Palmerston North

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Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand.

Palmerston North offers endless opportunities to experience the great outdoors, from short walks in impressive native bush, half day walks through the stunning Manawatu Gorge, to tramping in the splendid Ruahine, or Tararua Ranges.

Museums, gardens and arts and crafts flourish in Palmerston North. The area provides every type of accommodation from top class hotels to farm stays. There is also an excellent range of restaurants and bars to suit everyone's taste.

Palmerston North and its surrounds also offer a lot of adventure activities like bungy jumping and caving and outdoor sports including golfing, hiking, horse treks, cycling, skiing, mountaineering and hunting. There are many attractions for all ages and interests such as zoos, wildlife and theme parks, cultural and heritage attractions, museums, art galleries, Maori marae visits and thermal spas.

Palmerston North has been able to maintain a balance between the modern conveniences and technology of big city life, and the quality and simplicity of small town lifestyle, offering visitors and residents the best of both worlds.

Palmerston North History

Ngati Rangitane were the local Maori iwi living in the area known as Te Ahu-a-Turanga, when a trader, Jack Duff, became the first known European to explore the area in 1830. He came on a whaling ship, and explored as far inland as the site of Woodville. He reported his discovery on arrival back to Porirua. Colonel Wakefield heard of the potential that the Manawatu had for development and visited in 1840. In 1846 Charles Hartley, another trader, heard from tangata whenua of a clearing in the forest and he proceeded through the dense bush and forest and discovered it for Europeans.

The subdivision of Palmerston North began in 1866, with the most important stimulus to the growth of the town being the development of pastoral farming. As early European settlers cleared the native forest with axe and fire, a new vegetation of grasses and clovers provided the basis for cattle and sheep farming.

Main Towns in the Manawatu Region

Other Towns in the Manawatu Region