Inside New Zealand's Least Visited Town...

[@marcanderson8669]

My family lived there. Grandma, Mums side was the head mistress of the local school for a number of years. Mus brother, Don Craven, started his first job there at the railway, and became stationmaster until the line was no longer used. Mums Dad was a carpenter. He built a lot of the govt houses there as well as Khalills garage. My Dadas Dad managed the Tatu mine there for a few years. Some of my family are buried in the local cemetary. I know quite a lot of the history of the town, but the most knowledgable would be members of the McKenzie family, a few of rhem are still in the area.

[@slicktricks_takethat6901]

By any chance would you know a girl called Alisha?

[@smack5392]

got these towns all over Aus

[@auxr8660]

this is New Zealand..@@smack5392

[@nutsack78]

yo craven? thats my last name lmao

[@mohabatkhanmalak1161]

Khallil Motors, Khallil is an Arabic name and I am guessing that family was Lebanese. In the 1900's, a few Lebanese immigrants settled in the Waikato region. Eight years ago, me and my wife stayed in Te-Kuiti in a old dormitory, and the owner told us that building was built by Lebanese builders in around the 1920's. And I could see the building had some Lebanese archetectural styles, like the arch, stairs etc. 🌍Down the road in Otorohanga, we came across a store selling clothes, boots, and other quality items for farmers, and the proprietors were also decendants of Lebanese settlers of the 1920's. So, the Khallils would be from the same settler community from Lebanon. Would you know about them?

[@holyliable5829]

Aewsome Uso. My Dad was born and raised there! It looks abandoned to the untrained outsiders who don't know the region but bro some of the best weed growers in the Country still live there, if you know you know. 😉

[@DarrenHood-G.S.0.9.]

BRUH... STFU ON THE REAL, AINT TRYNA LET NO 🐷💩 KNOW WHAT'S UP, GET CAUGHT UP & EVEN MENTION SOMETHING THAT'S NOT COMMON KNOWLEDGE CAN GET YOU "GHOSTED" RESPECT THE CRAFT FOOL 🤔🤫😏

[@KrombbHarihari]

Yip your not wrong about that .cause I know I was brought up in Taumarunui

[@PimpmyCPU]

You know it, spent a decent amount of my childhood in Taumarunui and later moved to Piriaka. IYKYK

[@johnnlawner7663]

Yeh bro just put a spotlight on everyone why don’t cha 😅

[@chaosXgum]

Thats cap af lol

[@rkctransportationvids]

Ohura used to be the home to thousands of people when the coal mines and sawmills were booming back in the early to mid 1900's. Highly recommend doing the rail-cart experience that goes through several abandoned towns in that area.

[@joseywilliams4450]

Hi I grew up on a coalmine in ohura

[@kiwiprouddavids724]

See this is what's going to happen in that town where jacinder Arden shut down that big saw mill

[@socks2441]

and marsden point. our oil refinery. in times of high petrol prices, she closes down our oil refinery. genius. edit: it was also our source of co2, which we use for lots of things. pubs , brewing, sodas, alot of inflateable things, like lifejackets and liferafts. it was a terrible desision. there were people trying to get it started back up again, but it seems incredibly unlikely to happen, sadly.@@kiwiprouddavids724

[@GrantWine-pc3dl]

Don't forget the woman's prison

[@moanalevae4565]

Thank you for visiting Ohura! This is very close to my whanau home, and I felt a rush of nostalgia watching this. Although it may look abandoned there are still many people who live in or around Ohura, esp in the neighbouring areas like Nihoniho and Matiere!

[@matthewtegg4708]

Such great content uce... breaks my heart to see towns like these left abandoned here in NZ hopefully country towns will see more life in them again someday

[@elainewhite870]

It's NOT abandoned. Across the road from where he was standing is a fully operating Cosmopolitan Club. Just along the street from where he was standing is a takeaways in a caravan that serves Mexican food. There's a backpackers starring up. There's an operating Church. There's Hope International at the old Prison that do detox programmes. And a lot of people live in Ohura.

[@jayxknight]

The tunnel was constructed in 1935-1936 by the Public Works Department, after they had completed metalling the road. Mr. Townley was the engineer, and Mr. Birss the overseer. It was dug using two power jack-hammers driven by a coal-fired steam compressor, which was situated at the western Tahora end of the tunnel. The coal was supplied from the Tangarakau Gorge mine, and was brought to the site by Mr. Ron McCartie, a Tahora settler. As the work on the tunnel continued, the coal-fired compressor was replaced with a diesel-powered air compressor, lessening the need for coal. While the tunnel was being dug, many unique fossils were found. About two decades ago, a witty traveler nailed up a sign re-naming the Moki Tunnel as the “Hobbit’s Hole”. This nickname is still used today. The Moki Tunnel is a fine example of the unusual and well thought-out work completed by the road engineers and surveyors of early New Zealand. It has been appreciated by many travelers on the road, and is seen as one of the remote tourist attractions of Taranaki.

