Ride. Ride. Ride. Three great rides: the Fernleigh track, Green Point Reserve on Lake Macquarie, then a 15 km around the eastern and northern shores of the lake on a top-quality shared path.
From Broadmeadow station it's but a short couple of km to the start of the track at Adamstown. The track itself is about 17km of safe, well-maintained flat concrete. We pass through Glenrock State Conservation Area, Awabakal Nature Reserve, and the Belmont Wetlands State Park, as well as various suburban areas near the start at Adamstown. We finish near the Belmont shops. Near the start we pause just off the track for a well-earned coffee break, a great option is the surf club cafė at the magnificent Redhead beach, just 2 km or so of the track. Turn left at the Redhead platform on the track.
From Belmont we then cycle around the lake, past the 16 foot sailing club to Green Point Reserve, a large grassed headland which looks out over Lake Macquarie. From the higher points, you can see up and down the picturesque Lake Macquarie, towards Toronto on the right and Swansea on the left. There some hilly parts to this section but the views make it all worthwhile!
Adjacent to the reserve is the leafy suburb of Valentine, tucked away off the beaten track; this is where we grab a quick take-away lunch at the local cafė. From there we must join the road for a km or so on a narrow shoulder until the new shared path takes over and follows the eastern and northern shores of the lake.
This path continues for 10 km or so including a 380m long elevated boardwalk built over the lake, then through Warners Bay and Speers Point. We then turn left at the Five Islands bridge and cycle another 6 km to Fassifern Station, turning right at the busy Macquarie Rd–Toronto Rd intersection, leading up a hill and then to the station. From our lunch stop, the station is a 16 km or so ride, no problems on arrival–in fact you could ride straight onto the platform!
