Forgotten World Highway: 155 km in Taranaki / Ruapehu
The Forgotten World Highway is a named touring highway in Taranaki / Ruapehu. The governing figure used here is 155 km (NZTA SH43), not a straight line between towns.
Typical time on the route is 1 day drive. Grade: Scenic highway. Season window: Year-round.
NZTA’s SH43 is 155 km. The 1.2 km unlit Moki Tunnel is the set piece. Whangamomona declares itself a republic and is the lunch stop. Seal is mostly complete; check slips after rain. This is the closest NZ analogue of a Finnish matkailutie.
The itinerary on this page is the published stop sequence: Stratford, Whangamomona, Ohura, Taumarunui. Cabins and holiday homes load live around each stop; hut and trailhead pins without a town page still search by radius.
Book DOC huts and Great Walks on the DOC system where that applies. Town beds are what this site lists. Carry the day’s food on remote legs — several of these routes have no shop between ends.
Stop by stop
Stratford — Taranaki start, the mountain behind you. Whangamomona — the republic, the hotel. Ohura — coal town, western Ruapehu. Taumarunui — King Country finish.
Distances, grades and seasons above follow NZTA SH43. Confirm opening dates, slips and hut bookings on the operator or DOC page before you travel; alpine and West Coast tracks close or reroute after weather.
