Taranaki et la boucle de camping de la Forgotten World Highway

New Plymouth et la montagne

Utilisez New Plymouth comme base fiable pour le carburant, la nourriture et une journée côtière. Les nuages ​​​​en montagne changent rapidement, alors empruntez les pistes inférieures lorsque la visibilité ou le vent font que les itinéraires exposés ne sont pas un bon choix.

Les points de départ des sentiers du parc national Egmont ne sont pas des emplacements de camping interchangeables. Restez uniquement là où l'utilisation de nuit est autorisée et utilisez les conseils d'accès précis pour la piste et le véhicule.

Stratford vers Whangamomona

Faites le plein à Stratford et considérez l'autoroute comme l'expérience de la journée. Les sections scellées et non scellées, les ponts étroits et les virages serrés conviennent à un rythme calme plutôt qu'à une heure d'arrivée cible.

Whangamōmona a une capacité d'hébergement et de camping limitée. Confirmez la soirée à l'avance, notamment lors d'événements, et emportez de la nourriture pendant des heures lorsque les petits commerces sont fermés.

Taumarunui et le retour

Les gorges de Tangarakau et le tunnel de Moki exigent l'attention des véhicules larges ou hauts. Connaissez les dimensions du camping-car et arrêtez-vous avant toute section qui ne fournit pas un dégagement sûr.

Taumarunui rétablit les services ordinaires et ouvre des routes vers Tongariro ou Waikato. Vérifiez la fatigue avant d'ajouter une autre longue étape, car la courte distance de l'autoroute cache une journée complète de concentration.

The Forgotten World Highway is a commitment

State Highway 43 runs roughly 150 kilometres between Stratford and Taumarunui with no fuel along it, a section of unsealed road through the Tangarakau Gorge, and a single-lane tunnel. It takes far longer than the distance implies and there is no way to shortcut out of the middle.

Fill the tank at either end, carry water and food, and check the road status before setting out. It is a fine drive in reasonable weather and an unpleasant one in heavy rain.

Whangamōmona is the reason to go slowly

The self-declared Republic of Whangamōmona, with its own passports stamped at the hotel, is the highlight of the route and a genuinely good pub stop. The Republic Day celebration runs biennially and fills the village completely, which is either the reason to go or the reason to avoid those dates.

There is a small camping area and the hotel has rooms. Either is a better plan than trying to drive the whole highway and reach a town at the far end in one day.

Mount Taranaki is a serious mountain

The Pouākai Crossing and the summit route look approachable from the road and are not. Taranaki has a high fatality record, weather that changes within an hour, and terrain that becomes genuinely dangerous in cloud. It is not a mountain to attempt casually.

Check the forecast for the mountain rather than New Plymouth, tell someone your plan, and turn back early. The lower walks around Dawson Falls and the Kamahi loop give you the forest and the views without the exposure.

New Plymouth is underrated as a base

The Coastal Walkway runs 13 kilometres along the waterfront, the Len Lye Centre is genuinely good, and the city has the services to reset a trip properly before or after the highway. It works far better as a two-night base than a single overnight.

Use it to do laundry, restock and check the mountain forecast before deciding which of the Egmont walks to attempt. The weather often makes that decision for you.

The Surf Highway and the coast

State Highway 45 loops around the western side of the mountain between New Plymouth and Hāwera, and it is a far easier drive than the Forgotten World Highway with a string of surf beaches along it. Ōakura, Ōpunake and Kina Beach all have camping and the coastline is consistently good.

The contrast is the point of a Taranaki loop: the mountain in the middle, forest and farmland on the eastern side, and a run of black sand surf beaches on the west. Doing both sides makes it a proper circuit rather than an out-and-back.

Cape Egmont lighthouse and the coastal road around Pungarehu give the classic view of the mountain rising straight out of farmland. It is best in the early morning before cloud forms on the summit, which it usually does by late morning.

Rail carts and the tunnel

Operators run rail carts along the disused Stratford to Okahukura line, including through the Hobbits Hole tunnel, which is a genuinely unusual way to see the country the highway passes through.

These need booking ahead and run to a schedule rather than on demand. If it appeals, build the day around the departure time rather than hoping to fit it in.

Lieux sur le chemin