Stories From: Recreation

Our Cool Mountains guide provides a list of cooler nature destinations and air-conditioned spaces open to the public in the Blackheath area.

Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park has had a fabulous upgrade with a new water play feature, landscaping and improvements to the duck & turtle pond. Take a tour here.

Magpie Markets in Lawson are a local institution providing a sustainable boost to the local economy. Recently a trial waste sorting and recycling hub has significantly reduced waste going to landfill. Find out more and meet some of the stallholders here.

Taken for granted, the night sky is integral to the health of the whole natural world, including our own health and wellbeing. Local Blue Mountains astronomy groups are helping us rediscover and protect it from light pollution.

Lower Blue Mountains artist Corinne Loxton has used daily walks in the bush, journaling and painting to help her overcome culture shock and a personal crisis, and to connect more deeply with herself and the rest of the natural world.

Amidst the sound of sawing, carving and hammering, there’s laughter and chatter. Friendships are strengthened and skills are traded. Members of the Blue Mountains and Penrith Woodworking Club are supporting charities and each other.

Learning to give our worries and anxieties less dominance by being fully present in our bodies through dance is a valuable art to master. Dancer Beckie Wilson is sharing her dance practice at both Bursill Lane Studio and with young people in the Street University in Katoomba.

On my visits to the Central Mountains Men's Shed in Lawson, two things stood out to me: here were a group of men who gained skills, fulfilment and pride from their work at the Shed, and here were a group of men with strong bonds and friendship.

Leura’s Harvest Festival made a joyful return this year after three years of reluctant hibernation. Volunteer Adele Cannella tells us how the event brings the community together and showcases the Blue Mountains.

A ‘Battle of the Bands’ may conjure up fierce rivalries and competitive theatrics, but contestants and audiences at the 2023 MYST Youth Festival last month, were bound by mutual awe at the exceptional talent on display.