Hokowhitu Lagoon is a waterside park at 24 Centennial Drive in the Hokowhitu suburb of Palmerston North, and it holds a 4.5 rating from 339 reviews. A good lagoon park does a few simple things well: flat, even paths that suit prams, wheelchairs and unhurried walkers, planting that shelters the water and its birdlife, and seating placed where the view is worth stopping for. Riverside lagoons usually form part of a wider walkway network, so it is worth checking where the paths connect before setting out — along a river corridor, a short loop can easily become a much longer stroll. Early morning tends to bring the calmest water and the most bird activity, and around waterfowl it pays to keep dogs on leads and toddlers within reach. Tucked beside the Manawatū River at Hokowhitu, this lagoon gives Palmerston North a calm patch of water, birdlife and easy walking minutes from the city centre.