New Zealand State Highway 43, also called the Forgotten World Highway, is a road that runs 158 km from Stratford, New Zealand

Stratford, New Zealand

Stratford is the only town in the central Taranaki district of Stratford District, New Zealand. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, approximately half-way between New Plymouth and Hawera, near the geographic centre of the Taranaki region. The town has a population of...

 in Taranaki to Taumarunui

Taumarunui

Taumarunui is a town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on State Highway 4 and the North Island Main Trunk Railway....

 in the King Country

King Country

The King Country is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of the Whanganui River in the south, and from the Hauhungaroa and Rangitoto Ranges in the east to near the Tasman...

. The road has a lot of interesting Ghost Towns on it including, Toko

Toko

Toko is a small rural settlement 10 kilometres east of Stratford, New Zealand, at the intersection of East Road and Toko Road. It is located on a railway, the Stratford - Okahukura Line, the western portion of which was operated as a branch line known as the Toko Branch prior to the line's...

, Douglas, Te Wera, Pohukura, Strathmore

Strathmore

Strathmore, from the Scottish Gaelic for large valley , can refer to a number of people, places in Scotland, or places named by Scottish emigrants:-Buildings:...

, Whangamomona

Whangamomona

Whangamomona is a small township in the Stratford District and Manawatu-Wanganui Region in New Zealand. It lies on State Highway 43, the Lost World Highway north-east of Stratford and south-west of Ohura. By rail it is from Stratford on the Stratford-Okahukura railway line.- History :The first...

, Marco

Marco

Marco may refer to:* Georg Marco , Romanian chess player of German origin* Marco , people with the given name "Marco"* 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, an anime series, in some countries referred to as Marco...

, Koruatahi, Tahora

Tahora

The place name Tahora may refer to:*Tahora, Manawatu-Wanganui*Tahora, Otago...

, Tatu and 10 km off the highway is Ohura

Ohura

Ohura is a small town in the west of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the west of Taumarunui in the area known as the King Country, in inland Manawatu-Wanganui...

.

The Highway goes through some rugged, beautiful countryside. It climbs three saddles including the Strathmore Saddle the Whangamomona Saddle and the Tahora Saddle. 14 km past Whangamomona

Whangamomona

Whangamomona is a small township in the Stratford District and Manawatu-Wanganui Region in New Zealand. It lies on State Highway 43, the Lost World Highway north-east of Stratford and south-west of Ohura. By rail it is from Stratford on the Stratford-Okahukura railway line.- History :The first...

 is the Moki Tunnel also known as Hobbits Hole. Just before the Moki Tunnel is the turn off for the Mount Damper Falls, the 4th highest in the north island. In the 1920s the Stratford - Okahukura Line was being built. Many of the ghost towns are from the railway days. Past Hobbits Hole is the Tangarakau Gorge with walls just under 200 ft high, the road in the gorge is not tar sealed. The road takes up to 3 hours.