The Country Road

Destination Manawatu works closely with the rural communities in Manawatu to create touring routes and events on The Country Road.

The Country Road is not just a road, it is a series of scenic routes, discoveries and experiences that define true New Zealand heartland in the lower North Island.

The Country Road is for locals and visitors to discover and experience.

Map & Guides

Destination Manawatu has extensively mapped a large area of the countryside bordering the City, highlighted some of Feilding's special features, and everything in between the mountain range and SH1 that we'd like people to turn off to experience what's best about our Region:

• The Country Road Map & Guide (featuring four suggested driving routes)
• Gardens of The Country Road
• Cycling The Country Road

The Map & Guides feature picnic spots, reserves, gardens, heritage collections, pubs, cafes, a winery, galleries, golf clubs, hiking tracks, places to stay - everything there is to see and do that the locals want you to know about.

These free brochures are not just another set of visitor guides.  Everyone in the mapped areas, including the farmers (who don't necessarily have visitor attractions) have been included in The Country Road.  They've been briefed to help you out if you get a puncture or are needing directions.

No Buses Here

The Country Road is a part of New Zealand that you'll never be able to experience on a tourist bus, firstly because some of the attractions don't have bus parking and couldn't cope with an influx of 50 people at once.  It's a series of driving routes that are ideally suited to small groups of friends and families seeking out authentic New Zealand experiences.

Inspiring Locals

One of the residents on The Country Road has been so inspired by the thought of opening up this part of New Zealand to visitors, that she has created a website about her part of it - The Iron Gates Experience (www.irongates.co.nz).  It's ever evolving with images of her family out and about and pictures of wildlife, including the rare blue duck, which thrives in this part of the country.

To meet the people of The Country Road and explore the vast mix of scenery and attractions, pick up a brochure from a local i-SITE visitor information centre, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or see the website - www.thecountryroad.co.nz

Events on The Country Road

Destination Manawatu is working with the locals to grow great events already on The Country Road, and to develop new events that are suited to the local environment.  The Country Road Manawatu Cycle Classic is one such event - a 160km cycle race that loops from Palmerston North City, into the Pohangina Valley and back through Feilding to Palmerston North.  It's a challenging ride with a few good hills thrown into the mix, but is also suited to the novice riders who are able to team up and ride a quarter of the route.

The Manawatu Cycleway on The Country Road

Ever since Prime Minister, John Key announced the plans for a national cycleway, Destination Manawatu has worked actively on creating a route in our Region that can be a part of this national initiative.  In February 2012 the New Zealand Cycle Trail made it here with an on-road trail going from Mangaweka to Palmerston North City named, The Manawatu Cycleway on The Country Road.   It offers cyclists an alternative to the busy main highways, while also helping to grow and support the rural communities in Manawatu.

What The Country Road means to Feilding

Feilding is at the heart of The Country Road experience.  It's one of the Manawatu Region's gems that can only be discovered by getting off the State Highways.  Its beautiful paved streets are kept pristinely clean and blooming with seasonal colour.  Feilding has worked hard in creating a thriving town centre with a weekly farmers' market, saleyard tours, and attracting unique businesses and boutique stores to locate to the town. Destination Manawatu actively promotes Feilding as a place to visit, not only via The Country Road.

What The Country Road means to Palmerston North City

The Country Road is Palmerston North City's playground.  It's the place people go to in the weekends for a country drive, to take visiting friends and relatives - it's where they relax.