Monday, August 11th 2003 – Day 174
I was up at 8.00am to have a shower and catch the 9.15am bus to Palmerstown North. there was a 8.00am bus but I was too lazy for tat as its a 20 minute walk to the station. I bought a ticket for the 3 hour journey for 20 AUS. It was raining when i left Napier but dry when i got to Palmerstown North.
The station was about a 15 minute walk from my chosen hostel called Pepper Tree YHA (121 Grey Street) whose email is peppertreehostel@clear.net.nz . Anyway i paid my 18 AUS plus 2 AUS for a duvet and headed down town for lunch. I ate and subway.
The New Zealand Rugby Museum was open at 1.30pm. Its about a 12 minute walk. I styaed there nearly two hours. its good if your interested in the game and when a National team like the All balcks you need to take an interest as its the most important subject of conversation. It went through the game itself and all the tours to Europe including the Irish matches. It even had a portrait of Tony O Reilly. A world-class sportsman, Dr. O’Reilly played rugby for Ireland 29 times and for the British and Irish “Lions” team 10 times. He is a member of the Test Series winning British Lions Tour of South Africa in 1955 and of the Tour of New Zealand and Australia in 1959, where he established scoring records on both tours that have remained unbroken. An article about fameous rugny players here which includes –
Richard Harris: He also portrayed a rugger in “This Sporting Life.” Rugby magazine columnist Buzz McClain interviewed him once on another subject, but when rugby was introduced Harris perked up. He apparently still has a healthy interest in the sport. According to Peter Fitzsimons, 40 years ago he was a contender for the Irish national rugby team until he contracted tuberculosis. He said this to British journalist Peter Jackson, about his various acting awards: “Do you know what? I’d give it all up tomorrow, the whole lot, for one Irish cap. Just one. There is hardly a day that passes that I don’t think of what it would be like to run out on to Landsdowne Road as one of the Irish team.” (Click here for an eloquent rugby article written by Harris.)
If you are in to rugby please send your ties and club pins to the museum. They will be proudly displayed. Tell them Michael from MUNSTER, Ireland (its on there visitor book for the 11th of August) told you to:
New Zealand Rugby Museum
87 Cuba Street
PO Box 36, Palmerston North
NEW ZEALAND.
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Palmerston North – New Zealand – Rugby Museum. Picture with Murdock creating the Super 12 Competition and adding professionalism. Lots of features in the pictures including sponsors and Mc Donalds Arches under the tanble. laments the passing of the ameteur game. (11-08-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Palmerston North – New Zealand – Rugby Museum (11-08-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Palmerston North – New Zealand – Rugby Museum. Tony O Reilly from a portait painted in NZ. (11-08-2003)
After that at around 3.30pm, I went to the Te Manawa Museum which is the state museum here. It was pretty good on the local city. I syed until 5.00pm when it closed.
Situated on the banks of the Manawatu River nestled at the foot of the impressive Tararua Mountain Range, a growing city of 75,000, Palmerston North is unique. The subdivision of Palmerston North began in 1866, with the most important stimulus to the growth of the town being the development of pastoral farming. As early European settlers cleared the native forest with axe and fire, a new vegetation of grasses and clovers provided the basis for cattle and sheep farming. The city has been able to maintain a complementary relationship between the modern conveniences and technology of big city life, and the quality and ease of small town lifestyle, offering visitors and residents alike ‘the best of both worlds’.
Palmerston North is a vibrant youthful city with the active student population, nearby Linton Military Camp, and several knowledge organisations. Since 1930 the establishment of Educational and New Research Institutes has broadened the City’s economic base. The city hosts an impressive range of educational institutions. Local primary and secondary schools have a proud tradition of academic, sporting and cultural achievement. The home campus of Massey university provides an enormous number of courses and supports research in many fields. UCOL is the leading regional polytechnic in New Zealand. Other institutions such as International Pacific College and Te Wananga O Aotearoa also welcome students from around the region and around the world.
The population of Palmerston North is estimated to be 75,000.
Palmerston North is New Zealand’s sixth largest city.
Population of the Manawatu-Wanganui Region was 220,089 at the 2001 Census.
Over two-thirds of New Zealand’s population live within 400km of Palmerston North city.
More information can be found here.
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Palmerston North – New Zealand – Te Manawa Museum (11-08-2003)