Palmerston North is increasingly popular with Kiwis from main centres who are leaving the big smoke behind, for a new life in the provinces.
Set against a backdrop of lush, green countryside and soaring mountains, , Palmerston North, the urban hub of Manawatū, has been somewhat unfairly described as ‘boring’ in the past, but that label certainly doesn’t apply today.
It’s a vibrant community, with a strong sense of history and heritage and ‘Palmy’ - as locals refer to itaffectionately - is now making its mark in the 21st century with a lively arts scene, regular cultural events and a commitment to quality education – both in schools and in tertiary institutions – including world-famous, Massey University. It’s also a highly regarded business hub, home to the headquarters of well-known and respected national and international companies.
The city centre is bustling, with busy shops and eateries and the latter have especially impressed Hao Peng, who moved south to the city with his wife Jun and small daughter Karen, (4), earlier this year.
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“There aren’t many Chinese restaurants in Palmy but the quality of the food at all of them is incredibly high – we really couldn’t believe it!”
Hao, Jun and Karen had been living in Auckland in a two-bedroom unit with a courtyard, and during the 2020 and 2021 Covid lockdowns, which brought plenty of time for contemplation, they realised that the property really wasn’t big enough, and they simply weren’t getting ahead.
“We drew up a list of cities in the provinces, where we felt we could afford a better home,” he says. “It included Hamilton, Nelson and Dunedin – along with Palmerston North, and when I was lucky enough to get a job offer here –Palmy won.”
He adds that Palmy had already ticked almost all the boxes on their list, which along with housing, includededucation, environment, and climate.
The couple’s good fortune continued to hold as they quickly found their new dream home – previously owned by a pensioner who was going into a retirement facility.
“It’s on a 400sqm site - which is not too big, and not too small, and the house has three bedrooms – plus it was recently renovated, so all we had to do was pack up and move in.
Jun is a professional violinist and when she and Karen travelled south earlier this year to join Hao, who’d been commuting from Auckland following the end of last year’s lockdown, she was concerned that she mightn’t find an outlet for her talent and skills. Luckily that wasn’t the case.
“There isn’t a professional orchestra here in Palmy, but she’s already done two concerts with the local music society, and someone there put her in touch with Saturday morning music classes, so now she’steaching violin to primary and intermediate students and making lots of friends,” says Hao. “She is very pleased with the way things are going.”
Jun is also studying at Massey University to update her general teaching qualifications, in order to advance a career in education.
“Everybody we’ve met here, has been so lovely and welcoming and that makes us really sure that we’ve made the right decision,” Hao says.
“As well as exploring all the local playgrounds with our daughter, who’s already joined a very junior football team, one of our favourite things to do is going to the farmers market on Saturdays, as it’s just around the corner from our home and Karen loves practising her Cantonese there!”
Hao and his family are about to experience their first full summer in Palmy - eagerly planning to explore the many natural attractions that are right on their doorstep, including the Tararua and Ruahine Ranges and Te Apiti (Manawatū Gorge).
Palmerston North City Council is mindful that new residents arriving in the province - as families, older downsizers, or as investors, are looking for quality housing amidst an ongoing shortage in supply. As a result, the council is developing land it already owns as a subdivision at Tamakuku Terrace, on the edge of popular Whakarongo, east of the city centre.
This new community has been carefully planned and is situated within easy reach of schools, shops and a supermarket, as well as enjoying access to public transport.
Stage one of Tamakuku Terrace is already attracting significant interest and many of the initial 79 sectionshave been eagerly snapped up already. Section sizes range from a compact 290sqm, to an exceptionally family-friendly 810sqm, and the developers emphasise that time is of the essence when it comes to securing one of the remaining sites.
Purchasers can make their own arrangements for building a home or they can call on the skills of buildpartners Jennian Homes and Japac Homes in order to reduce stress and take advantage of these well-established companies’ expertise and industry contacts.
Visit www.tamakukuterrace.co.nz for more information.
