Manawatu Region
Welcome to
Manawatu – a region boasting many opportunities to experience New Zealand at its best. Situated in the lower half of the North Island, Manawatu offers residents and visitors a delightful mix of rural life and the big-city sophistication of Palmerston North. Surrounding
Palmerston North are charming smaller
towns and villages – the largest of these being
Feilding and Ashhurst. Feilding has won New Zealand's 'Most Beautiful Town' award 12 times. Proud of its Edwardian architecture, the Feilding community has renovated and restored the heart of the town which boasts great shopping - and free parking.
Geographical
Conveniently located halfway between
Taupo and
Wellington, the Manawatu landscape sweeps dramatically from the solitude of the high country Ruahine and
Tararua Ranges to the coastal plains and beaches of Tangimoana and
Himatangi. The unspoiled rivers that wind their way from the ranges through fertile agricultural and pastoral farmlands to the coast are a big drawcard for those who enjoys the outdoors.
Cultural
Destination Manawatu encourages visitors to kick back their heels and enjoy Manawatu's superb range of shops, retail outlets, cafes, restaurants, theatres, exhibitions and nightlife. The region's cafes and bars offer a tantalising array of cuisine, ales & wines along with an eclectic mix of background music. Manawatu residents are proud of their café scene and with good reason. Whether its elegant, boutique, exotic, café style or casual dining you are after - it's all here.
The New Zealand Rugby Museum and a number of private collections preserve and share Manawatu's pioneering history, while the highly acclaimed Science Centre and Manawatu Museum in the heart of Palmerston North exhibits and examines everything from theories and myths to fact and foresight.
Feilding's famous stock-sale yards (located near the restored clocktower) give visitors from around the world a unique glimpse of rural life.
A great mix of professional and amateur theatre companies provide top-class live shows for those seeking cultural entertainment. The Regent on Broadway features an impressive line-up of national and international performances.
Activities and Sightseeing
Visitors keen to explore the region will find relaxing country retreats, award-winning gardens, excellent golf courses, antiques and craft stores, historic homes and horse trekking . . . the list goes on.
For the adventurous - there are great tracks to be hiked and trout to be caught. And for thrill-seekers there's kayaking and jetboating through the Manawatu Gorge, aerobatic flying, scenic helicopter flights, mountain biking, a 4WD safari, 4x4 quad bikes, tours to the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere, bridge swinging, and Formula Ford single-seater racing.
Visiting the Tararua Wind Farm is a must. Dominating the eastern skyline, it offers fantastic views of Manawatu, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa. Guided tours are available for those keen to make the most of this unique experience.
Tararua Wind Farm
Not to be missed is a trip up to the southern hemisphere's largest wind farm. Not surprisingly, there is a host of adventures and discoveries up there. Local visitor information centres can help visitors book tours to the wind farm.
Health, Herbs and Honey
Experience Health, Herbs and Honey tours in rural, picturesque Manawatu. Meet the local operators passionate about growing, harvesting and producing their unique range of natural Health, Herbs and Honey products.
Visit the region's glorious lavender and herb gardens; enjoy delicious garden fresh meals; purchase herbal and honey products; indulge in a wonderful relaxing massage or beauty treatment.
Experience hands-on demonstrations such as the distillation of essential lavender oils, through to watching bees in action in their honey hives. Meet the people behind the products - people able to advise you about the best natural products to suit your needs.
Outstanding Geological Features
Geological experts from around the world are drawn to Manawatu for one simple reason – its unique geological features:
- The Pohangina Anticline
Anticlines – the starting point of a mountain range pushing upward - are often difficult to view but not so in Manawatu. The 50km Pohangina Anticline runs alongside the Tararua and Ruahine Ranges which began life as anticlines about half a million years ago. Rising at a rate of at least one millimetre a year, it is growing rapidly in geological terms. Tectonic landforms are not common worldwide and certainly not adjacent to public highways.
- The Manawatu Gorge
A textbook example of what happens when a range rises across a river and one of only a few places in the world where the river flows east to west through a main divide.
- NZ's Largest Dune Field
Manawatu's 6000-year-old coastal sand dunes reach 18km inland at their widest point.