5 minute read
FORGOTTEN WORLD HIGHWAY CYCLE ROUTE
TAUMARUNUI to NEW PLYMOUTH
2-3 days - 180km
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© AA Traveller 2022
With a name as intriguing as the Forgotten World, how could you not be interested? Discover a pocket of Aotearoa that is little influenced by outside distractions and where remoteness is bathed in pristineness.
Don’t be fooled by the immediate seclusion; even though your route, the SH 43, feels like the quietest state highway in New Zealand, this trail is by no means a doddle. Constant hills with a total ascent of 2017m, rugged farmland and gravel roads will exhaust both your bike tyres – and your derrière! You’re in for a demanding Grade 4 challenge from beginning to end.
Highlights along the way include historic tunnels, some with wooden gabled roofs and ceilings lined with fossilised shellfish; the remote township of Whangamōmona which is its own republic (complete with passport stamp) as well as challenging saddles and a sense of total abandonment. Here you can fully detach yourself from the real world, and while you will be travelling mostly by road, keep an ear out for vehicles and an eye out for rambling goats!
Finally, the award-winning New Plymouth Coastal Walkway brings civilisation back into cognisance, forging a route into New Plymouth proper, but not before dazzling new arrivals with its epic surf and kinetic artwork.
TRAIL INFO
TRAIL GRADES: ALL GRADE 4 (ADVANCED)
TAUMARUNUI TO TAHORA SADDLE, 77KM
TAHORA SADDLE TO PŪRANGI, 45KM
PŪRANGI TO NEW PLYMOUTH, 63KM
MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: Coverage is very limited along most of the route.
DRINKING WATER: Whangamōmona offers the only easily accessed water once en route.
TYPE OF BIKE: Although the route mainly follows sealed roads, the rougher gravel sections mean a touring bike or mountain bike with wide road tyres or knobbly tyres are most suitable. E-bikes, with sufficient battery capacity, are also acceptable.
RIDING THE TRAIL
TAUMARUNUI TO TAHORA SADDLE, 77KM
From Taumarunui, SH 43 heads over hilly farmland for 30km or so before climbing over Paparata Saddle. It then drops down into the beautiful Tāngarākau Gorge, cloaked in native forest.This is followed by 12km of gravel road. Although this is relatively smooth, it’s not always an easy ride on road bike tyres, especially when the road has just been graded.Beyond the gorge there is a moderate climb to the Moki Tunnel (known locally as the Hobbit’s Hole) and over Tahora Saddle.
TAHORA SADDLE TO PŪRANGI, 45KM
It’s a long and gentle downhill ride to the settlement of Whangamōmona where you’ll find the Whangamōmona Hotel and Bushlands Campground. Not only charming and full of rural history, it stakes a claim as New Zealand’s only independent republic, and celebrates that fact every second January. Heading south from the ‘republic’, the route turns off the state highway and heads west on Junction Rd. The first 16km of Junction Rd is gravel, and requires wide road tyres or mountain-bike tyres. Junction Rd passes through several original settlements, including Pūrangi, where accommodation is available in the original schoolhouse. The road is narrow, quiet and scenic. You will need to watch out for goats, sheep and cattle wandering along the verge.
PŪRANGI TO NEW PLYMOUTH, 63KM
The route continues over Tarata Saddle, through another picturesque tunnel, and down to a historic suspension bridge across the Waitara River. The ride leaves the very best for last, as the route now becomes a shared path through Bell Block and around the coast where you will enjoy some spectacular views as you head into New Plymouth. Known as the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway, this award-winning 12.7km pathway winds along the edge of the Tasman Sea, past epic surf breaks and dynamic kinetic art. You can take a 30-minute stroll from the central city to Breakwater Bay, a bustling coastal precinct alongside Ngāmotu Beach. New Plymouth has plenty to offer the visitor, including Egmont National Park, surfing, a boat cruise out to the Sugar Loaf Islands, plus dining and shopping in the bustling urban centre. Breakwater Bay is also a great spot to see a stunning west coast sunset. For riders cycling from the Timber Trail, a safer scenic route is to use the Ohura Connector Heartland Ride. For more info, visit timbertrail.nz/ohura-connector
Farm sheds at Ahititi on the Forgotten World Highway © Rob Tucker
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRAIL
• Trundle down the Forgotten World Railway in a self-driven rail cart.
• Ride through Moki Tunnel.
• Wind Wand is on the 12.7km New Plymouth Coastal Walkway.
• Visit New Plymouth’s museums, acclaimed surf beaches, the esteemed Govett-Brewster Art Gallery.
• Nip into some of the galleries or check out public art as your trail crosses the Coastal Arts Trail.
• Taumarunui is your gateway to Whanganui National Park and home to top kayaking and trout fishing.
• When in season visit Lauren’s Lavender Farm and Bradleys Garden.
