Ghost Town

If you’re not already spooked by the words ‘ghost town’ then how about where it lies - along the Forgotten World Highway, as if there’s a whole world of forgotten dead people just waiting to freak you right out. Signs to the town have goat skins slung on either side but there’s no mention of goat ghosts you’ll be pleased to know. There used to be 1200-2000 people living here (details are sketchy) including an old school house, back in the 1930s. That’s when coal was to be found and sold, and a long tunnel needed digging, with pick axes and dynamite, so trains could pass through.

And now, well, it’s you and your campervan, rolling hills and things that go eeek in the night. To access Tangarakau, turn off State Highway 43, drive 6km into bush and farmland, get your selfie by the Ghost Town sign and set up camp. Don’t forget your torch and spooky stories!