Exploring New Zealand's Forgotten Highway | State Highway 43

The Forgotten World Highway aka State Highway 43 is one of the lesser-known highways here in New Zealand and for that reason, we thought we would hook up the caravan and explore it...
This road is not for the faint of heart, twisty, narrow gravel sections, single-lane bridges, narrow tunnels (With exposed rock 😳), and did we mention it's full of twists and turns!
It's a rather long drive through some of the most beautiful scenery the North Island of New Zealand has to offer 😍
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[@AdventuresWithRosy]

What do you reckon? Keen to give it a drive? 😁

[@user-rp7lj4tv7x]

definately, I think we would stay in Whangamonona on the way through. It's my style of road.

[@daveyboy6985]

Done it a couple of years ago, after wanting to do it for many years. Awesome trip, stopped off to look at the old grave in the Gorge. ( Old time Rd surveyer buried there) Had a beer in the whangamonama pub 😊

[@MrShaundarch]

Did it in our bus a couple of months ago. We can testify to the good fish n chips and friendly staff at the pub. I wouldn't have run through that tunnel though LOL.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Haha yeh I didn’t really think that through! I jogged after the caravan but it was rather dark!

[@Scottygirlnz]

We drove the Forgotten Highway last November and stayed the night at the local campground. It's very inexpensive and you can walk to the pub for a drink or dinner. The local camp is run on a voluntary basis - the old school there was closed and was going to be pulled down until the community decided to make the area in a camp ground!

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Oh how neat! I didn’t realise there was anywhere to camp there otherwise we might have broken the trip up 😊 might have to go back in the summer!

[@kevinpalmer1249]

Same

[@Scottygirlnz]

@@AdventuresWithRosy And the grass at the camp is 'mowed' by three little miniature ponies. You have to go back!!

[@shanestachurski9667]

That is a great trip guys. Have driven buses over those saddles and love that country. Keep up the great work ok....

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Cheers Shane! Can’t imagine driving a big bus over those hills 🫣

[@joshjbradburn]

Took this road in the Porsche, was a load of fun. Though was a little cautious with the gravel

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Saw a nice GT3 RS today and thought of you!

[@helenshort6728]

We went that way at xmas. Stopped off at Bushlands Campground at Tangarakau for 2 nights before Whangamomona. Great farm walk to a fossil canyon with wild horses and goats. Nice laid back family campground. Had a great little museum of fossils found. With a visit one day.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Oh thanks Helen! That’s going on the list for sure 😁 fossil canyon sounds rather interesting!

[@kiwiconcrete374]

You Should try State Highway 38 past Waikaremoana, now that’s a windy road and about 100km of gravel road 👌

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Oh wow that sounds fun! Might leave the kids at home when we do that one 😁

[@user-oy1ej2lp1x]

10:51 should definitely stop at Morgan's Grave on the southern side of the Tangararakau gorge and stop at all of the information signed areas. There's heaps of history all through that area

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Oh we missed that! Might have to go back sometime 😉

[@LittleCamperNZ]

It was mostly loose metal when I went over it in the 1970s. Ive never heard that town pronounced as a moana before, so we must have been saying it wrong all these years. Poor Harvey's hard work. I hope he gets a bonus thus week 😅

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Well now I’m not sure I was pronouncing it right haha! I’ve never heard it said out loud before 😅 should have done my homework!

[@davekerr8133]

We did that road with our 20ft caravan last year & stayed at the old school camp with little horses, goats & chickens running around. We spent three nights there. It was great. Weve also been through quite a few years ago when the whole road was all gravel on our motorbikes. (Big touring bikes). We stayed a night at the pub & had a great time. There is so much history there. If you go again visit the cemetery. 😊

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

A few people have said we missed the cemetery! That school camp sounds great, we might have to go back in the summer 😀

[@jennijenjenjen]

Friend and I cycled this highway. It’s bloody amusing hearing you say it takes a few hours to do it when it took us two days! One of the best highways in nz. Beautiful. There was a point where I believe a gorge was to our left with mountains climbing up just past it, and we felt like we were in Jurassic park. New Zealand is a place I miss daily. I’ll miss it forever.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Oh how funny! Yeh I think it was just because it took us way longer than Google predicted 😅 do you just cycle down the highway or are there some trails? That a pretty decent ride but beautiful like you say!

[@jennijenjenjen]

@@AdventuresWithRosy we cycled along the road till we turned off to reach New Plymouth (a place I fell in love with instantly). Before we did the highway we had just completed the Timber Trail which was a mountain bike ride popular with hikers as well as cyclists. That one finished near Taumaranui where we stayed a couple days to wait out threatening bad weather.

[@graemematthews746]

another awesome volg guys... so interesting,. look forward to your next,........ cheers

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Cheers Graeme!

[@dalemorris2460]

1988 Ohura beat Whangamomina at rugby first time in years to win the Pellet cup ,,unforgetable day and game

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Oh that sounds awesome! The republic days look fun too

[@kiwihib]

You should have travelled it when I did in 1974, the 11 km you talked about was close to the tar sealed length, from Stratford to Ohura.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Oh wow! Bet it would rough and bumpy back then! Cool stretch of road, would like to go back in the summer and do some more exploring 😁

[@Relyse]

Really enjoyed this video, thanks.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Thanks for watching 😁

[@RadRoadAdventures]

I would love to make a day of driving that road, right up our alley

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Put it on the bucket list for sure! It’s a great adventure 👌

[@ramon_nz]

I need to do again in day light, last time was like 3am, raining, but fun. Thanks for the video mate.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Thanks! I can’t imagine driving that road in the dark and rain 🫣😳

[@tonymckeage1028]

Great Video, i do plan to do this highway, but not with caravan, perhaps even over nighting in the middle somewhere, thanks for sharing

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

I think if we do it again we will spend a night somewhere along the way to break it up a bit. Apparently there is a good campground in Whangamōmona so that might be a good one 👍

[@honahwikeepa2115]

Tu meke brother 👍 Kia ora from Sydney.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Thanks Mate! 👍 appreciate you watching

[@eyin9451]

Hi Mate I am now comparing driving from New Plymouth to Lake Taupo through coastal line, or driving state high way 43. My mum is about 70 and got car sick problems, so probably I shouldn't pick state high way 43, right? Thanks

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh I wouldn’t to be honest, it’s a rather beautiful drive through there but it’s got lots of tight winding corners so might not be the best… that coastal drive is nice though 👍

[@eyin9451]

@@AdventuresWithRosythanks mate

[@studyboynz]

now i wish i did stop here

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

She’s a windy drive but worth doing it atleast once 👌

[@facesandplacesNZ]

Drove up here on our way to Mt. Ruapehu. Now my car is full of vomit. Not highly recommended.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh it’s a little winding that road isn’t it!

[@DrSpic]

Local Maori dialect doesn't pronounce Whangamomona with a F. Same goes for Wanganui (Whanganui)

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Ah interesting! I was thinking it was like Whangārei where you do pronounce it like a F. My bad! Thanks for letting me know 😊

[@chrissiethomas6272]

Whangamomona 🎉

[@packrat61]

Lived here all my life My Grandparents were Maori and we pronounce WH as F

[@paiiininthebuttt2477]

What a cool tunnel! Love old stuff ❤

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

It’s neat aye! That road is really neat (albeit a bit windy haha)