Dave Mollard ponders where he should take a first-time visitor to Palmerston North

Tōtara Reserve provides a place to contemplate our smallness compared to the glory of our environment, writes Dave Mollard. Photo / Horizons Regional Council

OPINION

My oldest child is hosting a university friend at our home this weekend. The friend has not been to Palmy before so we’ve chatted about what sights to show him.

God created Aotearoa last of all the world’s lands and they had a whole bunch of the best jigsaw pieces left over in their bag from being miserly with the whole of the Australian outback, Kansas, Oklahoma and Siberia.

In their wisdom, God tipped the bulging bag of beautiful jigsaw pieces upside down over our motu and the pieces crashed and bashed about and landed all over the place with large piles in places that would later be called Queenstown, Westport, Kaikōura, Mount Maunganui and just about everywhere except the Manawatū plains. The bits we got were the subtle pieces, the hard ones to define, but still full of beauty, just not the obvious beauty of Aorangi, Lake Taupō or Kaiteriteri Beach.

Most of us who live here acknowledge our visitors don’t come for the scenery but for events, education, connections and Kmart. But we also have to recognise that many leave pleasantly surprised with what we have been blessed with. It took more than a century but our city finally acknowledges that our river is our best natural asset. The way our walkways engage and embrace the awa is beautiful, full of twists, turns, flora and the odd bit of fauna.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to work at Mount Cleese, formerly known as the tip or the dump. Wow, what an outstanding 360-degree view of our ranges, waterways, the racecourse and our city. Those rats and seagulls probably don’t appreciate what they have.

Our family always jokes about the miniature train in the Esplanade being Palmy’s only sight. Visitors can enter the ngahere (bush) sitting on top of a carriage as the clickety clacks of the wheels remind them of another age, all for the tiny sum of $2.50. Of course, the rest of the Esplanade is also stunning and worth a few hours as well. In the Lido, we have the best waterpark west of Hastings and south of Taupō, the perfect place to enjoy El Nino and climate change.

Moving beyond our city, the Te Āpiti loop, Tōtara Reserve and the Ruahine Range all provide a place to contemplate our smallness compared to the glory of our environment. For those less mobile, a loop drive over Saddle Rd to the Pahīatua Track provides breathtaking views from Ruapehu down to Kāpiti.

We don’t have the most beautiful region in our motu, but that is a mixed blessing as we get to share our lovely spaces with the people we love rather than regiments of invading tourists.

Dave Mollard is a Palmerston North community worker and social commentator.