Canowindra is a small country town which is fondly referred to as the balloon capital of Australia. It has a population of about 2,000 people. The town is located right in the middle of a natural basin, and has a stable weather pattern. The close network of road & lanes that surround Canowindra, make it easy for balloon crews to retrieve balloons & passengers on landing. There are numerous sites and attractions surrounding this small country town and within its precincts.
All amenities needed to make one’s living comfortable and pleasant are readily available here. There are many bed and breakfast cottages plus standard hotel accommodation and guest houses eager to welcome and pamper visitors. Also, lots of fun and leisure activities can be enjoyed in Canowindra from golf to wine tasting , great art galleries and great shopping opportunities. There are caravan parks, swimming pools, and well-kept gardens that are conducive for picnics and other outdoor events.
The fun does not begin and end outdoors in Canowindra as there is a quaint historic main street that houses different shopping outlets where you can purchase antiques , giftware, art and all the necessities of life. Back in the 1990’s an historic discovery of ancient fish fossils which have been preserved under a rock for about 360 million years, saw the founding of The Age of Fishes Museum. This museum (one of only 2 fish fossil museums in the entire world) houses fossils of over 3,000 species of Devonian fish. The town also hosts a wonderful Balloon festival The Canowindra Balloon Challenge which grew out of the Marti’s Fiesta a ballooning event, (one of the biggest balloon festivals in Australia). In 2013 The Balloon Challenge will be host to the National Ballooning Championships.
There are many
interesting sites, typical of the tourist attractions in NSW, that attract people to this small country town; some of them
include wineries and vineyards, the Pioneer Museum, Morris Park, Groote
Cottage, and Escort Rock. Almost everything is available here, and there is so
much one can do.