Neat People: Jemma & Adam's Guide to Palmerston North

Portrait of Jemma Cheer and Adam Curry, Palmerston North
As locals since forever, Jemma Cheer & Adam Curry know Papaioea Palmerston North better than most.

One of the Locals: An Insider’s Guide to Palmerston North

Customers at the bar at Brew Union.
Palmerston North

Forget the algorithm. When you follow the locals, you land on the places actually worth going to: for coffee, kai, fresh air and a bit of culture. Here’s a Palmy hit-list bundled the way residents talk about it.

Come Hungry: Dining Out in Palmerston North

Food on the table with cocktails at Libre.
Palmerston North

Skip the guesswork. Palmerston North feeds people well: from slick rooms serving seasonal produce to lively spots built around wood-fired ovens and house-brewed beer, we’ve rounded up the local favourites worth crossing town for.

Make a Day of It: Your Palmerston North Activity Guide

Group of three walking through the forest.
Palmerston North

River on one side, ranges on the other, with arts and sport woven into the fabric of the city: Palmerston North is friendly, practical and quietly creative.

Laid-Back Lodges of Manawatū: A Quiet Guide to Slowing Down

Guest looking at the view from the balcony.
Palmerston North

The Manawatū knows how to do unhurried well. Drive twenty minutes and you’re among rolling farmland, native bush and big skies.

A Day Guide to Victoria Esplanade, Palmerston North

Large palm trees on both sides of a road.
If you only have a day to spend in Palmerston North, make sure you spend most of it at Victoria Esplanade.

Palmerston North: NZ's Underrated Coffee Capital

A man holding a red cup of coffee outside a coffee cart.
Palmerston North

Move over, Wellington - Palmerston North is quietly but confidently building its case as an alternative coffee capital.

Your Self-Guided Urban Arts Tour of Palmerston North

A sliver metal sculpture of a house frame on stilts.
Palmerston North

Palmerston North is a city that continues to surprise us with its abundance of neat cafés, shops and galleries, so it’s no great revelation that it’s also home to an active arts scene.

Where to Shop for One of a Kind Pieces in Palmerston North

Two tall white concrete look vases on the floor next to a wire basket.
Palmerston North

Where to Shop for One of a Kind Pieces in Palmerston North.

Best Walks in Palmerston North and Where to Treat Yourself Afterwards

The sun setting over Edward Pit Park on a clear day.
Palmerston North

Six of the best walks in Palmerston North and places to visit for treats afterwards.

Dine Around the World At Palmerston North’s Best International Eateries

Interior view of Libre, Palmerston North.

If there’s one thing we love about globe-trotting, it’s the food. Nothing beats picking up a Bánh Mì on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City or sidling into a cosy Izakaya down a Tokyo alleyway. 

Dine your Way Around Palmerston North

Pizza and other food on the table.
When it comes to New Zealand’s foodie destinations, Wellington is almost always top of mind. But just above Wellington, you’ll find Palmerston North situated in the heartland where many of our most prized ingredients originate.

Innovation and exploration in Palmy and beyond

Mahalee and Benoit with their family on the streets of Palmerston North.
Like many people you’ll meet in Palmerston North, Mahalee and Benoit Guieysse aren’t originally from the region, but they’re some of its most genuine ambassadors.

Palmerston North's Secret Handshake

Simon and Catherine from Pork Chop Hill
Palmerston North
Te Motu o Poutoa/ANZAC Park, affectionately known as “Pork Chop Hill”, is a lookout point, observatory, and car park perched on a bluff above the Manawatū River. Like many Palmerston North locals, creatives Catherine Russ and Simon Francis hung out there as teens. In 2014 they established an independent clothing label PORK CHOP HILL. The iconic t-shirts can be seen all over the city.

12 Hours Palmerston North

People sitting at high tops in a brick brewery building.
Palmerston North
Toss any preconceptions you might have, there is A LOT to do in Palmerston North. If you like food, drink, art, shopping, and friendly people, you’ve come to the right place. 

6 Things You Should Eat in Palmerston North

Pastries at Babco.
Palmerston North

Palmerston North has more than their fair share of delicious, local ingredients to work with.

Charcoal Maker and Master

Naga Tsutsumi sitting on a chair.
Palmerston North
Naga Tsutsumi is one of Palmerston North’s most cherished artists. His large scale charcoal drawings are considered and full of movement and detail to explore.

Jemma & Alex - The Last Church of Āpiti

Gemma standing in the doorway at Apiti Church.
Kiwis Jemma Brackebush and Alexander Robertson of Palmerston North are a busy pair. They have created one of Palmerston North’s quirkiest, quaintest and most lovable accommodation options: The Last Church in Āpiti.