The Lake Mac Heritage Series was placed to pay homage to the people, places and events that contributed to building and pioneering the Lake Macquarie region. The pick and shovel were chosen in this geoart series to symbolise the hard work the people of Lake Macquarie put forth into the region.

Fernleigh Track Part 1

Fernleigh Track is a unique and popular shared pathway, which takes walkers and cyclers on a breath-taking journey through a diverse range of coastal environments from Lake Macquarie to Newcastle. It follows a restored former railway corridor, where sleepers, signage and former stations have been recreated to present features from days gone by as well as welcoming rest areas. The 15 kilometre route is joint project of Lake Macquarie and Newcastle City Councils, which provided funding as well as State and Federal Government grants. After ten years, construction was completed in March 2011 and navigates through Glenrock State Conservation Area, Awabakal Nature Reserve, and the Belmont Wetlands State Park. At many points, cafés, takeaways and local shops are close by with many different access points, public toilets, drinking fountains and parking along the way.

History

The area is a rich natural environment, and was home to the Awabakal nation for an estimated six thousand years. They hunted and used the local resources along the diverse surroundings, from the open rocky coastline to swamp lands and also along the hilly forests. The late 1880s saw the beginning of construction of the rail that was used to transport coal from mines in Lake Macquarie to the port of Newcastle. A passenger service also existed between Belmont to Newcastle. Diesel trains replaced steam trains in 1967, with the final scheduled passenger service being run in 1971. With the closure of the last mine, the Lambton Colliery, use of the line ceased. Transformation of the former rail corridor was led by the Fernleigh Track Committee. It was a shared project of Lake Macquarie City and Newcastle City Councils, after a joint purchase of the land in 1994. The project was completed in stages, spanning from 2003 to 2004 with funding coming from both councils as well as NSW State and Federal governments.

The puzzle

All historical and heritage information courtesy of Lake Mac Libraries

Any questions regarding this puzzle cache or the LMHS geoart series will be answered by clicking HERE

*** The LMHS geoart was placed in conjunction with the OzGeoMuster 2018 mega event. The OzGeoMuster 2018 committee would like to thank the following people for their contribution to this series. ahomburg, day1976, sedgwickDave, The Morris, bobbiesgirl, and the_garbageman.***

Enjoy!

Marcus Vitruvius