Feilding: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Feilding is a farming town, and it has never pretended otherwise: the livestock saleyards sit a block from the main square. Everything in the centre fits in an easy walk, laid out in a planned grid around Manchester Square. Come on a Friday if you can, when the farmers market fills the square and the sale is on behind it. An hour and a half on flat streets, with coffee stops all the way.
A short history of Feilding
Feilding was founded in 1874 by a British company that settled immigrants, and was named after Colonel William Feilding, one of its directors. It was laid out around two squares on the pattern of an English town, and grew as the centre of the cattle and sheep market of the Manawatū region. It is still a small farming town, and its livestock market is held every week.
The ten best sights in Feilding
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1Coach House Museum
Horse-drawn carriages and old farm machinery — the farming story of the district
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2Feilding Saleyards
Friday is sale day; ask at the information centre about seeing the auctions
3Te Manawa MuseumArt, local history and hands-on science under one roof in Palmerston North
4New Zealand Rugby MuseumThe national rugby museum, next door to Te Manawa; an hour even for non-fans
5Manchester SquarePark once by the clock tower; the cafés and pubs are all around the square
6Kowhai ParkBig playground and shady lawns on the edge of town
7Makino Aquatic CentreIndoor pools, the answer to a wet afternoon
8Manfeild Circuit Chris AmonMotor-racing track at the edge of town; check the events calendar
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9Mount Lees Reserve
Native bush and old gardens west of town; short, easy walks
10Te Āpiti / Manawatū GorgeWalk the gorge track through the range; about 3-4 hours one way
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Feilding →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Feilding:
Free walking tours in Feilding
The square and the saleyards
Feilding is a farming town, and it has never pretended otherwise: the livestock saleyards sit a block from the main square. Everything in the centre fits in an easy walk, laid out in a planned grid around Manchester Square. Come on a Friday if you can, when the farmers market fills the square and the sale is on behind it. An hour and a half on flat streets, with coffee stops all the way.
- Manchester Square · In 1871 an English emigration company bought a large block of land here and named it the Manchester Block, after its chairman, the Duke of Manchester. The town took the name of Colonel William Feilding, who arranged the purchase, and the first settlers arrived in 1874.
- Feilding Information Centre · Feilding has won the title of New Zealand's most beautiful town many times in the national Keep New Zealand Beautiful awards, and the town keeps the hanging baskets and flower beds to prove it. The centre is the place to ask about the saleyard visits.
- Feilding Saleyards · The yards are among the biggest in the country, and on sale day thousands of sheep and cattle change hands by auction. Watching from the walkways you hear the auctioneers' fast patter, a skill that is learned over years.
- Feilding Public Library · The library stands on Stafford Street, a few steps from the square. A quiet stop with free wifi between the square and the pool, and a local-history shelf on the Manchester Block settlers.
- Coach House Museum · Before the railway reached the town, people and goods came in by horse and cart along muddy bush roads. The museum keeps that age alive with carriages, buggies and the farm machinery that replaced the horses.
- Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon · The circuit carries the name of Chris Amon, the Formula One driver who grew up in Bulls, 15 km west. He led many Grand Prix races but never won one, and is still remembered as one of the unluckiest great drivers in the sport.
Palmerston North on a rainy day
Palmerston North, twenty minutes south, is the city Feilding drives to for everything it lacks. Its centre is a big green square, and the museums stand right beside it. The route mixes indoor stops with the riverside park, so it works whatever the weather. Half a day, mostly on foot once the car is parked near the square.
- The Square, Palmerston North · The city was named after the British prime minister Lord Palmerston. The word North was added to tell it apart from Palmerston in Otago, in the South Island.
- Te Manawa Museum · Te Manawa means the heart in Māori. The museum joins art, history and science in one building, and the history galleries tell the story of the Rangitāne people of the Manawatū.
- New Zealand Rugby Museum · Rugby was first played in New Zealand in 1870 in Nelson, and within a generation it had become the national game. The museum follows that story from the first clubs to the All Blacks' world cups.
- Victoria Esplanade · The park runs along the Manawatū River on the city's south side, with rose gardens, an aviary and a large playground. On a dry hour it is the best place to let children run.
- Esplanade Scenic Railway · A miniature railway loops through the park, run by volunteers on weekends and holidays. Children ride on open cars behind small locomotives.
- Makino Aquatic Centre · Back in Feilding, the town pool is indoors and heated. It is the easy end to a wet day before dinner on the square.
