Cowra

From eTripTips Wiki

Japanese Garden in Cowra

Cowra is a small town in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia.

During World War Two Cowra was the site of an internment camp for Japanese prisoners of war. On 5 August 1944 the POWs staged a mass breakout; nearly half were killed. After the war however, the Australian Returned Servicemen’s League assumed responsibility not only for the graves of the four Australians killed in the breakout, but for the Japanese section of the cemetery. In 1960 the Japanese government had their war dead from around Australia re-interned at Cowra. As a consequence, many Japanese people visit Cowra, in addition to local tourists.

[edit] Get in

Cowra is about four and a half hours drive from Sydney via Bathurst. From Bathurst it is about one and a half hours to Cowra on the Mid Western Highway through Blayney. Travellers from Orange can drive via Blayney or take the Cargo Road to Canowindra and the Canowindra Road to Cowra, about one and a half hours in either direction. From Canberra Cowra is just under three hours drive: the route is via Yass and then north on Lachlan Valley Way, which leaves the Hume Highway to the west of Yass.

Countrylink (phone 132 232) has two bus services to Cowra every day. The first meets the early morning XPT train from Sydney at Bathurst at 10:55am, arriving Cowra at 12:40pm, the second meets the early afternoon Cityrail trains from Sydney at Lithgow at 7:20pm, and arrives Cowra at 9:55pm. Both require seats be reserved before travel.

The nearest airports to Cowra are at Orange and Bathurst and the nearest large airport is Canberra.

[edit] Get around

[edit] See

• Cowra Japanese Garden, : Binni Creek Road, : 02 6341 2233, : garden@cowra.nsw.gov.au, Website: http://www.cowrajapanesegarden.com.au/. 8:30am to 5pm every day. The Japanese Gardens were created by Japanese garden architect Ken Nakajima as a ''kaiyū-shiki'', a strolling garden. The garden symbolises reconciliation and peace after World War Two, and after the local conflict. $9.50 adults, $5 children, $7.50 concession
• POW Camp Site, : Sakura Avenue, : 02 6340 2000. All hours Free
• Japanese and Australian War Cemeteries, : Doncaster Drive, : 02 6342 4333, : tourism@cowra.nsw.gov.au. All hours. The Japanese War Cemetery, ceded to the Japan in 1963, is the only Japanese war cemetery in Australia. It contains the graves of POWs who died in the breakout, as well as other Japanese POWs and soldiers who died in the battle of Darwin. The Australian cemetery contains the graves of the four Australians who died in the breakout, together with Australian soldiers who died training in the area. Free

[edit] Do

[edit] Buy

[edit] Eat

• Neila All Day Dining, : 5 Kendal Street, : 02 6341 2188, : eat@neila.com.au, Website: http://www.neila.com.au/. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6pm. Neila is one of the best known fine dining restaurants in the west of New South Wales. Reservations are essential, if reserving by email please allow at least a week's notice. Entrees $18, mains $32

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

• Country Comfort Cowra Countryman Motor Inn, : 164 Kendal Street, : 02 6342 3177‎, : reservations.cowra@countrycomforthotels.com, Website: http://www.countrycomforthotels.com/countrycomfort/hotels?cid=143&pid=2355
• Cowra Crest Motel, : 133 Kendal Street, : 02 6342 2799, Website: http://cowracrestmotel.com.au/

[edit] Contact

[edit] Get out