Lianne Christalls favourite local route is The Fernleigh Track. "Great for cycling and running shared paths and coffee shop on course and at the start/finish and next to Adamstown train station in Newcastle. 16kms one way. I love it as there’s so much history and it’s nice and flat something I like when running off trails."
The 16 km Fernleigh Track between Adamstown and Belmont on the coastal fringe of Newcastle is a high-quality rail trail running through quiet bushland and suburban landscapes. A major feature is the 180 m curved brick-lined Fernleigh Tunnel beneath the Pacific Highway.
The Fernleigh Track has public transport access at Adamstown, and access points at Whitebridge, Redhead, Jewells and Belmont have car parks.
It is a very popular rail trail and a visit is easily combined with a short side trip to Redhead Beach.
The trail is being extended south by Lake Macquarie council in the Fernleigh Awabakal Shared Track project, and will eventually connect to Blacksmiths and Swansea.