Palmerston North

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Palmerston North covers an area of 32,594 hectares, and is in the geographical centre of New Zealand. One million people live within a two hour (200km) radius. The city is situated about 140 km north of the capital, Wellington, in the eastern part of the Manawatu Plains, and close to the northern bank of the Manawatu River. It is 35 km from the river's mouth and 12 km from the end of the Manawatu Gorge.

The official limits of the city also take in rural areas to the south and northeast of the main urban area, extending to the Tararua Ranges and including the town of Ashhurst at the mouth of the Manawatu Gorge. This is a rich and fertile agricultural area. The city as a whole covers some 350 km