Palmy Rocks!

Where was I? I forgot the point that I was making.

I said, if I was smart that I would

save up for a piece of string

and a rock to wind the string around.

Everybody wants a rock

- They Might Be Giants

Palmerston North doesn't have the best reputation. When we first considered moving here, I scoured the various expat online forums to read reviews and get an idea of the place we would be living. To see what was being said about the place, you would think it was Mordor (which was how a friend of ours described Hamilton when we first told her we were thinking about moving to New Zealand).

Mordor

Even John Cleese has gotten in on the action, saying this about Palmerston North ...

"If you wish to kill yourself but lack the courage to,

I think a trip to Palmerston North will do the trick ...

... We had a thoroughly, bloody miserable time there

and we were so happy to get out."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for our new home.

Palmerston North doesn't have the big city energy of Auckland. It doesn't have the cool, hip vibe of Wellington. We don't have the subtropical weather of the Northland, the wild and rugged vistas of the Coromandel, the beautiful sand beaches and surfing found in Gisborne, nor the endless rolling hills and vineyards of Hastings or Martinborough. Let's not even talk about comparisons to the South Island.  

                                           

  

North Island views

Online reviews and comments generally say, and I have to agree, that Palmy doesn't offer much to attract tourists and adventurers into our city limits. This is a small city, a college town, without a whole lot of excitement going on. One of the reviewers noted that "the town seems to roll up its  sidewalks early." Translation - things shut down around here by 4-5 pm and there isn't much of a night life.

I'm doing a great job of convincing you to come visit us here in Palmy, aren't I?

One reviewer unfavorably labeled Palmy "the most American city in New Zealand", citing its "gloriously" wide roadways, broad footpaths (sidewalks), and its saturation of fast-food restaurants. Interestingly, it reminds me of another small city where we once lived. When I first told Kari that I wanted to move to Iowa City, her reaction was likely what some of you are thinking right now. IC ended up being one of the best places we ever lived and one of the hardest places to leave. Small enough to be manageable and navigable, but large enough to have most of what large cities offer and made to feel larger because of the influence of a major international presence at the University of Iowa. Palmy has all of those same advantages.

Palmy is an absolutely awesome environment in which to walk or ride your bicycle to work or the shops, and to raise a family. Those "gloriously wide" roads include 65 km (40 mi) of on-road, urban bike paths and an additional 10 km (6 mi) along the river. Just about every weekend, there is a Farmer's Market, a festival, or some kind of outdoor event within easy walking/cycling distance. Every Saturday, the local library has some kind of interactive activity "for kids of all ages". One week, Little H created her own "mini Jurassic Park" and the following week there was papier-mache. This week, she decorated/baked cookies and made a Mardi-Gras style mask at the local craft store. All of these activities have been free!  

    

River Time                                                                            Mini Jurassic Park                                                                  She's Crafty 

We are an easy two hour drive to Wellington, an hour to Hastings and Martinborough (the North Island "Napa Valley"), and only 40 minutes to the beach. In a few weeks, we are going to the local sailing club day to have a go at wind-power. Within easy reach of us is some of the most majestic hiking and tramping in the world. While Palmy itself is not very picturesque, it doesn't take long to get into pristine forest or to find a trailhead leading to mountain ridges.

There are 107 parks, reserves and playgrounds in and around Palmy. One of the local moms, in an attempt to get her kids out of the house, started painting and hiding rocks in the local parks then having her kids go search for them. What started out as a mom trying to drag her kids away from the lure of screen time has become an international movement ... Palmerston Rocks! We have eagerly jumped on the bandwagon and Little H spends a lot of time painting, hiding, and searching for rocks. It has been awesome to see the rocks she painted when they are found by others and posted for all to see.

    

   

Not exactly Pokémon Go, but way more creative and interactive ... and no chance of walking into traffic or falling off a cliff.

Tonight, we drove to our neighbouring town of Feilding where we caught a traveling drive-in movie. Last night they showed a Kiwi cult classic. Tonight we saw Dirty Dancing. On Monday (Hallowe'en) they are showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

   

We can get so easily dissuaded by what someone else might think, particularly in this day and age of social media. While opinions and reviews can be a valuable tool, I am glad that this time we chose to ignore the opinions of others. So far, Palmerston North has managed to exceed our expectations. Here's to another 11 months full of pleasant surprises.

Party on, Wayne ...