Did you know that Toronga is a not-for-profit and every dollar you spend helps save wildlife. What are you waiting for? Start planning your trip to Taronga Western Plains Zoo this holidays

New arrivals are making a splash at Taron­ga Western Plains Zoo – NSW’s Best Major Tourist Attraction – this summer. The Dubbo Zoo, which claimed the gong at the recent NSW Tourism Awards, has welcomed four Black-handed Spider Monkey babies, three African Lion cubs, two Quokka joeys and a critically endangered Scimitar-horned Oryx calf this year.

“Lion cubs Kaari, Mzuri and Nguvu have turned into quite the handful for parents Marion and Lwazi as well as their four big sisters,” said Director Steve Hinks. “They love playing with and pouncing on their sib­lings, as well as anything they find in their exhibit from balls to sticks and even tree roots!” The best time to see the cubs is be­tween 10am and 10:30am.

The Black-handed Spider Monkey troop has welcomed four new arrivals to the Pri­mate Islands on Savannah Lake, and the awesome foursome can be spotted from Cafe Wild. The best time to see the troop is at the Spider Monkey feed between 12:30pm and 1pm daily.

The final new arrival is a Scimitar-horned Oryx calf. “This calf is a fantastic little am­bassador for his species, which is a true conservation success story. Once extinct in the wild, Scimitar-horned Oryx were rein­troduced to their native Chad by a coalition of zoos from the USA and Europe in recent years and have since been reclassified as critically endangered,” Mr Hinks said.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is open eve­ry day of the year including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. All tickets are valid for two days and include access to more than 10 free keeper activities, The Waterhole waterplay area, Waterhole Cafe and Frozen Coke Kiosk between 10am and 3pm. You can buy tickets online at taronga.org.au

The festive season has officially begun in Forbes, with Christmas lights now illumi­nating the CBD. This year, Lachlan Street comes alive with a vibrant canopy of twin­kling lights and a festive installation on the Templar Street roundabout. Victoria Park shines with four large-scale displays, includ­ing a brand-new three-metre star. And over at Town Hall, a refreshed Christmas tree de­sign now graces the iconic balcony.

Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said “There’s nothing quite like seeing the town centre come alive with Christmas spirit. The lights bring a wonderful sense of excitement to Forbes, and they’re a reminder of the magic this time of year brings,” Mayor Miller said.

“The lights create a warm and welcom­ing atmosphere for family outings, seasonal celebrations and late-night shopping.”

The decorations complement the range of festive activities scheduled throughout December, including the Rotary Ipomoea Christmas Tree Festival, Forbes Christmas Festival, Carols by Candlelight, as well as the Town Hall Christmas Projection.

Forbes Shire Council wishes everyone a joyful and safe Christmas season and in­vites the community to enjoy the festive at­mosphere throughout December.

For information, visit www.forbes.nsw.gov.au or follow @ForbesShireCouncil for updates.

Rotary Club of Forbes Ipomoea members are delighted to be coordinating their 13th annual Christmas Tree Festival, to be held once again at Forbes’s majestic Town Hall.

Held annually on the first weekend of De­cember, the event has been a great way to start the Christmas season each year. The Town Hall was a Christmas wonderland in 2024 with over 120 entries.

A big difference this year, will be $300 prize money on offer for both best Nativ­ity and best Christmas tree. Judging of the best nativity and tree will take place for the first time by an independent judge.

Members of the public will be able to vote for their favourite entries within the hall, with the entry that has the most votes by the end of the weekend also receiving a $300 prize.

The proceeds raised from this event in 2024 were donated to Havannah House in Forbes, enabling the installation of a secu­rity system throughout Havannah House.

This year Havannah House will again be the beneficiary of funds raised from the three day festival.

Entries for the Festival can still be deliv­ered to the Town Hall on Friday 5 Decem­ber from 7am to 12.30pm.