[@Itssmial_Ova]

Bless the Ministry of Works and all the hardworking men that came home from the war, and got stuck into building the Country. It's unfortunate(and fortunate) that we'll probably never be able to build on that scale again. The pre/post War-economy of the day... well.. most people these days would call it socialism... But they did what needed to be done for the time, the work camps gave unemployed men ravaged by war and depression much needed work, and the nation got the roads, bridges, public works and housing that it required. Many of the government run factories, mills, and public works provided wood wages and a stable living in a time where things around the world were not very stable at all.

[@cindyshirreffs2099]

Almost like a hammer beam construction in the rook/ceiling

[@k-grizz541]

Uso getting into that KZbin algorithm 😂

[@Makyah]

this video had me in stitches

[@redbanging1582]

the bros acting like they’ve never saw a sheep before 😂😂😂😂

[@bravo1591]

For those wondering about the hand prints: When someone touches your car their hand leaves oil/ residue on the car. When you drive on a dusty road the dust collects on the oil. There ya go

[@Poppiedee]

Come on bro play the game😂

[@shelbyw6135]

Spoiler 😂

[@FreakinFred08]

…but here’s the thing…no one in all of New Zealand has that size hand. just playin’😂

[@Madisyn7]

For the views maaate 😂 support ya local and play along lmfaoooooo

[@mystik.mermayde.aotearoa]

Exactly😂

[@huntah6150]

Bro its like its completely frozen in time. Really cool you are looking at these unexpected places New Zealand has

[@ryanroma5724]

So proud of you uce look how much weight you have lost!! You’re unstoppable bro much love from Sydney ❤

[@allfireupnz]

We invite you back for the Ohura Medieval Festival, 2nd March. We have heaps of stalls, games, knights and fun times. It’s not a ghost town if we fill it back up with people and joy. ❤

[@philipsutton8921]

So incredible man - all those years abandoned and no vandals because the windows are not all smashed. Her in Perth where I live, every time a new house goes up in the suburb where I live, within one or two days the vandals smash all the windows and they have to board them up until the people move in. I have a fresh appreciation for the wonderful country that I grew up in.

[@Tokkan1]

My family moved to this town in 1925. I have many ancestors buried in the local graveyard. MacClures and Goodwin

[@DEVILS_SNAKE]

yo Uce Gang welcome to ohura my home town been in this town my hole live bro I am so happy you have came

[@charliedrummond1]

I rode my bike through that tunnel a few weeks ago - did the kiwi tunnel too. All part of the Renegades Muster - 850km self-supported through the back blocks... Slept the night in the memorial hall in Ohura. Pretty sweet spot.

[@slpalelei1179]

More adventure videos plsss... Also be great for you to learn abit more about the areas your visiting and share some knowledge etc or why yall decided to visit etc etc

[@BarbMnz]

It would be interesting to see footage from when it used to be "bustling" to compare. I would love to be able to revitalise a town like this.

[@shelbyw6135]

@barb6861 great idea to do when I have my study break this morning, see if there is anything over at Archives

[@mohabatkhanmalak1161]

Do you know if the Khallils were one of the early Lebanese settlers in the Waikato - going back to the 1920's or earlier..?? Khallil is an Arabic name.@@shelbyw6135

[@txddyfarquh69]

I think youve landed on a great idea uso, you shud go thru abandoned Towns of Nz.

[@dolcedebbie]

My uncle got married there and is currently living there haha it's really peaceful and quiet. I love it!

[@shirleyhunt8769]

So not quite deserted 😊

[@tracey-lu4kx]

I went to school in Ohura 45 years ago when the those empty buildings were furnished with everything you’d need. It was strange to watch you take us up the end of the main street and around the corner. I used to dream of walking that street for years after. Almost forgot I’m awake.

[@meccafilms7673]

wth? that construction worker you filmed in that town is my cousin Jared Crichton. Trippy thing about it is that he passed away 5 years ago at work in a small town.

[@tadlaxon7265]

What?

[@PimpmyCPU]

Spooked 😮

[@summerxprescott]

Wtf

[@rustydude93]

that's cap

[@Deej_T_Amo]

It’s true i was there Jared was the one that touched there truck

[@marnixhoebers5176]

Awesome content Uso, I grew up in that area and its cool to see on this channel.

