Destination guides > Pacific Islands > New Zealand > Manawatu-Wanganui > Manawatu & Rangitikei > Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is on the banks of the Manawatu River and has a population of almost 80,000, making it the main city in the Manawatu-Wanganui region. “Palmy” is home to Massey University, New Zealand’s second largest, and has a sizable student population, giving it a youthful energy and cultural life.
The heart of Palmerston North is The Square, a 7ha park at the centre of town that includes a war memorial and clock tower. The streets leading into and surrounding The Square are concentrated with restaurants, bars, bookstores, shops, boutiques and theatres. Other attractions in town are the Rugby Museum and Te Manawa, a unique facility that combines a history museum, art gallery and interactive science centre.
Palmerston North is not a major tourist attraction, but it does offer an opportunity to meet and mingle with a big university crowd when school’s in session, and can make for an interesting stopover.
Practical information
Palmerston North i-SITE Visitor Centre
52 The Square, Palmerston North
Tel (06) 350 1922
Website www.manawatunz.co.nz
Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-3pm
Department of Conservation
717 Tremaine Avenue, Palmerston North
Tel (06) 350 9700
Website www.doc.govt.nz
Open Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm
INTERNET ACCESS
Palmerston North City Library
Not only does the flash new library have internet access, but there are lockers and showers too.
The Square, Palmerston North
Tel (06) 351 4100
Website http://citylibrary.pncc.govt.nz/
Internet access $6 per hour; showers $1
Coming & going
Palmerston North is located at the crossroads of several air, coach and rail routes and many people pass through here to make transport connections.
AIR
Palmerston North International Airport (tel (06) 351 4415) has domestic flights to Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Nelson and Wellington. The airport is only 5km north east of the city centre and Super Shuttle (tel 0800 SHUTTLE (0800 748 885)) run minibuses to meet all flights.
BUS
InterCity Coachlines (tel (04) 385 0520) go to Auckland, Napier, New Plymouth, Tauranga, Wanganui, Wellington; Naked Bus has services to Auckland, Napier, Taupo, Rotorua and Wellington; BayXpress (tel 0800 422 997) goes to Hawkes Bay and Wellington and White Star Bus (tel (06) 759 0197) has services to New Plymouth, Wanganui and Wellington.
Buses stop on Main Street near The Square. InterCity stops on the west side of The Square near the corner of Main and Pitt Streets and most other buses including Naked Bus stop on Main Street just east of The Square. Buses also stop at Massey University.
TRAIN
The daily Overlander train on the Auckland-Wellington line and the Capital Connection service to Wellington stop at Palmerston North. The train station is on Matthews Avenue, about 1km north of The Square.
Hostel accommodation
Grandma’s Place
146 Grey Street, Palmerston North
Tel (06) 358 6928
Pepper Tree Hostel
121 Grey Street, Palmerston North
Tel (06) 355 4054
Eating & drinking
Palmerston North is a big university town and has numerous cheap places to eat and drink that cater to its student population; hence, they’re great for backpackers as well.
Food and nightlife centres on the streets around The Square, the park right at the heart of Palmy. The streets to the west side of the square, particularly George and Cuba Streets, are where most of the bar and café action is. Some popular places include Moxies Café (81 George Street, Palmerston North) and Mao Bar (64 George Street, Palmerston North). Bar Mode (1 Coleman Place, Palmerston North) is the best indie/punk/eclectic live music venue in town, with local and international touring acts passing through. The Fitz Bar (Ferguson Street, Palmerston North), is Palmy’s quintessential student bar.
Supermarkets in Palmerston North include Countdown (corner Ashley & Ferguson Streets, Palmerston North); New World (179-197 Main Street, Palmerston North); Pak’n Save (335 Ferguson Street, Palmerston North) and Woolworths (corner Featherston & Rangitikei Streets, Palmerston North). Pop into Pak’n Save to stock up on picnic fixings to eat in The Square.
Sightseeing, museums & tourist attractions
New Zealand Rugby Museum
The world’s oldest museum devoted to rugby features an extensive collection of rugby memorabilia from around the world.
87 Cuba Street, Palmerston North
Tel (06) 358 6947
Website www.rugbymuseum.co.nz
Admission $5
Open Mon-Sat 10am-noon & 1.30pm-4pm, Sun 1.30pm-4pm
Te Manawa
This excellent regional museum combines exhibits in the fields of art, history and science. It is a well laid out museum with many interactive exhibits.
396 Main Street, Palmerston North
Tel (06) 355 5000
Website www.temanawa.co.nz
Admission ART & LIFE galleries free; MIND galleries $8
Open 10am-5pm daily
Owlcatraz
This wildlife park focuses on owls, but there are also other animals. Visitors to Owlcatraz go on a guided tour that takes them into the enclosure with the owls. A full tour takes a couple of hours.
State Highway 57, Shannon (½hr south of Palmerston North)
Tel (06) 362 7872
Website www.owlcatraz.co.nz
Admission $10-20
Open 10am-3pm daily
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