Activities at Molesworth Station

Tracks and walks

There is a well-travelled network of tramping tracks accessible from the Hanmer-Rainbow Road. Outside the summer season (from the beginning of December until the first weekend in March), permission must be obtained from Star Holdings Limited for access through Rainbow Station.

In the rest of the station, tramping options are currently being planned. For the latest information, contact the South Marlborough Area Office.

Driving through Molesworth Station

Travelling through Molesworth Station is a unique high country experience. There are two routes through the station – the Acheron Road which opens to the public for usually just over three months from late December and the Rainbow Road which goes up the western edge of the station and through to St Arnaud.

The Acheron and Rainbow roads can be combined to make a good, though long, round trip.

To ensure a safe and enjoyable journey, travel on roads that are open to the public only. As well as being potentially dangerous, off-road driving can damage fragile plants, spread weeds and start fires.

Travel through Molesworth is at your own risk; for your safety, ensure you plan and prepare for your journey through the station.

Acheron Road

The Acheron Road is open from 28 December to 1 April, from 7.00am to 7.00pm but may be closed without warning due to weather conditions or fire danger. You should check the road status before setting out; it can be checked 24 hours a day by contacting the DOC South Marlborough Area Office: phone +64 3 572 9100. 

Acheron Accommodation House,
Molesworth

The 207-kilometre journey from Blenheim to Hanmer Springs through Molesworth takes around 6 hours, with the 59-kilometre Acheron Road section through the station taking at least two hours. The road is suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles but not for caravans or vehicles over seven metres long. Careful and slow driving is needed on the narrow, unsealed road.

Camping is available at the Molesworth Cob cottage and Acheron Accommodation House at either end of the road - see Places to stay.

Hanmer-Rainbow Road

The 112 km Hanmer-Rainbow Road is accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles only. The drive takes around three hours. Check with DOC or i-SITE visitor centres before setting out as road and access conditions may change at any time.

To prevent the spread of the aquatic pest didymo, drivers should use bridges, where these are available, rather than fords to cross creeks on the route.

Travel on this road is remarkable for the landscape’s transition from wide tussocklands and screes along the Clarence River to craggy, beech-covered mountains in the Wairau catchment. Scenic highlights include the 239-hectare Lake Tennyson – surrounded by mountains and forest – the Island Saddle alpine pass and wetlands around the Sedgemere Lakes. There are places to camp on the route - see Places to stay.

From 28 December until 1 April, a toll is collected at the Rainbow cob homestead and a gate here is opened for travellers. Outside this season, other locked gates will be encountered and access permission must be obtained from the runholder, Star Holdings Limited.

Open periods for recreation activities

The open periods for public recreation access vary across Molesworth with restrictions in place to protect the working farm. The Upper Clarence/Wairau rivers area in the western part of the station is open throughout the year. The Acheron Road through the station is open from 28 December to 1 April. Two large areas – in the north-west and east – are open for seasonal access. Open areas may be temporarily closed due to weather conditions or stock movements.

See the Molesworth map for more details on areas open for seasonal public access.

A permit is required for access to the central part of the station essential to the farming operation outside of the period when the Acheron Road is open. Those seeking permits should contact the DOC South Marlborough Area Office.

Guided tours

DOC grants concessions for a number of reputable tour operators, who offer visitors to Molesworth the option of being driven through the property by a knowledgeable guide. Special interest tours include cycling, rafting, kayaking and horse-trekking.

Horse trekking

At all times of the year, permission is required to ride through Molesworth. Routes and logistics need to be carefully planned. Contact the South Marlborough Area Office for advice and necessary permits.

Fishing

Good trout and salmon fishing are available in the rivers, streams and lakes of Molesworth.  Please park your vehicle and walk, as off-road driving is prohibited. Walking access is possible up stream margins and major rivers.

Fishing permitted only during the open season (October 1 to April 30) and requires a license from Fish & Game New Zealand. Contact their Marlborough, +64 3 578 8421 or
Nelson office, +64 3 544 6382.

Anyone wanting access when the road is closed must apply for a special permit from the South Marlborough Area Office.

Hunting

The hunting of gamebirds on Molesworth is the responsibility of the Nelson-Marlborough Fish & Game, controlled under licensing. Three organised Canada geese shoots are held here each year.

Goats, chamois, pigs, deer and rabbits are hunted at Molesworth. Dogs are permitted only in certain areas, for hunting purposes only. Hunting and taking dogs onto public conservation land requires a permit from the South Marlborough Area Office.

Rafting

Rafting starts at then confluence of the
Acheron River, Marlborough

Rafting the Clarence River is a multi-day wilderness experience, offered by a number of adventure tourism companies employing qualified guides. Trips are generally four days and five nights.

Rafts are launched at the Acheron River confluence and the journey ends 214 kilometres later where the Clarence meets the sea. Rapids are a moderate grade two and three. October to December is the main rafting season, when water levels are sufficiently high.

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