Train enthusiasts and the wider community will be in for a locomotive sized treat for the next two weekends.
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The Riverlander steam train will roll into town this weekend, and will return on a second trip a week later.
The Riverlander is scheduled to visit both Deniliquin and Moama, for Moama Lights, from Friday to Sunday both weekends - and both services are sold out.
The upcoming journeys are conducted by Seven-0-Seven Operations Inc who refer to the train as a moving museum, with a focus on celebrating our rail heritage.
The service brings a train-load of people to our region who stay and spend money and it’s also a great sight for locals to get down and see.
After spending the night sleeping in the train’s restored carriages, passengers can get out and explore Deniliquin.
Expect to see then in our CBD visiting our retailers and eating in our local cafes and restaurants.
Happily, week two will coincide with the Deniliquin Lions Community Market in the Waring Gardens, a popular community event that visiting train travellers will hopefully get the chance to enjoy.
Merrymaking aplenty
Mirth and merriment is the order of the day next Thursday, July 25 when the Deniliquin Golf Club hosts the Dirty Dick’s Theatre Restaurant.
Medieval in theme but not in delivery, the all new 2024 Dirty Dick’s stage show includes a hearty dinner.
The event is great entertainment fun for one and all.
Throughout the evening, the costumed characters will serve a most magnificent, and freshly prepared, sumptuous banquet along with a fully scripted stage show.
The event is Australia’s most popular and longest running themed live entertainment and theatre restaurant ready to enjoy and not to be missed.
The troupe are at the start of a national tour with tickets still available at the Deni Golf Club or via trybooking.com.
Winter holidays almost over
A reminder for the community that school returns next week in Deniliquin.
This means the 40km/h speed limit is back in play.
The school zone limits operate from 8am to 9.30am and 3pm to 4.30pm weekdays during the school term, which is important to note as not all schools have a flashing lights system.
School zones are in place outside every school in NSW to keep children safe during school travel times.
Heavy penalties apply for motorists who drive over the speed limit or break other school zone laws.
It is also a timely reminder to get your uniforms back out for next week.
One of the big events on the school calendar in this next term is Book Week, so there’s something exciting to look forward to there as well.
Graffiti a shame
After a largely positive reception when the popular Deniliquin Skate Park was re-opened to the public last week, it’s been disappointing to see it has not taken long for the space to be vandalised.
After the hard work, effort and expense of creating a new space for local youth and adult users, it’s taken less than two weeks for graffiti to show up.
Several skate-park users had commented to the Pastoral Times on how it has been nice to use the cleaner skate park following the new upgrades.
Council secured a NSW Places to Play grant of $500,000 last year for the project, which was completed by Independent Concrete Construction.
The design was developed in consultation with the community in 2022.
We all have a responsibility in taking care of our public spaces. If you see anyone vandalising the skate park, or any other public facility, please report it to police on 5881 9299 or CrimeStoppers on 1300 333 000.
Fox sightings
It is chilly out and about and while most of us are snuggled up seeking warmth once the sun drops - there are others who take it as an advantage to skulk around and scavenge.
Locals have reported fox sightings in residential areas, including in the west Deniliquin area.
The European red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a widespread non-native pest animal found throughout NSW and considered responsible for a range of negative impacts on the NSW economy, community and the environment.
Since its introduction into Australia in the 1870s, the European red fox species has contributed to severe declines and extinctions of a suite of native fauna, particularly among medium-sized (450-5000 g) ground-dwelling and semi-arboreal mammals, ground-nesting birds and freshwater turtles.
The following should be considered:
- Foxes are highly mobile and can travel up to 10km per night.
- Fox populations are very resilient.
- Foxes are highly cryptic and opportunistic.
- Foxes can rapidly reinvade areas after control.
- Foxes breed once per year with young typically being born in spring.
Foxes are one of Australia's worst pest animals as they not only prey on livestock and native animals, but they have the potential to spread exotic diseases, including rabies, which would seriously threaten livestock, wildlife and human health should it enter the country.
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