Palmerston North (a.k.a. Palmy) gets a bit of stick from people being a boring town, but having some family there I get to visit reasonably. And it’s not that bad.

Would I live there? Probably not.

But there’s plenty of things to do in Palmerston North for a couple of days.

And something people underestimate is the cities location as a base. From Palmy you’ve got easy access to the Tararua Ranges, Ruahines, and Himatangi Beach. Places you can spend a lifetime exploring.

But this post will focus on ideas for what to do in Palmerston North on your visit.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Clicking on these links will take you directly to that section.

1. Check out the street art on Berrymans Lane
2. Visit the NZ Rugby Museum
3. Learn at Te Manawa
4. Hike the Manawatu Gorge Track
5. Walk the Stairway of Tane
6. Wander through WildBase Recovery
7. Visit the Foodbank

7 FUN THINGS TO DO IN PALMERSTON NORTH

Sorry, I had to include this video.

This is a regular segment by a couple of radio hosts who take the piss out of towns around New Zealand. It’s a laugh, whether you know some of the regular places to visit in Palmerston North or not.

Don’t take it too seriously 😉

1. CHECK OUT THE STREET ART AT BERRYMANS LANE

I was surprised to find Palmy is full of amazing street art and murals, many featuring the Tui. But the best bang for your buck is on Berrymans Lane close to The Square.

One wall of the lane is full of some amazing street art and mural works.

A few of the artists who contributed are Mikal Carter, Mel Christmas, Emily Gardner, and Liam Hindley.

Fun fact: Berrymans Lane was named after the Berryman music shop that was open back in the 1930s (it no longer exists).

Back to the top

2. VISIT THE RUGBY MUSEUM

The New Zealand Rugby Museum does a great job at showcasing the countries rugby history.

You do need to pay to go into the museum, but it’s worth it. They’re doing a great job following their mission of preserving, protecting, and displaying the history and heritage of rugby in NZ.

As you enter you’ll be greeted by a volunteer who’ll give you an intro to the museum before you begin to explore on your own.

Got kids? They’ll have a blast with the interactive parts of the museum once they get tired of looking at all the memorabilia.

A must-visit for anyone interested in rugby.

READ THE FULL POST: VISITING THE NZ RUGBY MUSEUM

Back to the top

3. LEARN AT TE MANAWA

And in the same complex as the rugby museum is the Te Manawa museum which is free to visit. I did find the museum a little bit confusing, as there’s so much going on but the staff pointed me into the two main areas where you can learn about some of the region’s heritage, and the natural wonders in and around the Manawatu region.

I most enjoyed learning about the gorge (apparently it’s very rare for a river to run through a mountain range), how the water gets treated in the region, and taniwhas.

Given it’s doesn’t cost to enter, pop in and see what you think. Even if you stick to one zone, it’s an interesting place to spend 30-minutes and you’ll be bound to learn something interesting.

Back to the top

4. HIKE THE MANAWATU GORGE TRACK

This is a great 10km end-to-end hike in the Manawatu Gorge (or a 20km return).

The track is through the canopy of the gorge with regular undulations but no massive crazy long inclines (~500 metres of elevation total). The track is well maintained with some monuments along the way and yes, you’ll get a couple of cool views of the gorge and the Te Apiti Wind Farm.

The end-to-end aspect makes it inconvenient given the lack of public transport/public traffic to the Woodville end of the trailhead after the Manawatu Gorge Road was closed indefinitely.

If you’re after a shorter walk in the gorge, you could do the 4km Tawa Loop Track starting from the Ashhurst end.

READ THE FULL POST: THE MANAWATU GORGE WALK

Back to the top

5. WALK THE STAIRWAY OF TANE

The formal Stairway of Tāne opened in 2018 after some locals found the remnants of stairs on the Anzac Cliffs overlooking the river. The inner city of Palmerston North is flat so this is a good way to add some variety to the exercise routine for regulars.

After some maintenance, the two sets of stairs (with 189 and 222 steps) are up to DOC standards.

They’re pretty steep and there aren’t any guardrails, but the majority of people will get up and down them ok. I enjoyed the view over the river and completed a loop incorporating both sets of stairs.

There are a few inspiration quotes along the way too 😉

The signs to them isn’t super obvious, but the closest spot to the top of each staircase on Google Maps is 81 Cliff Road and 8 Vancluse Heights.

Back to the top

6. WANDER THROUGH WILDBASE RECOVERY

I must say I’m impressed at how many free things to do in Palmerston North there are, including this.

The Wildbase Recovery helps rehab birds back to health before being released back into the wild. So it’s not a zoo! This is a cool story about Ruru.

What this does mean is that locals will go back regularly to see who the new patients are, as there are some rare birds who come through from time to time.

While the Wildbase Recovery website is focused on the patients, there are a few full-time residents which dampened my spirit a little bit. But they’re not there for ‘the show’ so I’m still okay including it on this post.

The volunteers at the facility are amazing, almost overwhelmingly so. They’re helpful though and are happy to chat about the patients at the facility. They’ll also help you spot some of the residents that are tricky to spot for the untrained (e.g. the tuatara).

Given its location, you can easily pop in here for 30 minutes or so while wandering along the riverfront.

Back to the top

7. VISIT THE FOODBANK

Now, I wasn’t sure if I should include this or not (email or leave a comment if I think it should be removed).

Just Zilch is a non-profit that rescues food and helps people thanks to the support of businesses through the city and amazing volunteers.

Their policy is to be non-judgemental – everybody is welcome, no ID is required. They just want people to take what they need for that day, and to remember others will be coming through too so leave something for others.

On my visit (I was encouraged to pop in) I got some bagels and hummus, an awesome late lunch.

And they were non-judgemental as expected. It was really interesting to see the inner workings of a food bank, I even hung outside for 10 minutes to see the food arriving.

The only thing you need to do before you leave is to take the food to the counter so it can be weighed for their records, then you’re on the way.

Travelling can be an expensive proposition, especially for families, so if you’re going through Palmy between 1:30 pm and 6 pm on a weekday (the opening hours), maybe a visit to Just Zilch can help take a little bit of pressure off your holiday finances.

And I love the food rescue aspect!

If you’re looking for a good burger in Palmy, try the shredded burger from Cafe Royale.

Back to the top

---

I hope these things to do in Palmerston North have helped convince you should spend a couple of days in the city!

As I wrote this post, it became clear to me that Palmy must be a decent place to live given how many amazing volunteers they have (based on my small interactions). Volunteers help make the Rugby Museum, Wildbase Recovery, and Just Zilch the amazing places they are.

If anyone reading this is a volunteer at these places, thank you! You’re amazing.

I’m excited for the next time I visit Palmerston North as I already know a few things I want to do so I can add them here.

If you’ve got any questions or comments about what to do in Palmerston North, drop a comment below or email jub@churnewzealand.com

RECOMMENDED READING

200+ Things to do in New Zealand

Your list of ultimate activities across the country

Things to do in Waikanae

The chill little town you’ll pass on the way to Wellington

Some amazing Travel Tips