Palmerston North — "Palmy" to everyone in New Zealand — is a university city in the Manawatu region of the North Island, sitting on a plain between the Tararua and Ruahine ranges. It is the home of Massey University, which gives the city a younger, more diverse feel than its agricultural surroundings might suggest. The wide central square, known simply as The Square, is the hub of the city and one of the largest urban squares in New Zealand.
The city is not a typical tourist destination, but it has its merits. Te Manawa, the combined museum, art gallery, and science centre, is one of the better regional museums in the country. The New Zealand Rugby Museum traces the national obsession from its Victorian-era origins. The Victoria Esplanade, a park along the Manawatu River, has mature gardens, a miniature railway, and the Wildbase Recovery wildlife centre. For something stranger, Mt Cleese is a rubbish-dump hill named after the British comedian who once called the city "the suicide capital of New Zealand."
Palmerston North's real value for travellers is as a crossroads. It sits on the main highway and rail line between Wellington and the north, and the Manawatu Gorge road (or its replacement route) connects the city to the Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay to the east. The Tararua Forest Park, accessible from the city's eastern fringe, offers serious tramping in dense bush and alpine ridgelines — not for beginners, but rewarding for experienced hikers.