Forgotten World Highway
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Route Overview
General Overview
This Adventure was created and personally logged by Ross Bowden. Ross is a keen adventure rider with an extensive knowledge of the remote North Island track network.
The Forgotten World Highway is a must for any keen NZ explorer.
This route includes the Forgotten World Highway. It climbs three saddles: the Strathmore Saddle, Whangamomona Saddle, and Tahora Saddle. 14 km past Whangamomona is the Moki Tunnel, also known as Hobbit's Hole.
Next there is the Ohura road, and Ongarue - Waimiha road.
Start/Finish Point
This is an A to B trip. Starting at Stratford and ending at Taupo. The GPX files are in this direction. It can be traveled in either direction.
Terrain includes
This route is predominantly tarmac, with only 12 km of metal on The Forgotten World Highway. The rest are some of the windiest tarmac stretches available. The gravel road included in this route is Grade 1 in dry conditions.
Distance
290 Km.
Max Fuel Leg
195 km into the route you will reach Benneydale where there is fuel available at:
Benneydale Service Station.
Ph (07)-8784732.
Fuel is available only during weekdays.
255 km into the route you will reach Whakamaru where there is fuel available at:
GAS Whakamaru.
Ph 07-882 8817.
Travel Time
Conservative seat time is 3:75 hours however this will vary depending on your riding / driving style. Pretty cool countryside, so take photos.
Accommodation
65 km from Stratford is the Whangamomona Hotel .
Ph 06-762 5823.
Access Permission
All roads within this Adventure are publicly accessible so access permission is not required.
Safety
While this is not considered a technical route it does include semi-remote areas so it is recommended to travel as a group with typical equipment including tools, spares and a PLB or emergency beacon.
General tarmac cautions exist such as tourist traffic and blind corners. Extreme caution should be taken as the road surface is generally bumpy, and unpredictable.
General gravel road cautions exist such as off-camber corners, rain ruts, uneven gravel, blind corners and the presence of loose stock.
