, covered in tessellations — making it look like a turtle shell. It was kind of hard to wrap your head around the idea that it was all one large piece of rock.
It’s possible to continue further along the trail to an unnamed hill — apparently another great lookout spot. On our visit, though, we didn’t venture past the pavement — pretty happy with the views we’d already found. Because the area is so open, you get amazing views over the Wollangambe, and it would be a brilliant spot to watch the sunset — if you don’t mind the walk back to the car in the dark, that is.
Getting There
Turn off Bells Line of Road onto Mount Wilson Road. Stay on that road. Drive through Mount Wilson, past the fire station, turn left at the end of the street and follow the signs to Mount Irvine. If you just keep on that road you’ll find the locked gate at the trailhead. Park off the road, just before the locked gate.
Tips and Tricks
The road into Mount Irvine will likely be covered in small debris. It’s bitumen, and accessible by 2wd, but the road doesn’t see a lot of traffic so it’s usual to see leaves and branches on the road. Take it slow, and you’ll be fine.
If you’re not-confident with following narrow trails through the bush, be sure to have an offline map of the area.
There’s evidence that this area was used by the Dharug or Gundungurra people. If you look carefully, you might spot grinding grooves and water pots carved into the stone — as well as an engraving that’s said to depict a woman. If you find these, please remember: look, but don’t touch.
There are great views over the valleys East and West of the trail. If you don’t mind a little walking by torchlight, consider coming out here for a sunrise or sunset.