Upper Turitea Green Corridor is a bush walking track off Ngahere Park Road in Turitea, Palmerston North, rated 4.6 from 18 Google reviews. Walkers call it a relatively easy wander with lots of different views and plenty to please a dog, though not one for prams.
Green-corridor tracks like this are worth matching to your group: uneven ground, roots, steep stairs and narrow bridges are common, so sturdy shoes and toddlers on foot work far better than pushchairs. Parking at small entrance points is often informal — a grass verge or roadside spot — so arriving early helps. Dogs are welcome on many such tracks, but leash rules vary and are worth checking at the entrance.
For a quiet, dog-friendly stretch of bush close to Palmerston North, this well-reviewed Turitea track is a handy local escape.