The South Marlborough area is a large and varied region with many publicly accessible conservation areas and different hunting opportunities. It goes from the dividing ridge of the Northbank in Mt Richmond Forest Park, south to the Conway River. The eastern boundary is the Raglan Range, south to Lake Tennyson and the Clarence River. It encompasses inland Marlborough and Kaikoura, including Molesworth Station.
South Marlborough Area has approximately 435,808 ha of public conservation land. Some is easily accessible, but other areas are accessed only with permission from surrounding private land holders.
The area varies from the relatively wet, mixed podocarp forest of the Northbank to the dry limestone crags of Isolated Hill, and the vast arid high country landscapes of the Molesworth and Clarence.
South Marlborough is popular with local hunters and those from around the country. Most areas have populations of red deer, pigs and goats. Chamois are wide-spread in low numbers throughout the high country, except the Richmond Ranges.
Location
The South Marlborough area is located at the top of the South Island, on the east coast.