This year the doors open for viewing 1pm to 5pm Friday 5th December, 9am to 5pm Saturday 6 December and Sunday 7 De­cember from 9am to 2pm.

This year’s event has been made pos­sible thanks to sponsorship from Forbes Shire Council and a Club’s grant from Club Forbes.

More information available on the Rotary Club of Forbes Facebook page.

Santa’s North Pole Mail Express is making its annual stop at Forbes Shire Council.

From Monday 17 November, children can drop off their letters to Santa in his special red mailbox, located in the Council Admin­istration Office.

To receive a personalised reply from San­ta himself, make sure your letter is posted by Wednesday 10 December 2025. Don’t forget to include your name and return address so Santa and his helpers know where to send their response.

Forbes Shire Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said the North Pole Mail Express has be­come a much-loved local tradition that captures the joy and wonder of the festive season.

“It’s always heart-warming to see the ex­citement on children’s faces as they post their letters to Santa,” the Mayor said.

“We’re thrilled to help keep the Christmas magic alive in our community.”

So, get your pens ready and let Santa know what’s on your wish list this year.

Santa letter templates and envelopes are available from Council’s Administration Of­fice, or can be downloaded from Council’s website, www.forbes.nsw.gov.au/santa-letters-2025.

For more information, visit www.forbes.nsw.gov.au or follow @ForbesShireCouncil for updates.

October hosts were Jane and Darryl Hurley.

Our hosts for the October meeting, Jane and Darryl Burley, welcomed 36 members and provided us with a roomy shed out of the rain.

President Marg Dent asked for apologies and Lloyd Gerdes presented the financial report.

The next meeting will be our Christmas Luncheon and Marg has booked the Van­denberg Hotel at a cost to members of $30 payable to Treasurer Lloyd. This will be for 12 – 12.30pm on Tuesday 25 November for a two course meal. Members are asked to dress with a touch of Christmas. This will be our last meeting for the year.

Noel Hocking thanked all those who vis­ited their garden to view the irises and sup­ported Can Assist with donations. Noel is walking from Bedgerabong to Forbes to raise funds for CanAssist and it was decid­ed to donate $100 to help.

Our guest speaker was Wendy Muffet who spoke on her life moving to a farm at Wirrinya. On retirement, she and her hus­band bought a small block of land, built a home and started a bed and breakfast. They planted trees and vegetables using organic methods to control pests and composting to keep weeds at bay. Lee Sanderson thanked Wendy with a small gift.

Flower of the month winners were first Denise Thurston (Hippeastrum), second Clare Haley (Bauhinia) and third David Sanderson (Begonia). The raffle was won by Meg Scholefield, second prize went to Sue Robinson.

After the meeting, members enjoyed walking around the garden. Janette Thomas invited members to her garden across the road to view her roses .We are looking forward to seeing you all at the Vandenberg Hotel on Tuesday 25 No­vember.

By Green Thumb

Get involved at Ronald McDonald House Central West – volunteer, donate, become a corporate partner or find out if you or a close friend or relative is eligible to stay with us.

Staying close to treatment when a child is ill or injured is vital for families when they need it most. Our accommodation, programs and services are provided free of charge to the families of sick and injured children, and women experiencing a high risk preg­nancy – helping them when they need it most. We strive to serve more families, better and enable parents and carers to stay close to each other and vital treatment in the Central West.

Our purpose built House is located on the Hospital grounds in Orange and our Hospitality Cart in Dubbo visits families at their child’s bedside in the Paediatric Ward and Special Care Nursery so that they can close and together.

Our families come from across the region so that their children can receive treatment in our major hospitals in the Western Health District in Orange and Dubbo.

We rely on fundraising for 79% percent of our funding to keep the House and our programs available to families when they need it most – caring for a sick or injured child needing treatment in our region.

To find out more about what Ronald McDonal House Charities Central West do, or to get involved, please follow the link cwn­swfundraising.rmhc.org.au/event/redtember-2025 or visit www.rmhccwnsw.org.au