Along the highway

Michelle Williams is taking part in the Salvation Army’s inaugural Red Shield Ride from April 29-May 8, 2019. It’s a gruelling 1400km cycling journey from Sydney to Melbourne via the Snowy Mountains and the charity event raises much-needed funds for the homeless and vulnerable. As part of her fundraising, Michelle will be riding a spin bike for 14 hours at Springwood Aquatic and Fitness Centre on Friday, November 2. She’s encouraging people to take part in one of the cycle classes or pop in for a chat. Details: email mich35williams@hotmail.com or redshieldride.everydayhero.com/au/michelle

Noble Street Park in Bullaburra will be filled with fun activities to mark Children’s Week Family Fun Day on Sunday, October 28 from 12.30pm-3.30pm. There will be a jumping castle, reptile display, art and craft, face painting, Billie Booksie and a sausage sizzle. The free event aims to highlight the importance of play, recreation, physical activity, learning experiences and enjoyable family time. It’s also a day to acknowledge parents and carers. The event has been organised by the Aboriginal Cultural  Resource Centre and Mountains Outreach Community Service with funding from Blue Mountains City Council. For details you can phone MOCS on 4758 6811 or ACRC on 4782 6569.

Award-winning author, Ceridwen Dovey will discuss the book Writers on Writers series: Ceridwen Dovey on J.M. Coetzeebe with local Blue Mountains author, Tegan Bennett-Daylight, at The George Boutique Hotel, 194 Great Western Highway, Blackheath from 1.30pm on Sunday, October 28. In this series, Australian writers reflect on another Australian writer who has inspired and fascinated them. For Dovey, J.M. Coetzee has always been there, an unseen but strongly felt presence in her small family drama in South Africa. With tenderness and insight, Dovey draws on this personal history to explore this Nobel Prize-winner’s work. The event is hosted by Gleebooks Blackheath. Cost is $20 ($17 concession) which includes afternoon tea. Bookings essential at Gleebooks Blackheath on 4787 6340 or email victoria@gleebooks.com.au.

The Blue Mountains Conservation Society is hosting Cleaner Greener NSW and Blue Mountains on Wednesday, October 31 from 6.30pm at the Lawson Mechanics Institute, Great Western Highway, Lawson. The event is aimed at highlighting environmental issues, locally as well as state-wide, leading up to the NSW election in 2019, and will provide an opportunity for the community to meet the Labor, Liberal and Green candidates for the upcoming NSW election.  Kate Smolski, the CEO of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) will provide an overview of the key environmental issues across the state and NCC policies for the 2019 NSW election and beyond. The Society will also outline key priorities for the local environment, drawing on years of running nature-based activities and campaigns. Local candidates from the three main parties have also been invited to speak. Free but registration essential on EventBrite or you can go to bluemountains.org.au for more information.