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New Zealand: Day 68: Trip to Mount Taranaki and Forgotten World Highway: Day 2

At 4 a.m. in the morning first cars started to make noise close to my tent, so it was time to get up, prepare a breakfast, pack the tent and ride to the point, where I will start my hike to Mount Taranaki.

Mount Taranaki, or Mount Egmont, is an active but quiescent stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. The most recent volcanic activity was the production of a lava dome in the crater and its collapse down the side of the mountain in the 1850s or 1860s. First European ascent to the 2518 meters high mountain was made by the Dr. Ernst Dieffenbach & James Heberly in 1839. The record from North Egmont carpark to the summit is 68 minutes by Greg Barbour.

Mount Taranaki, here I come

Sunrise and a view to Mount Ruapehu, another active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not even close for the record, still a great hike to the summit of Mount Taranaki, 2518 m a.m.s.l.

Mount Taranaki was behind me and I continued with riding on Forgotten World Highway. The road wriggles its way over four mountain saddles, through an eerie one-way tunnel and along a sinuous river gorge.

 

150 kilometres of forgotten world without a gas station 

 

From Strathmore Saddle you can see Mount Taranaki and Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe

 

Detour to Makahu Tunnel

Abandoned railway in the valley seen from Pohokura saddle

In the afternoon I entered The Republic of  Whangamomona, where I bought my second citizenship. On 1 November 1989, residents declared themselves the "Republic of Whangamomona" at the first Republic Day due to disagreement with regional boundaries.

 

Beer, passport and a stamp for NZ$12 in the home of the Republic of Whangamomona

When I was leaving the premisses of Republic of Whangamomona, a biker approached and he invited me to a local party in Tahora with some local bands for warming up and The Easterns as the main group.

Camping and entrance fee for the concerts was NZ$20.

Riding on the Forgotten World Highway

Stage

 

Cheapest beers in the country, all for NZ$4. 

 

Local band

 

The Eastern from Lyttleton Harbour

The owner of the place and me

Official photo of the band

The Eastern - Oh Mystery!

More of their music can be found on www.myspace.com.

On this long day I also found some time for geocaching and with Sky City - Adelaide, TB4V4DY we visited 4 caches.
1. Stairway to heaven, GC3EPYD
2. The Camphouse Cache, GCCD76
3. Saddle up Whangamomona, GCVHGM
4. Whangamomona - The capital of the Forgotten World, GC426P3