The Forgotten World

Having finished my time in New Plymouth, I headed back towards the interior of the North Island, via Highway 43, or the ‘Forgotten World Highway’. H43 runs from Stratford, near Taranaki, to the interior town of Taumaranui, lying on the northern stretch of the Whanganui River.

The Forgotten World is known as one of the quietest stretches of main highway in New Zealand, winding it’s way through a remote, very sparsely populated stretch of land.

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Mount Taranaki

Given that the ocean is just a short drive away, Mt. Taranaki’s presence is quite awe-inspiring. At slightly more than 2,500 meters, it rears up quickly and sharply to one of the most conical peaks in the world. All of it makes for a great scene, if the weather allows you to see it. Thankfully for me, I got one day in New Plymouth that I could see everything clearly.

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Surf Highway

Driving from Wanganui to the West Coast city of New Plymouth, one is presented with several options. The shortest drive cuts through the interior region east of Mt. Taranaki, through the town of Stratford. However, the more scenic drive follows Highway 45, the so called ‘Surf Highway’.

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