Feilding to Palmerston North

Feilding to Bunnythorpe — 9km / 2-2.5 hours

• Continue along South St for 1.5km to Aorangi St /Waughs Rd (at the end of South St).
• Cross the road ahead and turn right onto Waughs Rd.
• Follow the shared footpath/cycleway for 1km. Cross the Oroua River bridge.
• Turn left at the next intersection. Cross the railway line then turn right (south) onto the Campbell Road footpath/cycleway.
• Follow Campbell Rd path for 4.5km with the railway line to your right. You will pass Taonui Aerodrome on your left.
• Where the main road crosses the railway line, hikers must also cross over and turn left onto the quieter Waughs Rd.
• Follow Waughs Rd south for 1km to its end, with the railway line to your left.
• Climb two stiles and continue along a track outside the fence line. Go through the small gate and keep to the right down to the Mangaone Stream crossing. Take care crossing in wet weather.
• Continue left up the other side. After about 150 metres cross the small Jacks Creek and continue along the track until you reach Kairanga/Bunnythorpe Road.
• Do not go straight ahead (it is a very busy highway between Bunnythorpe and Palmerston North), but turn left, cross the railway line and then turn right into the village of Bunnythorpe which has toilets and a dairy.

Bunnythorpe to Napier Rd, Palmerston North – 7.5km / 1.5 - 2 hours

The footpath through Bunnythorpe passes the old Glaxo factory. GlaxoSmithKline, one of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world, had its genesis here in Bunnythorpe in 1904.

• South of the village, turn right into Stoney Creek Road.
• After 150m, cross the stile on your right and follow the marked trail south, across paddocks, to the Clevely Line/Sangsters Rd intersection.
• Head south along Sangsters Rd, with the railway line to your right. At the end of the road, climb over the stile and follow the marked trail across farmland and along farm driveways until reaching the Roberts Line/Railway Rd intersection.
• Cross the railway line at Roberts Line, turn left onto Railway Rd and follow the shared path towards Palmerston North.
• Keep left at the roundabout, cross the bridge over the railway line and continue straight ahead through the traffic lights onto Vogel St.
  • There is a toilet available for public use in the branch library, 25m down Kipling St, at the start of the small Roslyn shopping centre.
• Continue along Vogel Street, on the left, for 1.5km.
• Take the sealed path down into the old cemetery. When inside the cemetery, turn left and follow one of the paths to the main gate. Exit onto Napier Rd.
• Cross Napier Road.
• For a short route into Te Marae o Hine (The Square) in the city centre, you can take a 104 or 114 bus at 100 Napier Rd opposite the cemetery.
• To continue on the trail, turn left (east)

Napier Road to Fitzherbert Ave Bridge – 7.5km / 1.5 hours

• After crossing the road from the cemetery exit, turn left (east) on Napier Rd and follow the footpath 500m to the start of the shared walkway beside the Gas Works Drain.
• Follow the shared path for 1.5km, from the Napier Road entrance down to the Manawatū River where it connects with the main Manawatū River shared path along the edge of the city.
• Turn right and follow the river path downstream for 5.5km until you reach the Fitzherbert Ave road bridge which crosses the Manawatū River.
• At the Fitzherbert Ave bridge, you can leave the trail and take a 2km diversion north into the city centre.