About MidCentral

Palmerston North is a key university city, noted for its agricultural faculty, in a rich farming district. It is widely known as a ‘student city’ and around 40% of its population either work at or attend the university and other educational institutions. The mix of farming industries nearby has made the city a particularly valuable hub for agriculturally-based education which in turn supports a significant number of science and research facilities in the region. Palmerston North is also close to the National Air Force base at Ohakea and to Linton Army Camp.

The lifestyle of Palmerston North City and the Manawatu Region is an easy-going one. The friendly community is made up of people from a variety of cultures, and residents enjoy the active city life of Palmerston North. It is in a prime central location, based in the heart of the lower North Island and offers the perks of urban living combined with the surrounding natural landscape of rural New Zealand.

In addition to the excellent public parks and variety of activities offered within the Region, it is also well located to access ski fields, vineyards and the great outdoors. Palmerston North City is a cycle-safe city, making it an avid cyclist’s paradise.

Within the Region:

• The Manawatu Cycleway on The Country Road. Part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail.
• Volcanoes, wild west coast beaches, dramatic gorges like the Te Apiti – Manawatu Gorge and Iron Gates Gorge.
• New Zealand Rugby Museum. Contains New Zealand's biggest and most comprehensive collection of rugby memorabilia and records, including some of the world's rarest rugby artefacts.
• Wildbase Hospital. The Massey University facility has an expert team of vets looking after creatures from all over the country that need a little bit of TLC. A new rehabilitation centre, Wildbase Recovery, is in the fundraising stages and when it's completed it will offer the public a chance to view the animals as they get back on their feet. Where else would you find a one-eyed tuatara, a kereru, a little blue penguin and a kiwi all living together?
• Manawatu Riverside Walkway. Take in views of the Manawatu River and the Anzac Cliffs.
• The annual Festival of Cultures. A 3-day cultural festival where at least 30 different cultural groups share their way of life.
• Theatres. Such as Abbey and Hokowhitu Auditorium which show full-scale musicals. Also solo performances at The Dark Room, crowd-pleasers at Centrepoint, student shows at Black Sheep Theatre and Shakespearean drama at The Globe.