Patonga to Newcastle - a gentle morning ride

Excellent day adventure.
What else do you do on a 'day off' but take a gentle ride to Newcastle. Not quite from Sydney. From Patonga. Why Patonga? See tomorrow Tracey and I do another adventure. A section of the great North Walk. Wondabyn to Patonga. So instead of catching bus and train back., we Jump in the car after the hike. That's if It's still there.
Had map printed out. Just needed to look at it more regularly. Met a fellow rider, so tagged with Paul for coffee at Terrigal. Sweet.
Terrigal to The Entrance ok. Then took wrong turn. Taking long way round Brisbane waters and Lake Macquarie. So +/-20k more with few hills. Didn't follow the coast line as planned.
Steak n potato pie and coke in Swansea. Man tasted too good.
Highlight was the thorn? Track. Reclaimed rail trail approx 20k to Newcastle. Excellent. Through bush. Through train tunnel. A fine ride.
Fish n chips on Newcastle waterfront . Train home.
More fun tomorrow.

GNW Teralba to Newcastle

Dammit. I wrote this up a week ago.  Now I have the pictures from Peter, can't find the sucker. Must have press the wrong button.  Not the one that says SAVE.

The mission to finish the GNW must continue. So went on a recruitment drive. with email to all. Well not all, just the Jelly's who's normal Saturday fun is Manly Swim Run. Much enthusiasm. Except for one who was busy conveyancing that day.

We had a quorum. Hedgie, Ivanovic, Padre were all game. Good onya boys and Not deterred by a somewhat unfriendly start time; 5:23 Hornsby Station platform 1.

While most, no all of the other passengers dozed off, much merriment from this JFR splinter.

Peter sporting latest Scody tights. Trendy.

Teralba stop-off. A now familiar locale, having turned left to do the GNW to Paxton. Obligatory Selfie at the Trackhead and with a right turn we head off. 

Keep a watch out for The Post Boys! These three Great North Walk neophytes were clearly not familiar with the GNW signage 'The Post'. At Warner Bay, ran passed, comeback fellas. A great run round Macquarie Lake all the same, note this for future visits. And a real growers market. And fresh mushrooms to boot, definitely remember this place. 

Another missed Post. Man, how many times do you have to hall these boys back. Emerging out of a bush track to the edge of a suburb, i noticed a descrete Post pointing to the right, back into the bush. Of course The Three Happy Chappies charged up the hill. Payback time. So waited till they reached the top before feeling compelled to haul them back down. At least i'm now leading again keeping the pace under control. We were all now alert to posts, i suspect. 

 A lot more bush trail than I imagined and from what looked like on the map. Not complaining though. All troopers far happier in the scrub than the road. 

The plan was to to the 25.5km to Newcastle in about 3 hrs. That would get us in on time for the 10:23 back to Sydney. So we had to keep up a fairly decent pace. A task taken on by strong man Pete. Calling on all his New York Marathon experiences. He'd charge off, leaving even Andrew in his wake. There was method to his madness, he'd turn back to take happy snappies of the stragglers. Pace setter and Chief Photographer. 

note good knee lift & Ivan tipping his Cap, morning Sir

Also note from the pic above who's the pack horse. What's going on here... 

A quick stop for morning tea, with out the tea, some bananas, gu for you, supplied from the pack-horse. And the stallions are are rearing to go. 
Not before a sign, not a post, large enough to ensure you're on the right track. Just no arrow pointing which way. A photo shoot opportunity non the less. 

What's the name of this hike again?

Another Exciting Adventure and one for the ladies, is the Fernleigh Track. A reclaimed rail line that runs for 20 odd k from Belmont to Adams Town, just outside Newcastle. Confirmed a winner by Andrew AND Rhonda. goes through a tunnel as well.  looking at this pic it certainly has captured someone's imagination. 

And only 9k to go. getting closer to the ocean. 

My my, this trail has it all, rail tracks and rickety rackety bridges. 

 And finally we get a glimpse of the ocean. And a good view spot it is. As i say this trail has it all. And more to come. 

 And the lads are starting to struggle a little. Not too surprising. Heat of the day set in. And time for another selfie. Who says this selfie business is for GenX. 

And too the famous Mereweather Baths. 100m long. We had the budgies to do the obligatory lap. Alas time was not on our-side  It already was 10:30. So now we were pressing to make the 11:23. 

Only on 1.6k to go. and this was after a monstrous hill. well not monstrous to most, having done 24k it was a labour, some kept the pace up though. 

Turns out good thing we got this snappy at the trackhead as we could find the end one down by the station. 

Egg n Bacon roll was a beckoning. 

Boys look as fresh as a bunch of Daisies. ANd those that missed out. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) would now well and truly set in. 

Good one. Thanks Fellas. 

GNW: Teralba to Newcastle 3:40min