Palmerston North is a city that offers a mix of urban vibes and nearby natural beauty. With art galleries, museums, and cool street art, it's a great spot to explore before hitting the half way point of the TA and heading out into the nearby Tararua Range.

Palmerston North offers a range of major supermarkets and resupply options to get everything you need before continuing south onto forest trails.

Note: there are very limited options to resupply after Palmerston North before finishing the Tararua Range so make sure you have everything you need and are prepared to wait out extra days in the range if you encounter bad weather.