Of course, this is a bit ironic because I'm originally from another "Palmy"- Palmer- although we never thought of giving it such a cute nickname!
Right now it's spring, and the weather is usually in the fifties and sixties (F). Palmerston North's population is 30% students and I read that 40% of people here are affiliated with education (there are several universities). It is the quintessential college town. When we tell Kiwis where we live, the usual response is, “Why would you move there?” The town isn't known for its charm and it's given only two pages in Fodor's NZ guidebook, even though it's the 8th largest city in the country at just over 80,000 people. But, that doesn't matter-- we really like Palmy for its laid-back lifestyle and its understated natural beauty. Plus, it's close to dozens and dozens of famous and un-famous awesome destinations on the lower North Island, as you've seen in the previous posts. So, there's always plenty to do and see!
My favorite attraction in Palmy itself is the meandering paved bike & bridle path that follows the bank of the Manawatu and connects you to many city parks without you ever having to cross a road. Mac and I bought new bikes so that we can really enjoy all the biking in this country. Being able to bike in all four seasons with the same bike and just slightly different clothing feels like a real treat!
#2: Growing a year-round garden. Right now I have my spring and summer crops planted in a small ground plot and many planters. Bonus: the backyard of the house we're renting has many fruit trees, including apricot trees, cherry or plum trees (can't tell yet), grape vines, and a lemon tree. How cool is that?
On the other hand... | #4: Fresh, locally grown produce year-round at reasonable prices. Can't get enough of that! #5: Super, super friendly people. That should probably be number one. #6: Temperate climate that makes it easy to be active outdoors. #7: This was a tie for "great restaurants" and "outdoor gym". They're both pretty cool. |
| No place is perfect, and before all of my Alaskan friends and family disown me, here are seven things I miss about our Great State. #1: Family, friends, the Watershed School, and of course, the fifth-graders I had to say goodbye to (now sixth-graders). #2: Skiing from the front porch, down the road and onto the bog (no snow here unless you drive into the mountains!) #3: The Alaska Range- for many different reasons #4: Spearfishing for whitefish. I am surprised by my own nostalgia for this activity, which was always challenging for me. This is the time of year that I would be out at night, wading through the Chatanika with my dim headlamp and frozen fingers, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to spear a humpy. I think we're going to make a foray into gigging for flounder off the beach here this summer so that I can fulfill this need to spear things. :) #5: Hunting and fishing in all its forms, and the creation of so many different products with our meat and fish. It's going to take a while to figure out the NZ hunting and fishing scene. I get sad looking in our empty freezer. #6: ACRC (Alaska Coffee Roasting Company)-- how I dream of thee and thy breakfast pockets! #7: Our cars. I loved my Subaru and Mac loved his Rav4. The prices of SUVs in New Zealand are so outrageous that we decided to be prudent and buy a minivan. I took a macho picture of our Toyota Wish to make it seem tougher. What do you think? |