When temperatures soar and your home heats up, tempers can easily become frayed and your health can take a hit. Not everyone has the benefit of air-conditioning, and all-day running costs are prohibitive for many people. In this guide we’ve provided some tips to help you cool down, and a sample of lower Blue Mountains free and low-cost places to visit to escape the heat.
You can also visit or call the Blue Mountains Visitor Information Centres at Glenbrook or Katoomba for more ideas on where to go and what to do when the weather heats up or you’re not sure about the conditions.
Health and Safety in the heat
If you are sweltering at home or venturing out and about in the heat, the NSW Department of Health’s “Keep cool, stay hydrated” online guide is a good starting point to help you, your family and friends stay safe during high temperatures.
The Department advises you should drink plenty of water regularly, even if you don’t feel thirsty. If your doctor has asked that you limit your fluid intake, ask how much water you should drink during hot weather. Do not replace your water intake with alcoholic or sugary drinks and carry water with you if you are spending time outdoors.
If you prefer to stay at home, the Department provides the following tips, especially helpful if you don’t have air-conditioning and/or your fans aren’t making a big impact:
Wear light, loose-fitting clothes.
Avoid being outdoors in the hottest part of the day as much as possible. If you have to go outside, seek shade or shelter.
Close curtains and blinds to block out the sun.
Spend time in the coolest area of your home.
Limit physical activity e.g. household chores or exercise to early in the morning when it is coolest.
Use stoves and ovens as little as possible as these can heat up the home.
Wet your skin with cool water using a spray bottle or a damp sponge or cloth.
Place cool packs or crushed ice in a damp towel loosely over your neck and shoulders.
Take cool showers or baths or sit for a while with your feet in cool water.
When it becomes cooler outside, open your windows and doors to allow the warm air out and the cool air in.
The Department recommends people seek out cool places or air-conditioned public facilities you can safely travel to without getting too hot. When outdoors, you should protect yourself from the sun by applying sunscreen and wearing sun-protective clothing, sunglasses and a wide brim hat.
The following guide provides ideas for places you can visit in the lower Blue Mountains to cool down, in air-conditioning and outdoors.
Note – pet-friendly sites don’t necessarily mean it is an off-leash area. Check with the venue before letting your dog off leash
Community Spaces
Belong Blue Mountains Lower Mountains Neighbourhood Centre
Relax in the Lower Mountains Neighbourhood Centre (photo supplied)
You can drop into the Lower Mountains Neighbourhood Centre at Blaxland from Tuesday to Friday for a cuppa and chat or simply to relax. There is a community laptop available. Centre representative Sharise says: “It is a safe and comfortable place for people to come. Whether it’s to escape the heat or whatever the situation is, everyone is welcome”. Check out the wide range of activities and groups you can also get involved with.
The library is located next door to the Lower Mountains Neighbourhood Centre. It is open every day except Sunday. You can relax and read a book, newspaper or magazine in air-conditioned comfort or check out the What’s On calendar for events. It’s a quiet space so conversations, including on the phone, are best taken outside.
OPENING HOURS:
Monday to Friday: 10.00am-5.30pm Saturday: 9am-4.00pm
There are three different-sized swimming pools to enjoy in a relaxed setting: a toddler pool, an enclosed heated program pool with ramp access, and a 50m pool. Blue Mountains City Council provides free entry to the aquatic facilities for children 3 years and younger and those aged 75 years+.
OPENING HOURS:
Program pool – Year round, Monday to Friday 6am-9am (Additional times may be available subject to programs)
50m pool – Summer (October to March): Mon to Fri 5.30am-7pm; Sat & Sun 8am-7pm;
A tranquil spot surrounded by sandstone cliffs and featuring a small sandy beach. Cool off in the calm waters or seek shade under a gum tree.
Important safety information from NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service:
The aquatic environment around rivers, lakes and lagoons can be unpredictable. If you’re visiting these areas, take note of these river and lake safety tips.
Swimming at Jellybean Pool? Check with staff at Glenbrook Information Centre before swimming and ask about bacteria levels on the day. Swimming can be dangerous at Jellybean pool after heavy rain.
More safety information regarding bushwalking and emergencies is available on the NPWS site here >
OPENING HOURS:
8.30am-7pm during daylight savings; 8.30am-6pm the rest of the year.
LOCATION:
Bruce Rd, Glenbrook. You can choose to park your car in the paid car park on Bruce Rd before the National Park tollgate or you can drive into the National Park and park at the designated Jellybean Pool car park at the Glenbrook Information Centre. This is situated 200m after the tollgate on the left. This option results in a shorter, 10-minute downhill walk to the pool itself.
COST:
Both the paid car park and National Park entry fee are $8 per vehicle, per day. You can also pay for your visit via the Park’nPay app.
PHONE:
1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call excluding mobiles.
