The Manawatu is a region of the lower North Island named for its great river — powerful enough to cut a gorge through the Ruahine Range that divides the eastern and western coasts. The river drains catchments on both sides of the main mountain range before emptying into the Tasman Sea at Foxton. It is one of the few New Zealand rivers that flows east to west through a range rather than around it.
The largest city is Palmerston North, a university town built around a central square. Massey University and NZCER give the city a younger, more academic character than its agricultural surroundings might suggest. The New Zealand Rugby Museum is here and is the most visited attraction in the region for domestic tourists. Te Manawa Museum covers regional history and art.
Levin is the main town in the Horowhenua district to the southwest. The region is primarily agricultural — flat, green, and productive — but the surrounding ranges, including the Tararua Forest Park, offer solid tramping on tracks maintained by the Department of Conservation. The Manawatu Plains themselves are worth driving through in spring when lambing brings the paddocks alive.