[@seanpivac]

Loved it man, interesting really well edited 🔥

[@churghee2388]

Welcome to Ohura awesome views places tunnels 👍💯♥️👏gb

[@summerxprescott]

Need a part 2 asap uso 🙏🏽👌🏽

[@fu8713]

Yeah aye uncle uso uso uce 😳

[@isaacmullin7627]

there's a good few ghosts towns down here in te waiponamu (south island), mostly in the central otago region. St bathans (Est 1887) is a popular spot where there is a community that have saved a lot of the old buildings pre 1900. DOC saved a couple of historical buildings in Macetown which was a mining community left abandoned in the early 1900's. my personal favourite though is Bendigo. not so much of a town as a scenic/historic reserve, exploring around there are some stone huts still standing and plenty more where you can only see the foundations. the battery for crushing the quartz has also been preserved and you can still find the entrance to a lot of the old mine shafts

[@trueone2657]

My mum is from Hakateramera St Bathans.

[@crochetingaroundnewzealand]

I feel sad when I think of the hard working generations that have past. This town would be a beautiful memorial to their memories. Awesome tunnel...toot toot! 😂

[@charliegill8740]

Grew up in Matiere. Ohura was the only place with a shop and we'd get our fish and chips from there, though it was 25 minutes away. that house at 1:58 is still there :( Played in that as a young gun. Almost 20 years ago and all that growth behind it wasnt there.

[@sarahmorris1527]

Howdy old neighbour 😂

[@charliegill8740]

@@sarahmorris1527omg cute HELLO. I often miss Waitangata and would like to go visit again. I know there isn’t much there but sentimentality calls laugh😂

[@andyn5138]

I thought you could only buy "fush n chups in Enzed...bro 😁

[@WS_NADLA]

the new samoan ghost hunter show

[@laurapuch5615]

love the videos awsome good work

[@shirleyhunt8769]

You guys could start up as NZ ghost hunters ❤❤😊

[@ItsOmega]

Got a team of us down in the south island! be good to get him down here for some hunts ;)

[@cindyshirreffs2099]

​@ItsOmega do you have a you tube channel of your searches? Would like to watch a ghost search. Do you use Ghost Tube app?

[@dontcallmeindymorning]

Yes, correct. "I think they're doing construction here." It's been "work in progress" for around 120 years. The name given to the town is derived from Maori, being an "uncovered spot" or "a place to uncover". Perhaps just the place to be if you wish to live under a rock. Some famous people from Ohura include: 1. Frank Glasgow, the famous NZ rugby player who played for the All Blacks between 1905 and 1908. 2. ? Well, I guess there must be more famous people who came from Ohura (maybe a coal miner, a church or store builder or perhaps a prisoner or something). Looks very "European settler" style, doesn't it? Oh, and I see that you guys met up with "Bill". He's reported to be a Pakeha ghost who hangs around that tunnel looking like a tourist with a camera. He's said to leave his prints on the side of motorised wagons and horseless carriages as well. He will always be wearing grey, and he will usually be seen lurking around the car park area at the entrance to that tunnel.

[@NZLKevin88]

You can add one of the Mr Asia drug gang

[@dalemorris2460]

did he do time there ?@@NZLKevin88

[@dontcallmeindymorning]

​@@NZLKevin88 Really? Well, I guess that person wouldn't be Allison Dine, and Karen Soich resides in Auckland (practising as a barrister). Anyway, I bet that whoever it is (or was) Eb Leary (deceased) would have known. Some say that he was a very tight-lipped mouth piece and that he took a lot of knowledge (in his head) to the grave, including notable incognito "crims" and various "celebrity" lists. Those "some" wouldn't be so reputationally generous in relation to Kevin Ryan or Peter Williams. Correct me on this if you can, but wasn't Eb Leary the son of Leonard Leary, the very well respected QC and former distinguished soldier from Palmerston North?

[@flyingweed9671]

This is exactly the place i want to visit when i retire and begin exploring my country.

[@KatieBagley-s7m]

you missed the old Ohura Prison right in the middle of town

[@barrygiddey9139]

Cool video-Thanks for the tour ✨

[@kerrycooper9257]

My oldman is from ohura.. my grandfather is buried up on the hill.. remember all the trips we would make to visit all our loved 1s ❤ cried watching this.. I saw my dad's school 😢

[@user-bw5nc]

Spent 6 months there a the local boarding house, against my will, back in the early 90s 😜...played the locals at rugby, and indoor bowls. Just stumbled across this video.... brings back good and bad memories👍

[@michaelmarama-de4gx]

Bad Memories? Why? Is it Haunted

[@user-bw5nc]

​​@@michaelmarama-de4gxI stayed at the prison bro. It was minimum security, but still had some infamous inmates, murderers etc.....mostly non Māori.