Enjoy respite from the heat at Glenbrook Cinema (photo supplied)
There is something soothing about spending time at this charming, family-run independent cinema. Relax in the air-conditioning and watch a movie or two. There’s an interesting mix of mainstream releases, arthouse films and old classics. In addition to choc tops, popcorn and other treats on offer, you can take tea or coffee into the cinema in a cup and saucer.
There is a hearing loop active every session, and the Cinema offers Open Captions for selected features and sessions (text with sound description displayed on the screen to allow all patrons to enjoy movies together).
OPENING HOURS:
Session times vary – see website or phone details below.
LOCATION:
2 Ross St, Glenbrook
COST:
$15 general admission; $25 double feature (2 movies same day); $10 Online VIP tickets + $2 booking fee ($10 annual membership)
Lounge area at Glenbrook Panthers Bowling Club (photo supplied)
The Club has a lounge area where you can relax from 10.30am and watch the large TV or bring a laptop or other device to make use of the free Wi-Fi. Manager Kathy Borich says: “People can come in and make themselves comfortable and simply drink water if they don’t want to buy anything. We are a low-cost facility and everyone is welcome.”
If you live within 5km of the Club you need to be a member ($5 per year), however, reception can organise for a member to sign you in at no cost. Children under the age of 18 need to be supervised by an adult at all times. There is also the Flavours Café with a range of snacks and meals to choose from. Check out the “What’s On” page for special events.
OPENING HOURS:
Open at 10.30am seven days per week.
Closes 9pm Sunday, Monday & Tuesday; 11pm Wed & Fri; and 12.30am Fri and Sat
You can have a hot beverage at Flavours Café from 10.30am with cooked food available from 11.30am.
Bartender Matthew Williams says you are welcome to relax in the lounge area and use the free Wi-Fi, with no pressure to buy a drink or food from the bistro open from 11am to 9pm. “Often people come in here and work on their laptops to escape the heat and enjoy the air-conditioning. People have also been known to sit and read books.”
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
We had a thoroughly enjoyable final Skill Share Saturday for the year yesterday with Qigong, Fashion Upcycling, Seed Saving and Bushcare! We shared seeds from local gardens and harvested carrots, as well as Mizuna, Broad Bean, Daikon and Land Cress seeds from the Planetary Health garden. We then packaged up (and shared) our first Upper Mountains Seed Savers packs for our fledgling Seed Bank. In Bushcare it`s very exciting to see whole new areas of the Planetary Health Precinct open up as we remove invasive weeds. It`s been a year of great progress as we`ve restored habitat for wildlife and given local native plants the opportunity to flourish and re-establish on the site.
Join the Planetary Health Centre this Sat 6 Dec for the last Skill Share Saturday of the year: Qigong at 9am, Seed Saving & Gardening Group at 10am, and Bushcare at 1.30pm. One perfect day with great company, great coffee and food, and great steps for living a healthy balanced life, while also contributing to the health of our planet for present and future generations. All ages welcome!
Registration links in profile and below.
Register for Qigong here: https://bit.ly/48wlHjD Register for Seed Saving & Gardening here: https://bit.ly/4prcRe7 Register for Bushcare here: https://bit.ly/4oAFDrz
We have a rare opportunity to learn about the newest and best possible ways to support family and community members struggling with mental health issues, at a free talk and afternoon tea provided by Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise Rotary at the Planetary Health Centre at 2pm this Saturday 29 Nov. Hear from Peter Joseph AM, Chair of the Black Dog Institute, and Professor Helen Christensen AO, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and former Executive Director and Chief Scientist at the Black Dog Institute. They`ll be in conversation with journalist Emma Rossi. Dr Christensen is a pioneer in using the internet to reach young people struggling with depression. Her digital mental health interventions are used by millions globally, delivering evidence-based therapy for depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention. Her research uses data from smartphones and wearables – like movement, screen use, and sleep – to detect early signs of mental health issues. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4oOnYxz
This Saturday Sherlie McMillan from Rotarians 4 Planetary Health will be running a workshop on How to use a sewing machine from 9am at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. Learn how to set up a machine, service it, troubleshoot when it`s not sewing correctly, and learn some basic sewing skills.
Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/how-to-use-your-sewing-machine
NB. This class is a prerequisite for our very popular Fashion Upcycling classes held once a month.
