Palmerston North has a population of approx. 75,000, is the seventh largest city in New Zealand and is the largest provincial city in the region.It's the home of the largest campuses of Massey University and the Universal College of Learning (UCOL) and also the International Pacific College (IPC), making Palmerston North a student oriented city currently home to around 18,000 students. It is also the home of the Linton Military Camp and has the RNZ Airforce Base, Ohakea, close by. The Adidas Institute of Rugby, based at Massey University focuses on improving the skills of the ''All Blacks'' the national rugby union team, though sightings of them there are rare. For some reason Palmerston North is the butt of many jokes throughout New Zealand - mainly associated with the perception that it is constantly windy! The 160 odd electricity generating windmills probably add to this perception. Palmerston North has great facilities, and offers an affordable lifestyle. It's a nice place to bring up kids. http://wikitravel.org/en/Palmerston North