- Chapter 16

We decided to continue driving along the west coast to New Plymouth. The tip to visit the city was given to us at the beginning of our trip. So we set off, with several small, insignificant stops along the way.

Arriving in the city, we quickly realized that there wouldn't be anything too exciting for us here. We decided to see the 'Te Rewa Rewa Bridge' and learned about a small zoo nearby that supposedly is free. Since we were already there, we took this little detour. We saw turtles, alpacas, monkeys, meerkats, parrots, and capybaras. The latter refers to the species of water pigs.

From here, our tour continued to the 'World Forgotten Highway', which begins in Stratford. We heard about a famous carillon that plays at regular intervals and decided to listen to it. However, this stop could have been skipped because it was really nothing special. The tower stands right by the road, so it was very difficult to understand what was blaring through the tinny loudspeakers, and it was far from a carillon.

But our enthusiasm was focused entirely on the highway that we were now tackling. There is no cell phone network or opportunity to refuel along the entire 151 km route. So we started well prepared.

Our first stop was in the Republic of Whangamomona, where we also received a stamp in our passports for a small donation. In our opinion, the small village doesn't really invite you to stay. There is a hotel with a pub where everyone seems to meet, but we ourselves didn't feel very welcome. As we strolled through the republic, we constantly felt watched. Just like the motto: 'tourists again.'

The next attraction was the 'Hobbit Hole.' An old one-lane tunnel where the walls crumble when you touch them.

Next, we wanted to visit the Mount Damper Falls, which are said to be the second-highest waterfalls in New Zealand. For this, we had to leave the Forgotten Highway for 16 km and follow a side road. We parked our car and took a 20-minute walk. At the end of the path, there was a rock wall. Upon closer inspection, a wet trickle could be seen. Despite the pitiable sight, we filled our camera storage with a photo for this blog and walked back, past the puzzled-looking sheep. So this detour wasn't particularly worth it.

We drove to the end of the highway, making several small lookout stops, and realized that those who decide to drive on this relatively deserted road must also adapt to the conditions. Gravel roads and several construction sites are also part of this experience.