[@michaelmarama-de4gx]

@@user-bw5nc oh ok I see, cheers bro

[@waynekilgour393]

@@user-bw5nc cucumber. Lol . Me too, mid 70s. Indoor bowls is where we got our griffins Krispies . Run by ex coal miners . Hard time .😊.

[@user-bw5nc]

@@waynekilgour393 hahaha, we meet again.... small world 😜

[@tonynativedeadbird6683]

Handprint on the vehicle! Watch out for the Boogyman!! Really good I'm in my 70s and even I learnt a couple of things, Cheers.

[@allfiredupltd9108]

It's fascinating to imagine the town's vibrant past with a population of 5,500 and five working garages.

[@wateva2625]

It’s the going through the tunnel after the handprints playing venga boys for me 😂😂🤦‍♀️

[@testvidable]

😂 this ended up cracking me up. "Oh a food market...this woulda been an old food market..." oh truuuue brudda

[@Sarg_nz]

Cheers brother for the great vid there are alot of places like this all over nz aye

[@John-n2l8i]

"Wind up the window g" 😂😂😂😂😂

[@mrporkchop-lx6ed]

Used too go too tokirima primary when i was a kid and we used too go too ohura for sports carnivals sometimes, so much fun. Bit sad seeing this town empty... had some friends from taumarunui highschool hostel from there, wonder if theyre still around

[@frozenfrost5647]

Kia Ora Dudes first time watching your vids. i live in NZ you guys keep up the awesome work

[@trends2morrow107]

Oh that tunnel...perfect place to shoot a Horror Movie....

[@caseyharding7399]

Awesome video guys ❤

[@vance_Delamere]

That’s childhood memories that place. Remember when that shop was actually open and the town had people

[@MrKiwispirit]

This is awesome 💯 shining some light in these towns

[@pixiemartin3637]

Kia Ora wow that was cool vid..creepy az with those handprints can't wait to see more exploring..I subscribe and smashed that like button👍

[@grantyoung7246]

U boys hit a gold mine. Look at all them antiques

[@spassadazza]

Uce gang bruh your naturally funny as. Cheers for the laugh g

[@jerrywhaanga8500]

2 of us had to go there to collect furniture from the 4square owner.he made us a big fry up lunch,while his mates done all the work.this was 98/99

[@gypsyroma9574]

Beautiful scenery,so sad the town has gone

[@king_nate07]

Someone’s lil cousin had too much kfc back in AKL and decided to wipe their hands on the truck 😂😂😂

[@CharacterDev]

It still costs a small fortune to buy property in abandoned towns in NZ.

[@elainewhite870]

Wrong. Houses are cheap out here.

[@bronwyncoffin4737]

Fark yous are funny! 😂 Awesome discovery of that tunnel New sub.

[@Rogsmith4]

Very interesting and funny really enjoyed your video keep going thanks

[@RuGgEdMaOrI41]

Kia ora bro,there are about 100 people still living in Ohura,the town was huge back in the days,Prision closed in the late 90s an old timber town

[@elainewhite870]

Coal mining town.

[@ajthecat2]

Interesting video, many old museum gems there.

[@Hasseriy]

Love watching this guy on insta tooo funny

[@dawnezone8491]

Sheep or other cattle on the road was so common when I was growing up. You made me laugh because you were so surprised 🐑

[@chrisroger4416]

their aucklanders

[@chrisroger4416]

this is my mums hometown and used to come there every school holiday to my nana and grandads little farm. we lived next door to a big maori family with like 10 kids and we used to play games and wars with them and we would find abandoned cars ( this was in the 90's) and we would smash the cars up lol. was good fun. even in the 90s it was a ghost town but there was a dairy, a oub and a petrol station and a big prison. they used to let the prisoners just roam around and did gardening. was a qaint little town. you could buy a house and land back then for about 5k

[@tewaewae]

kid with a geasy hand touched the truck up in Auckland, driving through the tunnel the dust stuck to the grease. Someone got a young cousin that loves KFC? Cool vid watching you city boys out in the "🎶country roads"

[@tinasnewzealand]

Paranormal Hunt!! ,👀👻 Ngati Haua must need their story told Fantastic guys..this is awesome..thank you ❤

[@slicktricks_takethat6901]

Im from a place not far from there, place called Aria, where legends are made

[@senseisaitama8684]

Good content, like the sounds in the beginning.

