The Republic of Whangamomona: Forgotten World Highway

New Zealand has beautiful landscapes, breathtaking mountains, and quirky neighbourhoods. The beauty and remoteness of its nature lend it a perfect spot to shoot fantasy movies. Think Narnia, the Lord of the Rings, its prequel the Hobbit, and the recent Disney Mulan adaptation. Some tour agencies promote itineraries in New Zealand around movie themes. The Republic of Whangamomona is a place befitting its own movie.

Situated on Highway 43, aka The Forgotten World Highway, Whangamomona was one of the highlights of my memorable highways in New Zealand.

My partner and I were wrapping up our month-long travels around the North Island. For the past month, we covered Northland on a rented campervan, dived at the Poor Knights Islands, hiked the volcanic region of Tongariro, canoed down a part of Whanganui River, reached the summit of Taranaki, and abseiled and spelunked in Waitomo Caves. In between all those adventures, we also cruised through one of the most scenic and worst roads in New Zealand.

Where is Whangamomona?

The 155 km-long highway meanders through an isolated part of New Zealand.

The Highway starts from the small town of Taumarunui, where the roads curve and twist by the river. Make sure your tank is full to fully enjoy the highway as petrol stations were next to none when we were there. The Highway ends at the old and rustic Shakespearean town of Stratford, which lies on the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki. Along the way, the road passes through four mountain saddles, a 180 m-long single-lane tunnel, and a gorge.

We dedicated a day to touring it – leaving the town of Ohakune, where we stayed after our multi-day canoe trip, in the morning, and reaching New Plymouth, for Taranaki the next day, by late evening.

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Why is it Forgotten?

Highway 43 is New Zealand’s oldest touring route and took over 50 years to build. 

I often wonder why it is called The Forgotten World Highway but could not identify a good source to answer the question. The closest clue I could find was from this site which says it was once a colonial bridle path, aka a path for horses. The next clue was from my visit to the Bridge to Nowhere as my partner and I canoed down Whanganui.

The area had seen some growth in the early 20th century following the return of soldiers from WWI. The soldiers farmed on the land for their livelihood. They crossed the river via a wooden swing bridge, which was unstable and dangerous. A concrete bridge that we are now familiar with replacing it. However, bad crops forced the settlement to disperse and abandon the area. The forest grew back and covered traces of habitation, leaving only the bridge intact and awkward in remoteness.

Another theory could have been that the highway was once a popular route to travel from the centre of North Island to the West Coast. But the mountainous terrain – similar to the roads from Motueka to Takaka – may have been too difficult to navigate. It was later replaced by another faster route – Highway 3 – leaving Highway 43 as the overlooked or forgotten road.

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Stops along the Highway

There are more stops along the Highway, but these are the few notable ones we passed by or stopped for a break.

Taumarunui

The first town on Highway 43 is the gateway to river adventures. We stopped by Taumarunui for a toilet break before continuing the journey to the start of our trip at Ohinepane.

Tangarakau Gorge

You will know when you see it – 500 m-high walls on either side.

Moki Tunnel – The Hobbit’s Tunnel

A fun 180 m-long single-lane tunnel; we overstayed at this location to try out different shots.

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The Republic of Whangamomona

We knew we were nearing the town when a red sign with huge words etched across it in retro fonts appeared by the roadside.

Welcome to the Republic of Whangamomona!

Sleepy town Whangamomona has largely maintained its rustic facade since the early 20th century. We saw a couple of children-drawn posters plastered outside the shops looking for more citizens to join the republic. The town celebrates its Republic Day biennially in January with a festival featuring fun activities like a gum-boot throwing competition or voting for the next mayor.

The striking Whangamomona Hotel is more than just a hotel or restaurant. We ventured into the lobby to study the photos, pamphlets, newspaper cuttings, and forgotten trophies.

The people of Whangamomona declared their independence in 1989 when they were fed up with the revised council boundaries.

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Stratford

The westernmost town on the Forgotten World Highway was a fun town to twirl away for an hour or two. Many streets in Stratford are named after Shakespearean characters. The town features old preserved European buildings with retro fonts. On good days, you could see Mount Taranaki.

The town also has New Zealand’s only Glockenspiel, which plays every day at 10 am, 1 pm, 3 pm and 7 pm, featuring Shakespeare’s most famous lovers – Romeo and Juliet.

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Ending

And that is all from me for the Forgotten World Highway. Make sure to put this road trip on your list if you are on the North Island. Remember, safety first – stay away from it during bad weather conditions.