The Other Cowra Breakout

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday June 30, 2005

Margie Blok

City dwellers are discovering the C change.

COWRA

Style A mix of period and modern houses

Price range From $70,000 to about $500,000

Transport About four hours' drive from Sydney

Facilities Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre, Cowra Museums, galleries, Wyangala Waters Park for swimming, sailing, waterskiing and fishing

Highlights Cowra Picnic Races and Cowra Wine Show in July, Cowra Show in September, Sakura Matsui (the Cherry Blossom Festival) in October, Festival of Understanding (features a different guest nation each year) in March

12345Nineteen years ago, well before the tree-change trend, Bob Griffiths upped sticks from Campbelltown and moved his family to the country town of Cowra.

"I worked as a Customs officer for 19 years before this change of lifestyle. I decided to cash in my super and go into business for myself," says Griffiths, who owns a metal and fabrications business, Lachlan Steel. "What impressed me is the natural beauty. The river and hills make it a pretty place. The entrance to Cowra, on just about every road leading into the township, is magnificent with tree-lined avenues and golf courses," he says.

Cowra has about 9300 residents and is about 320 kilometres west of Sydney. It's in the Lachlan River Valley, which has industries such as cattle and sheep farming, vegetable growing and processing, vineyards, furniture making and tourism.

Griffiths is chief steward of the Cowra Wine Show committee, which organises the Cowra Wine Show that starts on July 29. "This wine show has been going for 24 years; it's a national wine show and the third largest in Australia after Melbourne and Brisbane," he says.

With almost 3000 entries from about 450 wineries, the Cowra Wine Show is run by local volunteers who organise to bring judges from around Australia and overseas. "We have 21 judges who get through 3000 wines in a week," Griffiths says.

As well as the judging section, the show hosts public events including a gala tasting and a black-tie presentation dinner, which will feature about 15 trophy-winning wines from the show (bookings, 6342 1977).

Griffiths is also involved with a number of Cowra-Japan activities, for the town has strong associations with Japan, as a consequence of the Cowra breakout of 1944 when Japanese prisoners of war attempted to escape from a local camp. "The Japanese connection here is extremely strong. We have a memorial for the breakout and a Japanese War Cemetery, which is the only Japanese war cemetery outside of Japan. We also have a magnificent Japanese garden," says Griffiths, who is chairman of a student exchange program between Cowra High School and Seikei High School in Tokyo.

In Cowra, there is always something happening, Griffith says. The next big event is Cowra Picnic Races, which attract about 10,000 people to town on the first Friday in July.

Penfolds First National Real Estate principal, Judy Penfold, says: "During the recent boom, a lot of Sydney people bought property in Cowra.

"Properties here are cheaper than at Mudgee and Orange, and that's a big attraction. Three-bedroom family homes can be bought for about $250,000. Cowra is a great option for people looking for a life away from the city. Why not make the C-change?"

© 2005 Sydney Morning Herald

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