Palmerston North City & Manawatu

The launch of the Manawatu Cycleway on The Country Road was an absolute pleasure to be part of.   Over 50 cyclists joined us from throughout the lower North Island in a two-day ride of the new 126km route of the New Zealand Cycleway.

Help a visitor step into your jandals for a time...Convey what it's like to experience your moment in time - feeling dwarfed by the vistas from a local lookout, savouring the best eggs bene, or dodging the 'green gold' on the ground as you navigate a stock auction at the saleyards.

Brrrr! Winter is definitely here, and just in case you don't believe me, check out these photos!

Farmers’ markets are a well known tradition throughout New Zealand, but there is a winter time myth hanging around that I think we need to dispel.

While visiting the Feilding Farmers' Market last Friday I popped in to see the Eclectic Country stall, where I know I can always find something completely unheard of and utterly delicious! The stall holder, Marie Mullins, has an amazing talent for making every kind of sauce and condiment under the sun - and is always coming up with new and tantalising creations (as well as creating all the classics that we know and love).

Manawatu is home to New Zealand's Best Country Hotel, an award bestowed by Hospitality Association of New Zealand. The Cheltenham Hotel is a local favorite for many with a warm and friendly atmosphere provided by husband and wife team, Pauline and Dave Scott.

For a true wilderness experience with daunting sheer cliffs and a powerful river pushing through a narrow gorge that guards the entrance to the nearby valley and farmland, Iron Gates Gorge is an excellent day walk.