We`re thrilled to announce that Professor Helen Christensen, a pioneer in using the internet to reach young people struggling with depression, will be joining the conversation with Peter Joseph AM from the Black Dog Institute and journalist Emma Rossi at the Planetary Health Centre at 2pm this Saturday 29 November. Helen was the Executive Director and Chief Scientist for the Black Dog Institute for 10 years and has now been elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. Her digital mental health interventions are used by millions globally, delivering evidence-based therapy for depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention. Her research uses data from smartphones and wearables – like movement, screen use, and sleep – to detect early signs of mental health issues. This free event is being co-hosted by Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise Rotary and the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. Afternoon tea will be provided. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4oOnYxz
Human composting is increasingly being legalised around the world. Read about it in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/legalising-human-composting/
If you’d like to see this option available in NSW you can now sign a live petition to the NSW Parliament here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/43QIHbz
Thanks to everyone who contributed to deliver a fantastic Disaster Risk Awareness Expo and Family Day yesterday. @mark_greenhill_mayor opened the event at which we celebrated the 13th birthday of Betty the Asbestos Education House; @firecoat_au demonstrated and launched its range of fire retardant products that can help protect homes, gardens and even electricity poles; the Bushfire Retrofit Toolkit was launched; Santa arrived and delighted young and old; and @plantinspired99 and Action for Animals fed us all with a delicious plant-based sausage sizzle. The day was filled with talks, workshops, stalls and the sharing of a huge amount of expertise to keep us, and the other species we share our planet with, safe and healthy! @southkatoomba.rfb @nswses @fireandrescuensw @nswrfs @redcrossleura @redcrossau @shelter.building.design @firehalo.au @asbestosawareness @amelie_ecology @bbagsbluemtns @wireswildliferescue @handsheartfeet
Our marquee is up and we`re excited about our Expo and Family Day tomorrow (Sat 22 Nov). There`s something for everyone from a free sausage sizzle, plants from Santa and drumming and pollinator workshops, to sessions on keeping you and our community safe from extreme weather events and hazardous substances like mould and asbestos. Learn how intumescent paints can slow the spread of fire and pick up a sample pot; check out all our emergency service organisations; learn how to dispose of hazardous materials; paint a native orchid, make some seed balls or sew a boomerang bag to give as plastic-free Christmas presents this year; enjoy coffee and locally made sweets; and get tips on how to retrofit your home safely and beautifully to be prepared for future extreme weather events. View the full program and register here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
There are so many new and innovative ways of doing things, like the new cooking techniques being explored by Michael from Good Fat Pastry, and the new fire protection methods being launched at the Planetary Health Centre`s Expo and Family Day on Sat 22 Nov. Check out Michael’s recent presentation at the Food Security Fair in our video here: https://bit.ly/4pnXbIg (link in profile) and come along to taste his delicious carrot cake and pastries at the Expo on Saturday. Check out the program and register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
In 2006 Peter Joseph’s son Michael suicided after a 14-year episodic battle with mental illness. Peter is now the Chair of the Black Dog Institute which is working to achieve better outcomes for all those struggling with mental health issues. Journalist Emma Rossi will engage Peter in an intimate and moving conversation about a life of purpose and mental health advocacy. As a Rotary scholar Peter will also reflect on how Rotary helped shape his values and sense of purpose as a young man - and how those early lessons continue to guide his work today. This free event is being hosted by the Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise Rotary Club and the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative on Saturday 29 November from 2-4pm at the Planetary Health Centre at 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba. Afternoon tea will be provided. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4oOnYxz
Learn about intumescent fire retardant paint and a range of other strategies to prepare for extreme weather events, and to manage hazardous materials, at the upcoming Expo and Family Day at the Planetary Health Centre on Sat 22 Nov. You can register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J We checked out how intumescent paint works in this video.
When temperatures reach a certain point the intumescent paint begins to swell and expand, often up to 50 times its original thickness. It forms a thick, carbonaceous "char" that acts as an insulating barrier. This layer slows the rate at which heat reaches the structural elements and buys valuable time for people to safely exit a building during a fire. It makes the structure safer for firefighters and rescue teams. #intumescentpaint #fireretardant #bushfire @firecoat_au...
Mould, lead paint, asbestos, silica dust from engineered stone bench tops and a wide range of chemicals, are amongst some of the many hazardous substances entering our environment and negatively impacting our health. Asbestos is found in over 3000 products including textured paints, moulded garden pots, brake pads and clutch linings in older cars, floor and ceiling tiles, lino, fibro, roofing, pipes and gutters, hot water systems, backing for switchboards and insulation boards in air-conditioning ducts, insulation, sealants, fillers, caulking and adhesives, gaskets for industrial and lab equipment and more. We’ll have information to take away and Blue Mountains City Council and the Asbestos and Hazardous Materials Consultants Association (AHCA) will be running free workshops on how to identify and manage these hazardous substances at the Planetary Health Centre`s Disaster Risk Awareness Expo in Katoomba on Sat 22 Nov. Find out more and register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
Julie Nance is a community storyteller with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. In her coverage of the Lower Mountains area, she brings 30 years’ experience in communications, publishing and journalism.
After specialising in health and social issues as a journalist, Julie led creative teams in the government and not-for-profit sectors including the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, YMCA NSW, Cancer Council NSW and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Julie is passionate about empowering people with quality information to help them make informed choices.
The concept of planetary health is rapidly gaining attention globally, as the world increasingly confronts the interconnected challenges of environmental degradation, climate change, and public health crises. But what does the term 'planetary health' really mean, and why does it matter?
