Surf Highway 45 and Forgotten World Highway

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December 14th 2009

Published: September 27th 2010

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greeblergoddess

Surf Highway

Cape Egmont on the Surf Highway

Today we drove around on the Surf Highway (Hwy 45). We had a map that suggested points to drive out to and take a look at. We went to the coast to see the Cape Egmont Lighthouse (which unfortunately was fenced off and you couldn't get a close look or walk in it), drove down Stent Road, which is a popular (and famous) surfing spot. We got out and walked around, but no one was surfing. There is a big rock with Stent Road painted on it because apparently they street sign kept getting stolen for a souvenir. Then we went to the wreck of the S.S. Gairloch (a ship that has been a local landmark for over 100 years). It was out a bit in the water, but it was pretty crazy that the remains of the wreckage are still there. There wasn't much left to it and the tide was up so we couldn't walk out to see it either.
We stopped for lunch in Oakura, but the pie shop we wanted to eat at had been shut down. So instead we went to a local bakery (that the travel book recommended) where I had pumpkin bread, and Adam

Surf Highway

Cape Egmont Lighthose

had a bacon and onion Pull-Apart. Both were delicious.
We continued on to New Plymouth, where we picked up some allergy medicine (that the women in the store said to get). We also walked along the coast and we saw the Wind Wand, an iconic piece of kinetic art. It was pretty crazy.
We then headed down to the town of Stratford, named after Shakespeare's birthplace. A bunch of streets around there all have the names of Shakespeare's characters. They also have the only Glockenspiel in New Zealand. When it goes off music plays, and some lines from Romeo and Juliet are recited as well as Romeo and Juliet popping out of different doors sort of re-enacting the play. It was amusing. We also saw a coffee shop named Sgt. Peppers. But it didn't seem very Beatles themed. I thought it was funny though.

Afterward we headed out on the Forgotten World highway (Hwy 43). It really was a road that looked forgotten. We drove up and down some saddles, and the scenery was pretty awesome. We stopped in the republic of Whangamomona, and went to the hotel (the only functioning building there) to get our passports stamped since

Surf Highway

Hills around Tarahaki

the border control shack was empty. We stayed the night at a small site there, where surprisingly there were a few other people staying. There were lots of lambs in the surrounding hills making noise. It was kind of funny.

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