Tessellated Pavement

The Tessellated Pavement is a siltstone shore platform at Eaglehawk Neck where the rock has fractured along two sets of joints running roughly at right angles, producing a grid of rectangular blocks that looks paved. Salt and water then work on the blocks in two ways: where the centres erode faster, they form pans with raised edges; where the edges erode faster, they form loaves with rounded tops. Both patterns are present on the same platform. The site is at its best at low tide and in low sun, and at high tide with a thin film of water it reflects the sky, which is when most photographs are taken. Eaglehawk Neck itself is the narrow isthmus once guarded by dogs to stop convict escapes.

What you actually see

• The pans and loaves - two erosion patterns producing the tiled appearance.
• The reflective film - a thin layer of water mirroring the sky at high tide.
• The isthmus - the narrow neck once patrolled by the dog line.
• The coastal setting - Pirates Bay and the cliffs beyond.

When to go

Year-round; low tide exposes the pattern fully, while a thin high-tide film gives the reflection shots. Sunrise and sunset light the platform best. The rocks are slippery when wet in any season.

Honest expectations

The platform is small and takes twenty minutes to walk. Timing to the tide matters, and the wrong tide gives either submerged rock or dry, less photogenic stone. Access is down a set of steps from the car park.

Nearby

Port Arthur lies south; the Tasman National Park capes are close.