Whangamomona

In 1989 local government boundaries were redrawn and Whangamomona, historically part of Taranaki, was placed in the Manawatu-Wanganui region. The village objected, was ignored, and on 1 November 1989 declared itself an independent republic. It has elected presidents ever since - including, over the years, a goat and a poodle - and holds Republic Day every two years with a day of events that brings several thousand people to a settlement of a few dozen. The Whangamomona Hotel, built in 1911 after fire destroyed the first, is the centre of it: it sells republic passports over the bar, has rooms, and is the only substantial building left of what was once a busier timber and farming town. Around it are a few houses, a domain and the railway formation of the old Stratford-Okahukura line. It sits midway along the Forgotten World Highway, and there is no fuel.

History

The first European settlers arrived in 1895 and the town proper was laid out two years later. A major flood in 1924 set it back, the railway arrived in 1933 and electricity in 1959, the school closed in 1979 and the post office nine years later, and the name Whangamōmona was gazetted in July 2020 (Wikipedia, Whangamōmona).

What to look for

• The 1911 hotel - the centre of the village, selling republic passports.
• The republic story - a boundary change, a declaration and elected presidents.
• Republic Day - every two years, thousands in a village of dozens.
• The old railway formation - the Stratford-Okahukura line through the valley.

When to go

October to April; Republic Day falls in January of odd-numbered years and transforms the place. Otherwise it is very quiet.

Practical notes

It is a few dozen people, a hotel and not much else - the story is the attraction. No fuel on the highway. Accommodation is limited to the hotel and books out for Republic Day well ahead.

Nearby

The Forgotten World Highway runs both ways; Stratford and Taumarunui are the ends.

Key facts