Features
Quick facts
- The 180,476 hectare station runs the country's biggest herd of beef cattle, numbering up to 10,000.
- Altitude ranges from 549 metres to over 2100 metres.
- Ground frosts occur at the homestead roughly two days in three.
- The 1437 metre Island Saddle is the highest point on a publicly accessed road in New Zealand.
- Almost half of the over 60 endemic plant species found in South Marlborough grow on Molesworth.
Landforms
Molesworth is the source of the Clarence, Wairau and Acheron Rivers.
A history of glaciation can be read in the landscape of terminal and lateral moraines, glacial outwash plains, hanging valleys and waterfalls, cirque basins, tarns and arêtes.
Several major active faultlines transect the property causing mountain uplift and more recently triggering landslides and rockfalls.
Climate
Molesworth endures a continental climate of extremes. Hot and generally dry summers are followed by harsh winters. Snow may fall at any time of the year, sometimes covering the entire property for up to eight weeks in the winter.
Average annual rainfall ranges from 670mm in the east to 3000mm in the west, the marked gradient reflected in the varied soils and vegetation.
Vegetation
Vegetation reflects the east to west rainfall gradient. At the dry end of the scale, you will see gravelfield and scree communities as well as shrublands. Short tussocklands grow on valley floors and lower mountain side-slopes and tall tussocklands on mountain slopes and in upper parts of catchments.
In wetter country, patches of red tussocks and remnants of mountain beech forest can be found. Manuka and kanuka shrubland communities have in some areas risen from the ashes of burned beech, and are nursing regenerating forests.
Lakes, wetlands and kettlehole bogs provide a treasure trove of moisture-loving plants.
A Protected Natural Areas (PNA) survey of the station in 1987/88 identified 25 recommended areas for protection (RAPs), totalling nearly 30% of the Farm Park's total area. Progress is being made on fencing and protecting these sites.
Wildlife
Molesworth supports one of New Zealand's most diverse lizard faunas. New Zealand falcon, banded dotterel and black-fronted tern are among threatened bird species found.
Land-locked native fish species including members of the bully and galaxias families occur in lakes and tarns, some unique to Marlborough. Rivers and streams are populated by native fish species and trout.
Several species of spectacularly large giant wetas and speargrass weevils are found here.
A long human history
Acheron homestead, Molesworth Station
Molesworth Station may seem isolated, but it has a long human history.
Established trails through Molesworth were used by Ngai Tahu Maori for food gathering and access between the west coast - an important source of jade (pounamu) - and the east coast. Maori described these routes to early European settlers, who well into the 20th century droved their stock over the Station's high passes from Marlborough and Nelson to Canterbury.
The Tophouse, Rainbow, Tarndale and Acheron cob accommodation houses were among a string of dwellings placed to service travellers.
Both the Molesworth roads were built to enable the construction and maintenance of power lines, the Hanmer-Rainbow Road in the 1950s and the Acheron Road in the late 1960s.
Farming
Molesworth brings together the traditions of New Zealand high country farming and modern agriculture.
The farm calendar follows the cycle of the seasons, with cattle grazed on warm valley floors in the cold winter months then ranging free on the higher altitude back-country during summer. Teams of musterers camp out with their dogs and horses for days at a time in remote huts.
Lower slopes and valley floors have been aerially oversown and topdressed with fertiliser.
Briar, broom and wilding pines and the invasive flatweed, hieracium are problem weeds. Possums, ferrets and pigs are a significant threat to animal health because of their ability to transmit bovine tuberculosis, which is present on the station.
back to top