Palmerston North residents defend city
Palmerston North residents are defending their city after the crushing revelation it is pretty well the least sunny place in New Zealand.
The Manawatu city had a miserable 1645 hours of sun in 2016, the worst for any city or town around the country, according to Niwa.
Of 51 centres that recorded sunshine hours, Palmerston North came in second to last – narrowly beating Mt Cook, which was the lowest in the country.
Richmond topped the list with 2840 hours.
While Palmerston North may not be the sun capital of New Zealand, it has much else going for it, ts residents say.
City mayor Grant Smith acknowledged the weather was not always stunning.
‘‘Let’s be honest, it is pretty hard to defend the weather here.’’
Smith said the city made up for its lack of sun by being warmer overall than other parts of the country.
The city had it hottest year on record in 2016, with an average temperature of 14.4 degrees Celsius. That was better than nearby Wellington, 13.9C, Dannevirke, 13.6C and Levin 14.2C.
While other places had great beaches, Palmerston North had a great arts scene and hosted big events such as the upcoming Nitro Circus and NZ Speedway Champs, Smith said.
‘‘There are lots of events that fly under the radar.’’
When it came to gloomy weather, the city was well equipped with an array of indoor sports and shopping facilities, he said.
Palmerston North MP Iain Lees-galloway said it was a ‘‘fantastic place’’ to live and raise a family.
‘‘The reason I decided to stay in Palmerston North when I had the opportunity to leave was it is an affordable place to buy a first home, the schools are fantastic and there is plenty to do.’’
Lees-galloway said his family could spend the summer at the Te Manawa museum or walk the Manawatu Gorge.
Wet days were just a chance to do some cleaning inside, he said.
Horizons Regional councillor Rachel Keedwell said the city had great opportunities to get outdoors.
‘‘I love the walkways we have got, particularly the river walkway. It does not matter what the weather is doing, it is always different.’’
She highlighted the popular Palmy Rocks programme that encouraged children to explore the local outdoors.
The city was also easy to get around, she said.
‘‘You can go anywhere you want to go and there is no traffic.’’
The Standard spoke to local residents on the streets of Palmerston North and the mood was largely positive.
Belinda Small moved from Auckland and was pleased with the decision.
‘‘We moved back here. It’s way cheaper. You can do a lot more for your money.’’
Marilyn Grant said the city had parks, theatres and students, which gave it a nice diversity.
‘‘There is plenty of things for everybody.’’
Grant Christian said it was easy to get around and was close to mountains.
‘‘I like the outdoors and it is handy to all those things.’’