Cowra is a much better lifestyle for former coastal resident than living in suburbia

Now sold on the Cowra lifestyle Penning's move has become full time with the added bonus of a job and a relaxed lifestyle with his chickens and a vegie garden.

Originally from Goulburn Penning spent 10 years at Narooma and 20 in Wollongong.

"It dawned on me that life in Cowra is a much better lifestyle for me rather than living in suburbia. I have returned to what I grew up with in a country town," Scott said this week.

"I was living in a unit where I could see the beach in Wollongong, but the strange thing is I very rarely went to the beach.

"Now I have a backyard with chickens and last summer I had a vegetable garden and was pleased to produce corn and tomatoes.

"They tasted great, and it was rewarding to give them to neighbours and friends."

It's this type of connection to the community and sense of community that has impressed Penning in his new home.

A big fan of early Australian literature, in particular Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson, Penning compared the attitude of Cowra residents to what the two wrote about the city in some of their work.

"In Cowra, many people on the street have the time to say hello and are very welcoming, even to a stranger.

"It was really refreshing," Penning said.

"If I am out for a walk for exercise, people say hello and often have a yarn to me about whatever, it felt very Australian to me, people are genuinely interested in their neighbours, that is something that, in my opinion, is becoming harder to find in suburbia today.

"I was also impressed how well presented the town is.

"The local council do a great job with the parks and gardens. The streets are kept clean and there is a real sense of this is our community and we like to keep it well presented."

Cowra's rural background was also a positive for Penning.

"So many people have a connection to farming and the land, people are more in touch with reality, living in a unit and not having a yard you can easily feel removed from the land.

"It also brings you back down to earth when you see things like a wild sheep on the loose in the main street, as was the case last week.

"Whatever I was rushing off to faded into insignificance compared to helping the struggling farmer capture his traffic stopper in downtown Kendal street."

Penning's two children are both now adults but he hopes they too will one day follow in his footsteps and make the move to Cowra.

A licensed real estate agent Penning made the move to Cowra permanent after meeting James Keady.

"He is such a nice bloke that when he offered me a job I could not resist and now I am happy to be part of such a well-known and well trusted family business as James P Keady and Co," Penning said.

As for the increased demand and jump in real estate prices in Cowra, Penning believes more and more people seeking a lifestyle change just like he was.

"And so many people able to work from home means there is a new type of buyer looking at living in the Cowra area."

He feels he is very able to relate to these new buyers and sell them the advantages of relocating to Cowra based on his own experience.