The recent annual event drew a crowd of 22,000 people and 1000 volunteers, while the ute count of 10,811 smashed the previous record by almost 1000.
The blue singlet count of 4961 was also up by 600 on the record set in 2023.
Organisers are confident next year’s event, to be held on October 2 and 3, will deliver even more records given the strong support received this year.
Carp donations help pelican’s recovery
Anglers who want to get rid of European carp they catch can do so — and it’s for a great cause.
Dutch Thunder Wildlife Shelter at Koonoomoo is still seeking carp to help feed a pelican that has been nursed back to health on a carp diet and is soon to be released into the wild, fighting fit again.
The owner and manager of the shelter, Kylee Donkers, said she was pleased with the response to the initial call for carp to assist in the pelican’s rehabilitation but could use more donations for future cases.
“The carp can be dead or alive, and we can freeze them and store them for future needs,” Kylee said.
She added that any carp donations would need to be delivered directly to the shelter.
Little rain sees Kyabram croppers cut for hay
Kyabram has received just 2.4mm of rain so far in October, but most dryland croppers in the district have opted to make hay from their crops rather than harvest them.
There was a light sprinkling of rain overnight on Sunday, with 1.4mm recorded at the Kyabram Weather Station.
A decent rain to top off crops hasn’t arrived this spring — the last time rainfall exceeded 10mm was on July 26, when 16.6mm was recorded.
Red moon offers mixed signals for rain
While on the topic of weather, our man at Moulamein, China Gibson, said the recent new (red or blood) moon could mean only two things — it’s full of water and it will rain, or it’s holding it in and it won’t rain.
“I think the latter will apply in this case,” said China dejectedly.
He added that “the barley grass was trying to tell us something” when it went to head two months ago.
“The old-timers didn’t have mobile phones or TV to know what was going to happen weather-wise, so they had to remember for when the next new moon arrived,” he said.
A red moon, or blood moon, is a total lunar eclipse during which the moon appears red due to sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere and scattering shorter-wavelength blue light. This atmospheric filtering effect, called Rayleigh scattering — the same process that causes red sunsets — allows longer reddish-orange wavelengths to reach the lunar surface, giving the Moon its distinctive colour.
Shepparton trains paused for upgrades
Trains will cease running on the Shepparton-Seymour rail link from Wednesday, October 31, and will not return until 45 days later, on December 14.
During this period, coaches will replace trains on the line for all or part of the journey.
The closure is part of upgrade works expected to deliver nine V/Line return services each day between Shepparton and Melbourne.
Green light for Riverina Christian College
Riverina Christian College is now taking student enrolments for 2026, having received approval to teach Year 7 and Year 8 students.
The college is located at the former site of Deniliquin Christian College in Deniliquin West.
Whether it expands to offer additional secondary year levels will depend on demand.
SQUARE DINKUM
G'day.
George arrived very late for the meeting.
‘‘Sorry I’m late, I had to help my neighbour bury a huge roll of carpet in the bush behind her property,“ he said.
“Normally, her boyfriend would help her, but he’s been missing since last Saturday.”
George got some very strange looks.
Hooroo!
18°C