Palmerston North - any opinions?

[wedgepilot]

As a few of you know, I'm moving out to New Zealand in a couple of months. The location is still not definite, but Palmerston North has become an option. Does anyone have any opinions on it, or lived there, or even just driven through it?

It seems remote, but house prices are much lower than elsewhere - is there a reason behind this?

Just to keep it car related, are there any good motorsport venues in the area?

[Izza]

Manfield Race Track is a 15min drive(?).
Must be about the only thing going for Palmy (Palmerston North)

I havent been there much, but it's always grey.
Should suit you down to the ground then!

>> Edited by Izza on Friday 29th October 01:00

[htsd]

You've answered your own questions there pretty well.

Its cheap because pretty much the main population are students or beneficiaries from what I can tell. Its small, basically a former agricultural town I think, in the middle of nowhere. Its kind of nice in its own way but I think I would be pulling my fingernails out for entertainment within a few days. Crime stats arent too flash either I would think.

Bad for: Kids, businessmen, people who have a hard time making their own fun basically. Don't do it to yourself lol

[Esprit]

Palmy is VERY average.... I lived there for a year at university and couldn't really stomach it.

Climate.... bad... basically one of the not so nice places to live in NZ, gloomy most of the time, windy ALL the time (not as windy as wellington, but probably windy more often).

Motorsport: Good... manfield is close by and it's a cracking little track.

Crime: Probably more here than is average for NZ... there are good areas, but there are lots of bad areas too.

Topography: Pretty Flat

Industry: Mainly a central city to service the surrounding agricultural area and a student-centre due to Massey University on outskirts (it's very much a student town)

IMHO one of the worst places I've lived in NZ and you'd need to be threatening to amputate my genitalia to get me to live back there again.... not so much bad, just bland as hell and there's plenty of better places to live.

Best parts about palmy is that it's central... Hawkes Bay, Taupo, Wellington and Taranaki are each about 2-hours drive in any direction.... but on the whole I'd not live there.

Housing might be cheaper there, but conversely will never be worth as much as other more geographically popular areas.

[darren]

wedgepilot said:

Does anyone have any opinions on it, or lived there, or even just driven through it?

The only reason to stop in Palmy is if you're desperate for a Gypsey's Kiss on the way to Auckland.

If you really like the smaller town feel, Napier might suit you more - it's sunny and there's heaps to do. Nearest racetrack is Taupo, about 90 minutes away. My parents live there and love it (I'm originally from the UK).

Also, if you're moving out here in 2 months you're going to be coming into a high-demand season for houses, being the summer. Might pay to wait until May/June before you buy as a) less people buy in winter (therefore you can negotiate a better deal) and b) there's a possibility the interest rates might go up again, forcing pressure on home-owners (again, in your favour for negotiation). You could rent a few places and see where you like.

>> Edited by darren on Friday 29th October 06:51

[Esprit]

I concur with Darren.... Napier is the go.... I was raised in Havelock North, a small town of about 12,000 people (now), about 25km from Napier. Napier has about 60,000 people. The interesting thing about the Napier area is that there is another city of approximately the same size (Hastings) about 22km away (closer together than neighbouring suburbs in some big cities. It's got that smallish-town feel about it but comibined, their population is big enough to mean there's enough entertainment and things to do. Climate is thousands of times better, probably a more varied career opportunity and probably a nicer place to raise kids. Housing is cheaper in Hastings than Napier (generally) as it's not as choice a position but is only a stonesthrow away..... as for property in general I'd rent for a year or two to find your feet.... with what's coming in the next year or so, it's not going to be a good time to get into the property market in the immediate future.

[nztrev]

I can't believe some you guys slagging of Palmy like that.

































But why on earth would you wan't to live in that hole for.

[Esprit]

LOL nztrev .... it's not so much that it's BAD... just that it's ....... er...... not good. It's about as bland as air-flavoured water.

[htsd]

Another quirk about Palmerston north/Fielding- you actually do have to be careful which side of the Railway tracks you live on because its actually a divider in a social sense. Crazy eh? IIRC the western side is ok and the eastern the 'bad side of town'.

Or maybe someone was telling me porkies

[wedgepilot]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I think I'll give Palmy a miss in that case. It was a choice between there and Wellington, so Wellington it is!

Cheers!

[simonsparrow]

Wellington is great (well, thats where my house is - I'm in the UK). Its about 1.5 hours to Manfeild (yes the spelling of that is correct)

Lots of bars/cafes/restaraunts etc. tin Wellington. Weather can be a little iffy at times, but then you don't have to put up with (too many) flash Aucklanders and their conspicious consumption lifestlyes!

(I was born in AK...)

[speedy_thrills]

wedgepilot said:

As a few of you know, I'm moving out to New Zealand in a couple of months. The location is still not definite, but Palmerston North has become an option. Does anyone have any opinions on it, or lived there, or even just driven through it? It seems remote, but house prices are much lower than elsewhere - is there a reason behind this? Just to keep it car related, are there any good motorsport venues in the area?

Right I’m going to stick my neck out here, I quite like Palmerston North, In fact I like it a lot! Sure its not got the bright flashing lights to Wellington () or as many Pak’N’Saves as Auckland but the surrounding countryside is beautiful and I really love the nightlife. It’s quiet and peaceful and I think I could spend many afternoons drinking a nice cool glass of coke watching the turbines spinning on top of the Tarerua ranges.

[nztrev]

speedy_thrills said:

I could spend many afternoons snorting coke watching the turbines spinning on top of the Tarerua ranges.

Cool

[kylie]

[speedy_thrills]

nztrev said:

speedy_thrills said: I could spend many afternoons snorting coke watching the turbines spinning on top of the Tarerua ranges. Cool

Very funny but not so clever, if you had read the thread you would know its to windy in Palmerston North to snort coke. Besides ingestion of liquid should be done through the mouth, though maybe you do things differently up North.