February 2026 - NZ Road Trip Bushlands, Bees & Billy Gumboot

February 2026 - NZ Road Trip - Bushlands, Bees and Billy Gumboot

Our next stop was south 245km to Bushlands campground, a favourite place of ours that we first visited last year.

It is down the SH43 Forgotten Highway in the self declared Republic of Whangamomona. Its a quirky place and in 1999 Billy Gumboot the goat was elected the second president as a protest against local government reforms. He won a landslide victory—allegedly by eating other candidates' ballots—and served for 18 months until his death in office.

Bushlands Campground is one of the few places in NZ with a fire pit and all the campers sit round long into the night exchanging tales.

The valley is covered in manuka trees and and there is a fully working honey extraction plant that is supplied by 600 hives. Pouatu Honey produces the high quality Manuka Honey and Bush Honey.

We slept late enjoying the peace and tranquillity.

There are a few hikes in the area including a 45 min (each way) walk to Fossil Canyon. It's an easy wide trail along the side of the river that opens into a large auditoreum of lush grass and towering ocean fossil-rich cliffs with wild horses, goats and cows merrily grazing in their paradisaical oasis. We took lunch with us and scrambled down to the river for a refreshing dip (well Carla dipped, Alex paddled!).

We also walked along the old rail tracks and through a 400m tunnel that was built exactly 100 years ago. Alex found an old Bedford 6 cylinder diesel truck and declared that with a some WD40 and a bit of tape it would be ready to go (see photo below).

On our way to our next destination another short hike took us to Damper Falls - at 74m they are amongst the highest in New Zealand and hidden away in a valley.

Next stop Stratford and Mount Taranaki.

Raglan Harbour

Bridal Veil Falls

The climb up Mt Karioi