Cowra Prepares For New Zealand

Cowra is gearing up for what is shaping up to be a massive final weekend of March, celebrating all things New Zealand at the 2021 Festival of International Understanding.

With COVID-19 restrictions forcing the festival to be called off last year, and with New Zealand already locked in as the guest nation of the festival, it was decided that it would remain the guest nation for this year’s festival. It will be the third time in the event’s 56 year history that our neighbours across the Tasman will be featured, with the prior occasions being 1965 and 1994, and with five days of action planned this year, Cowra is certainly in for a treat.

Festival Coordinator Meredith Burton told The Cowra Phoenix that a lot had gone into this year’s festival to make it one of the best in recent years, in light of missing out on it last year.

With the main activities running between the 24th and 28th of March, this year’s festival will feature the usual Youth Ambassador program, gala dinner, main street parade and the festival carnival, however there will also be cultural activities, seniors programs, an exhibition cricket match, and a karaoke competition, with the winner winning a flight to New Zealand.

The carnival will feature the Rotary Club duck race, concert, ANZAC commemoration ceremony, stalls, carnival rides, cultural performances and activities, special guests, a wrestling competition, gum boot throwing competition, community groups, music, dancing, and the Tumanako Maori Cultural Group.

Meredith said this year’s Youth Ambassador’s had been very active for this year’s festival, and will make a special visit to the New Zealand High Commission in Canberra on March 17.

This year’s Youth Ambassadors are Alex Shaw, Ethan Austen, Emma Clements, Jessica Hayes, Katie Clements, Lowanna Murray, Grace Richmond, Zachary Osborne, Rielly Collins, Mikelli Garratt, Michael McNamara, Jackson McLeish, William Norton, Raziq Shaji, Emily Beath Pearce and Jaz O’Reilly.

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