First Investment in France

My wife and I are considering investing in a gite or apartment/house rental in the Uzes area. We are wishing to just gain an income and still have connections with Australia where we have a home and the UK where we have my family. I have been in business for 40 years but one of my biggest mistakes earlier on was to go into something without proper investigation. We have been sent a few details from agents of properties for sale but would love to hear from like minded people who may have already successfully gone down this path. Our thoughts are fluid - we are cash buyers - so with the slump in house prices in France at present, it seems to us a good time to invest. We can certainly get more for our money in France than we can do here in Australia.