Palmerston North: A Rainy Day Capture

i got off the train at palmerston north with my camera bag feeling like a ton of bricks, and the air hit me like a damp cloth. the sky was this flat, metallic gray when i stepped off, and the wind - don't even get me started - it was slamming into me like an old friend who's too enthusiastic. i checked the weather on my phone: 11.53°C, humidity 95%, feels like 11.22, temp min 8.76, max 11.53. basically, it's cool, it's soggy, and my lens cap keeps fogging. just pulled up the weather app and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. i was even digging into the raw api because i'm a nerd that way: city code 2181258, timestamp 1554138183, which translates to april 1, 2019 02:03 utc - so by our time that's a murky afternoon. perfect for dramatic shots, right? if you need to orient yourself, here's the map i keep referencing:

. that little red pin? that's the square. you can't miss it; it's the only flat piece of concrete in this whole windy city. i started wandering the central city, where the streets are laid out in that typical new zealand grid but with an extra dose of wind tunnels. the square is a top attraction for people-watching (check out the TripAdvisor's top things to do in Palmerston North reviews). it's surrounded by these art deco buildings that look like they've been through a few too many gales. i set my camera to aperture priority, f/2.8, and just started snapping everything: the lone fisherman on the riverwalk, the seagulls fighting over crumbs, the university students huddled under hoodies. i even captured a guy juggling three mugs of coffee outside the local cafe - he was probably trying to stay warm. the light was flat but the clouds had this texture; i boosted the contrast in-camera to make the grays pop. speaking of coffee, i ducked into the famous brown olive cafe after seeing a line out the door. their flat white is the kind that makes you forget the humidity. according to yelp, they've got a 4.5 out of 5 from 200 reviews (Brown Olive Cafe on Yelp), but i heard from a local that the owner once refused to serve a tourist because he was wearing socks with sandals. that's the kind of town this is - no nonsense, but warm if you respect the vibe. i ordered the avocado toast and a double espresso, and set up my laptop to sort through the morning's shots. while i was there, i overheard two old timers arguing about whether the te manawa museum's basement really houses a 1970s time capsule. one swore his cousin buried a polaroid of the 1975 all blacks under the exhibition hall. never found it, but i did get a neat reflection off the museum's polished concrete lobby.

after fueling up, i headed to the manawatu river. the river was running high and brown after recent rain, cutting through the esplanade park. i walked along the esplanade, where families were feeding ducks despite the drizzle. the interaction of the weeping willows and the water was pure composition gold. i set my tripod low to get those leading lines. i shot for about an hour before the light started fading into that milky twilight that palmerston north does so well. the city lights began to flicker on, and a lone cyclist rode past, his bike lamp a tiny red dot moving against the gray. i love that the city doesn't need golden hour - it has its own moody palette.

i spent the evening exploring the more residential streets near the university. the place is crawling with students, which means cheap eats and a buzzing nightlife, albeit subdued on weeknights. i stumbled upon a tiny bookstore that also served as a vinyl shop. the owner, a woman with henna tattoos, told me that palmerston north gets a bad rap from aucklanders as boring, but she reckons that's because they've never stayed long enough to feel the rhythm. "it's not flashy, it's real," she said. i couldn't agree more. i checked out some of the local photography community boards - there's a group called manawatu snappers that meets every thursday. i might swing by next time. if you're into street photography, the square on market days (saturdays) is a goldmine.

one thing i've learned about palmerston north is its location. if you get bored, wellington's just a two-hour drive south, and you can lose yourself in the cable cars and the museum of new zealand te papa tongarewa. auckland's a longer haul, but the drive through the manawatu gorge is an experience in itself, especially if you time it with sunrise. and if you need a coastal fix, napier's art deco architecture is only an hour east. the connectivity is surprisingly good, which is why many digital nomads pass through. there's a co-working space called the green room that gets decent reviews on google (check it out if you need wifi that doesn't suck). honestly, i came here expecting a sleepy town, but i left with a memory card full of moody shots and a new appreciation for places that don't try too hard. the people are straightforward, the weather is a character in itself, and the light, despite the clouds, has a softness that makes colors feel deeper. i'd recommend bringing a rain cover for your camera, a warm jacket, and maybe a pair of those grip shoes for the wind. also, if you can, catch the sunrise over the manawatu river - i heard a rumor that the birdsong at dawn is like nothing else, but i was too asleep. maybe next time. if you want to see more of my palmerston north series, i've posted a few selects on my flickr (link to my gallery) and i'll be updating my instagram with #pNorth. also, for a deep dive into the history of the area, the Manawatu Standard archives have some great stories. for real-time chatter, check the local subreddit r/palmerstonnorth - it's a mix of students, long-timers, and the occasional confused tourist. that's it for now. i'm heading to wellington tomorrow, but i'll miss the way the wind makes the trees whisper here. maybe the weather's nicer there, maybe not. either way, i'll have my camera ready.

Palmerston North: A Rainy Day Capture

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About the author: Oscar Finch

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