The gorge, the wind and the forest
The Manawatū plains end abruptly at the Ruahine and Tararua ranges, and the river cuts straight through the gap between them. This drive goes out west to the coast towns first, then swings east to the gorge, the wind turbines and the old forest of the Pohangina valley. It is a full day by car with short walks; boots for the gorge track. The roads are quiet country roads, with stock trucks on weekdays.
- Bulls · Bulls was named after James Bull, an early storekeeper, and the town has turned the name into a running joke. Signs around town read 'Const-a-bull' at the police station and 'Cure-a-bull' at the medical centre.
- Mount Lees Reserve · A small reserve of native bush and old exotic trees on a hill above the plains. The paths are short loops, a good leg-stretch on the way back east.
- Ashhurst Domain · The domain sits where the Pohangina River joins the Manawatū, at the mouth of the gorge. It has picnic lawns and a campground, and is the usual start for the gorge walks.
- Te Āpiti / Manawatū Gorge · The Manawatū River rises east of the main ranges and flows west straight through them, which few rivers anywhere do. The old highway through the gorge was closed by landslides in 2017, and now the gorge belongs to walkers.
- Te Āpiti Wind Farm Lookout · The wind that funnels through the gap in the ranges is strong and steady, and that is why the turbines were put here, on farmland where sheep still graze between the towers. From the lookout you can see the gorge below.
- Tōtara Reserve · The reserve keeps a stand of old tōtara and other podocarp trees that once covered the whole valley before it was cleared for farming. The Pohangina River runs past, with swimming spots in summer.
Getting to Feilding and getting around
- Palmerston North Airport · Domestic flights, about 20 minutes south-east of town — the nearest airport
- Manchester Square bus stop · Regional buses run from the square into Palmerston North; check times, evenings are thin
- Palmerston North InterCity terminal · Long-distance coaches north and south stop on the city square
Cheap eats in Feilding
Manawatū is sheep and dairy country, and the food in town is plain and generous: pies from the bakery, a toasted sandwich and a flat white, or fish and chips wrapped in paper. Bakeries open early for farmers and close by mid-afternoon. A café lunch costs about the same as in Israel, and a bakery lunch much less.
- Beresford Bakery · Pies and sausage rolls on the square, a pie about NZ$5-7
- Rosebowl Bakery · Pies, filled rolls and cakes, about NZ$4-8
- Buttercup Cafe · Coffee and a cabinet of sandwiches and slices, about NZ$6-15
- Robert Harris Cafe · Chain café on the square, coffee about NZ$5-6, brunch NZ$18-25
- Drovers Return · Café by day, pub by night; lunch about NZ$20-28
- Noodle Canteen · Quick noodle boxes on Manchester Street, about NZ$12-16
Museums in Feilding
- Coach House Museum · Carriages, farm machinery and old shop fronts; about an hour
- Te Manawa Museum · Art, history and science in Palmerston North; half a day with children
- New Zealand Rugby Museum · Next to Te Manawa; the story of the national game
- De Molen, Foxton · Climb inside a working windmill; Dutch shop downstairs
- Feilding Saleyards · A living farm institution; Fridays only
Nature and day trips near Feilding
- Te Āpiti / Manawatū Gorge · Forest track through the range, with river views; plan transport back
- Tōtara Reserve · Old forest walks and swimming in the Pohangina River
- Mount Lees Reserve · Short bush loops and a picnic lawn
- Ashhurst Domain · Riverside lawns at the mouth of the gorge
- Te Āpiti Wind Farm Lookout · Turbines overhead and the gorge below
Things to do in Feilding with kids
- Kowhai Park · Big playground in town, free
- Makino Aquatic Centre · Indoor heated pools for a wet day
- Esplanade Scenic Railway · Miniature train rides on weekends and holidays
- Owlcatraz · Owls, native birds and farm animals near Shannon
- Victoria Esplanade · Playgrounds, aviary and gardens
Where to eat in Feilding
- Feilding Hotel · Pub meals on the square, steak and lamb, about NZ$25-35
- Murray's Irish Public House · Irish pub with hearty meals and beer on tap
- The Strongroom · Sit-down dinner on Fergusson Street; book on weekends
- Saigon Restaurant & Bar · Vietnamese dishes, pho and rice plates
- Mirchi's · Indian curries, a good change from pub food
- Empire Tavern · Local tavern with pub meals
Frequently asked questions about Feilding
What is there to see in Feilding?
The top sights in Feilding are Coach House Museum, Feilding Saleyards and Te Manawa Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Feilding?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Feilding without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Feilding?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Feilding, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The square and the saleyards.
How do you get to Feilding and get around?
The main ways are Palmerston North Airport, Manchester Square bus stop and Palmerston North InterCity terminal. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Feilding, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Feilding that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Feilding for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.