Family fun at Victoria Esplanade Gardens in Palmerston North

Sometimes the trip that took the least amount of planning are the ones that push through.  Like yesterday's trip to Palmerston North, which is a couple of hours' drive from Wellington.  We were informed of the trip just the day prior but by the afternoon 5 families have confirmed attendance.

It's great to see the nice countryside of New Zealand with the wide, open spaces with sheep and cows grazing about.  I wish I can occasionally stop and take photos along the way but we're part of a convoy and I was driving so my wife took charge of the 'photoshoot'.  We stopped by Shannon though.  Here are a couple of buildings that I found interesting.

Not everything in Shannon is cream-coloured (just a coincidence!).  There's lots of greenery.  It's a beautiful place.

We spent most of the day at Victoria Esplanade Gardens.  It is a huge park, with an expansive Rose Garden (I am impressed with the variety of roses in bloom!), children's playground, a miniature train ride, walking tracks, and more.  There was even a concert that weekend, and people were having a generally good time relaxing and listening to the music.

 at the Duck Pond

The Rose Garden

Train ride!  Popular with kids and grown-ups alike

Walking and cycling track by the river

The kids enjoyed this hamster wheel at the playground...

... and they found this contraption intriguing.  There is a duplicate of this a few metres away.  When you talk into the pipe at the centre of the dish, you can hear it clearly at the other end.  It's a very effective demonstration of how the satellite dish works.  There is a similar set-up at the Science Centrum in Manila which I had the pleasure to visit many years ago when I was still at Uni.

Here are some photos of the roses at the Rose Garden.  Truly magnificent.  We're so lucky to have seen the garden in bloom.  The Rose Garden at Baguio City can actually take some lessons regarding how a Rose Garden should be cultivated and designed!

I'm sure there are other attractions that the city can offer.  However, we were just on a day trip.  But the Victoria Esplanade Gardens itself can take a day to enjoy, so we are still happy and content that we were able to stay there.  Perhaps we can visit the other sights next time!

Here's a video from my son's YouTube Channel covering this memorable trip: