One of the most impressive adaptive reuse stories this century you would have to travel a long way to beat is being played out at a disused mine in NSW’s Hunter region.

The former Rhondda Colliery at Lake Macquarie, 25km west of Newcastle, is to become a mecca for cashed-up car enthusiasts ready to roar around an international-standard 5.25km racing track at the $95-million Black Rock Motor Resort.

But the journey to breaking ground at the resort was anything but a smooth ride, managing director Tony Palmer says.