Back
Forgotten World Highway: Highway 43, Taranaki and Ruapehu
Photo: Pavel Špindler · CC BY 3.0 · cropped

Drives Taranaki, New Zealand Taranaki and Whanganui

Forgotten World Highway: Highway 43

SH 43, Ohura Road, Ōhura Road · Stratford → Taumarunui

Twisty91 mi2 hr 40 min5,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,100 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

The Forgotten World Highway is State Highway 43, a long, twisting road through the hill country between Taranaki and the King Country. It leaves Stratford, climbs over the Strathmore Saddle, and crosses a string of steep, forested saddles on the way to Taumarunui. Between the towns the road passes old railway settlements from the 1920s, many of them ghost towns now.

The best-known stop is Whangamōmona, which declared itself a republic in 1989 after a boundary change moved it out of Taranaki. The Whangamōmona Hotel is the centre of the village, and passports to the republic are available there. About 14 km further on you pass through the single-lane Moki Tunnel, nicknamed the Hobbit's Hole, and then the Tāngarākau Gorge, where forest walls rise nearly 60 m.

The gorge was the last unsealed stretch on any New Zealand state highway; sealing was finished in February 2025, and the whole road is now sealed, though still narrow in places.

Along the way

  1. Stratford
  2. Whangamōmona
  3. Taumarunui
Elevation
5,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,100 ft
StratfordTaumarunui
Curves
Twisty most of the way
StratfordTaumarunui
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • There are no petrol stations on SH43, so fill the tank in Stratford before you start.
  • The saddles are steep and winding, and the Tāngarākau Gorge is narrow, so allow more time than the distance suggests.
  • The Moki Tunnel is a single lane about 180 m long.
  • Whangamōmona Hotel is the main stop for refreshments along the way.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check NZTA Journeys: traffic and road conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Forgotten World Highway take?

The Forgotten World Highway from Stratford to Taumarunui is 146 km (91 mi) and takes about 2 hr 40 min without long stops.

Is the Forgotten World Highway sealed?

Yes. The Tāngarākau Gorge, the last unsealed section of State Highway 43, was sealed in February 2025. The road is still narrow in places.

Is there petrol on the Forgotten World Highway?

No. Taranaki tourism says there are no petrol stations along State Highway 43, so fill up in Stratford before starting.

What is Whangamōmona?

Whangamōmona is a village on SH43 that declared itself a republic in 1989. The Whangamōmona Hotel sells passports to the republic.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 2 drives in Taranaki, New Zealand ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of Forgotten World Highway: Highway 43, from Stratford to Taumarunui