Forgotten World Highway, the real Highway to hell

When we arrived here, neither of us knew about the so-called 'Forgotten World Highway'. In Taupo, two friends were talking about a forgotten section of road. That sparked our interest and we listened secretly. In the evening, in the room, I did a little research on this route. And it's true: This road really exists. It is the least traveled highway in New Zealand, so the government in Wellington has been investing very little in this highway for decades. For the locals, this route is simply called 'Highway 43', for tourists 'Forgotten World Highway', I suspect that is meant to increase the drama.

Alright, let's go there.

We finally reached Highway 43 after a good 2 hours drive from Taupo. At first, it seemed to be a normal highway (comparable to a country road in Germany). But the further we drove, the more we realized that something was not right here. We really wanted to count how many cars were coming towards us during our driving time. The road led higher and higher into the mountains. After a car burned out vertically on the roadside, and a hole in the middle of the road was marked with three warning cones, we understood that we had arrived on the 'Forgotten Highway'.

We encountered countless sheep, cows and turkeys enjoying their grass by the roadside.

Our journey also took us to Whangamomona. Yes, exactly, Whangamomona. You don't know Whangamomona?! We didn't know it either. Whangamomona is an independent republic within New Zealand, recognized as independent by the government in Wellington. The village of 40 inhabitants decided to convert to a republic about 30 years ago as a sign of protest. Instead of the government taking action against it violently, they recognized Whangamomona as an independent state.

You even get a stamp upon entry, right at the government office. Pretty cool, isn't it? Although the 'government district' is a small hotel by the roadside, for $2 in the coffee money box, you can get your 'Welcome to the Republic of Whangamomona' here.

But then we continued immediately. At some point, we had enough of this road and longed for an end to the countless curves. In total, it took us 3.5 hours for the 150 km drive and we recommend the highway to anyone who has plenty of time and is a passionate Sunday driver.