[@Bakez23]

Uso Orion! Man those handprints always happen where the maori urupa's. Everytime we have left the urupa's (Maori Family Cemetary) There is always handprints just like that on the cars.

[@dobstaable]

The town virtually shut down when Ohura Prison was closed down and the prisoners went to Rangipo Camps or Waikeria Prison. The staff all moved out of the prison village, and the houses were taken away.

[@melbournestacker]

Only thing that guy was doing Traffic management for was the ghosts 😂

[@samson80559]

That's a tih my bro not a town lol solid brother good video💯👌

[@cillamoke]

This is fantastic! ❤

[@twikiriwhi]

Cool vid boys.... Cheers!

[@sinatraoce5339]

7:00 guy coming out of tunnel that’s who the hand print belongs to😂

[@TheForsakenExplorerNz]

Cool you also made a Ohura video, i also made one too nearly three years back, guess that makes me the OG Ohura guy lol 😂, Cheers for the vid 😎👍

[@dalemorris2460]

where can i view your vid ?

[@UrbanKiwiana]

that handprint wasa buzzy as, imgine when this little village was pumping with life would of sweet, id still live here

[@cantgetanuff]

HUWOT! no gas sign ive never seen one before. BiG Ups Ohura Big Ups Uce Gang, Fresh Content 👆❤🙏

[@kattekira3294]

Hahaha jus subscribed love the videos. Cmu the building 1928...damn ur dad be neally 100 years old then. 😂

[@PetrikNZ]

I was looking at purchasing a property there at some point, including the old Police Station complete with a holding cell in the backyard. Spent some time in the old jail which was kitted out as a B&B at the time.

[@chrisroger4416]

must be cheap as to buy land there

[@Peanut-Butter-Banana-Rama]

Also the handprint on the car thing has happened to me in the past as well. You couldn't even properly wash the one I had off. Still haven't been able to figure that one out.

[@MaoriMan76]

The Patupaiarehe having fun playing with you fullas. Thats the Tahora tunnel not far at all from Ohura

[@ZarmiMusic]

Only uce gang Goes to ghost town and still finds a fan 😂

[@learnwhispering]

Nice to hear that kiwi accent and and see poplar trees. I guessed the rough location or maybe thought it would be a spot on the West Coast. A Didj would sound awesome in the tunnel.

[@chrisroger4416]

thats not a kiwi accent

[@Will-nb8qk]

That’s a good place for a zombie movie scene!

[@sicboi]

Traffic control in a ghost town. Bro give me a job like that too bro

[@chrisroger4416]

yeah i was confused about that lol

[@MARK-r3z2p]

My dad use to work on the railway back in the 1980's and use to describe all these old towns and settlements. I even went to the prison down there.

[@nathancarter6311]

Such a wholesome video lads

[@lone_puppy3539]

Cool video! 🙂

[@josephwalton7429]

When the Prison closed it pretty much sealed the towns fate.

[@wiremumatenga883]

Not the low key freaking each other out and hunting ghost ones 😂 theirs a few towns like that in South island aswel.

[@txddyfarquh69]

Be great if Govt could look at revitalising old towns and maybe talk with local bodies and see if they can build new Homes and infrastructure to help ease the housing crisis across Nz

[@michelleripia8146]

If only right? Problem is our govt has signed NZ up for Agenda 2030 and they want citizens out of the country and into their up n coming new smart cities, ya know to keep tabs on us all..

[@juliaforsyth8332]

Flood plain. Not allowed to build there.

[@chrisroger4416]

a lot of people moved out cos u cant get dole there as winz say theres no jobs ovb and nearest town is 45 min drive

[@Kiwi49-vf9rn]

Good video bro.

[@melbournestacker]

Bros must have found the locals crop and started smoking it, because they must have been high af to think those handprints came from the tunnel lol

[@007Gofer]

Love that area, I live out of Hamilton and belong to the King Country 4x4 Club at Ngaroma forest and we often hold fund raisers for the local area drive through there often. Lovely people ma d place around there.

[@charlietuapou9394]

Bro you should do aye night video on abandoned places.😂😂

[@Mr.Sancheese]

Not tryna hate my bro but love the work, should try do some research about the town

[@chrisroger4416]

I dont think he can read

[@Totally-Colbybrock]

1:47 thats my dads friends farm

[@Mal-c9q]

Although the town is barely active, the roads are in really good condition

[@Jenny-ok4no]

I love the Irish music and that tunnel is crazy 😜