The Forgotten Highway

I’ve waited more than 50 years to visit the Taranaki region. I’ve always wanted to see the iconic (and conical) Mt Taranaki up close. Therefore I was delighted when Garry and I decided to base ourselves in New Plymouth for three nights including New Year's Eve. However, getting there ultimately proved to be half the fun. We decided to drive from the Central Plateau to the coast via the remote and wild Forgotten Highway. This 155km road winds through some of the North Island’s most rugged terrain linking Taumarunui with Stratford and the Taranaki plains.

However, before we wound our way through the wilderness we took time out to experience the 5 Tunnel Tour. This is an intriguing 16km journey via golf carts along an abandoned railway line that once linked Taumarunui with Stratford. The tour is operated by Forgotten World Railway. It takes visitors from Okahukura through 5 tunnels, including one that’s 1.5km long, through hill country farmland and native bush to the rural community of Matiere. Garry loved it. 

We then drove the full length of The Forgotten Highway, stopping several times to soak in the stunning scenery that opened up around almost every corner. Highlights included the winding, and wild Tangarakau Gorge, the remote Whangamomona Hotel and our first glimpse through evening skies of Mt Taranaki’s soaring peak from the top of the Whangamomona Saddle.

Whangamomona is a fascinating place. This sleepy village is the capital of The Republic of Whangamomona. The public was formed in 1988 after the local council planned to split Whangamomona into two regions: Taranaki and Manawatu-Wanganui districts. The locals were mortified as they'd always seen themselves as part of Taranaki. They were equally angered by the lack of consultation about the change. In response, the residents declared Whangamomona as a republic and appointed their own president.

Lunch on a super volcano

I know it’s become a bit of a cliché whenever I say this but it’s always been a childhood dream of mine to stay at the Chateau Tongariro. Photos of this grand old hotel’s exterior, sit against the back drop of Mt Ruapehu always invoked visions of Edwardian charm and decorum. I imagined it as a place where high tea was served while musicians filled the air with classical chords.

Sadly our visit to the Chateau proved rather disappointing. We encountered a venue that seemed a little shabby around the edges, with mediocre service and underwhelming dining options.  However, our disappointment was somewhat offset by the truly magnificent landscape that surrounds the hotel.  It was virtually impossible not to take postcard-perfect images of Mt Ruapehu towering in the background; or capture the conical perfection of nearby Mt Ngauruhoe.

We’d originally planned to take a chairlift ride up to Knoll Ridge to soak up views of the Volcanic Plateau and a distant Mt Taranaki.  However, the chairlift was closed. It’s currently in the process of being replaced by a shiny new Swiss Gondola system.  As a result, we revised our plans and spent a day exploring the southern shores of Lake Taupo. 

The lake is a spectacular body of water in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island.  Ominously, its actually the immersed caldera for one of the world’s largest super volcanoes.  Its last eruption occurred in 232 AD. According to Wikipedia, this eruption “is believed to have first emptied the lake then followed that feat with a pyroclastic flow that covered about 20,000 square kilometres of land with volcanic ash. A total of 120 km3 of material is believed to have been ejected, and over 30 km3 of this is estimated to have been ejected in just a few minutes.”

However, on our visit, we saw little more than lots of fat and happy rainbow trout.  We began our day with a visit to the verdant lakeside resort of Kuratau.  We enjoyed a leisurely picnic lunch under shade trees while trailer boats filled with vacationing locals came and went.  We then visited the mud pools at Tokaanu before finishing the day with a tour of the Tongariro National Trout Centre.

The Trout Centre was a real highlight.  A well laid out exhibit explained the operation of Taupo’s trout hatcheries and the region’s modern fishing heritage.  Outside we watched mature trout swimming in a stream; from the railing of a footbridge and from a spectacular underwater viewing gallery.  The centre also has a Whio (Blue Duck) breeding program.  This includes two enclosures in which juvenile ducks could be seen swimming and diving to their heart's content.

Kiwi Country

The itinerary I created for our central North Island road trip took us through several regions I'd never seen before.  This included the Forgotten Highway, the Taranaki region and the winelands of the Manawatu. The final journey saw us cover more than 1300 kms over ten days.  However, we did stop for several days in two locations to rest, relax and enjoy some lazy Summer days.

We began our road trip shortly after lunch on Boxing Day.  Our first day's itinerary took us back over the Kaimai range, then west towards Waitomo Caves for the evening.  We stopped briefly in Arapuni to walk its famous suspension bridge. The 152-metre long structure was erected in 1925 to provide easy access for workers constructing the Arapuni Hydroelectric Dam.  It spans the Waikato River as tumbles through a narrow gorge. 

Our first night on the road was spent at the historical Waimoto Caves Hotel.  Sadly the venue has seen better days.  However, the hotel gave an enormous room in one of its oldest wings that opened out on to an expansive balcony overlooking the main entrance.  We later realised that our room was the only room that had access to this huge outdoor space.

It quickly became apparent that we were travelling in peak season.  We went to book a tour through the Gloworm caves and discovered some options were booked for days in advance.  We eventually settled on the classic boat ride through the original tourist cave but couldn't book it until mid-afternoon. As a result, we spent the next morning visiting the Otrahonga Kiwi House where we saw our first two kiwis for the holiday.

The caves were just as I recall them.  As you glide silently through the pitch black interior the ceiling comes alive with thousands of points of light.  It really is just like looking up at the night skies arcing overhead.  We then finished our day with a two-hour drive through the King Country.  Our next stop for two nights was the world famous Chateau Tongariro, located on the foothills of Mount Ruapehu.  More about our adventures on the Volcanic Plateau tomorrow. 

A family Christmas

Six years ago Garry and I flew to New Zealand to join my family for a final reunion before my father died.  At the time we knew Dad's days were numbered.  He'd been moved to a hospice a few weeks before our arrival.  However, at the time he still appeared to be in reasonable health but his strength and agility varied greatly from one day to the next. 

We arrived in New Zealand hoping to bring Dad back home for a final Christmas Day with everyone together.  Sadly it wasn't to be.  On December 25 we found Dad weak and barely coherent.  It was clear he couldn't travel.  As a result, we never did get to have that final Christmas reunion and Dad died 12 days later. 

Garry and I returned to New Zealand this month for our first McGregor family Christmas since those final sad days. We began our vacation in Auckland where we hired a car and drove south via the Kiamais to Mum's house.  We planned to spend five nights with the family before embarking on a ten-day road trip through the central North Island and flying home from Wellington. 

Our transfer to the Mount didn't quite unfold without a hitch.  At the airport we battled with Hertz to ensure it properly document significant damage on the vehicle we rented. Then, soon after we left the airport, we discovered the glove box housing an empty wine bottle.  However, this shaky start was soon forgotten as we soaked in a stunning view from the Kiamai summit a few hours later.

Christmas Day was a fabulous day filled with fun and laughter.  The weather also played its part.  Our first four days in New Zealand had been dogged by clouds and rain.  However, our dose of decent sunshine appeared early in the afternoon capping off a perfect day of family festivities.  Garry also prepared one of his perpetually Instagram-worthy pavlovas.

While in town we also spent a productive afternoon on the beach conducting a professional photo shoot. Shelley won the shoot after entering a social media competition.  The photographer took superb photos of Matt and his family, plus a truly awesome image of Mum and us boys. Thanks to some pre-planning we boys were dressed in matching light blue shirts and royal blue shorts, while Mum wore an eye-catching crimson blouse.  No doubt it'll become the defining image of some ancestral photo album in decades to come.