Molesworth Station

Molesworth Station is New Zealand's largest farm at over 1,800 square kilometers. From the 1850's it

was the main route between Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury. After being overgrazed by more than 90,000 sheep, infested with Rabbits and repeatedly burned, careful management and stocking solely cattle has gradually restored the vegetation in the area. It is important to travel only on the roads open to the public as off roading can damage the fragile plants, cause the spread of weeds and start fires. Over 60 endemic plant species grow in the South Island and half of these can be found on Molesworth.

The road from Blenheim to Hanmer Springs is 207km. Take the turnoff at the Awatere Valley road which is 22km south of Blenheim and just before the town of Seddon. The sign at the end of the road will tell you if the road is open. The Department of Conservation has administered this area of land since 2005 and opens the road to the public from the 28th December until the 9 April. 

In spring and early summer the wild flowers are brilliant, colors contrasting with the grasses. This is one of those places that you could visit every month and the photo's will be completely different. Such is the diverse landscape of the Molesworth.

 Trying to show the many different types of landscape was difficult. Just trying to give an idea of it's vastness but still keep some visual interest.

It's also an area of harsh climate with ground frosts over 200 days of the year. There are not many trees and the ones that are there show the ravages of the climate.

After driving up the Awatere Valley the vista that opens before you when you get into Molesworth is awesome. There is an incredible change in the landscape, like someone drew a line. The trees growing along the river in the sheltered areas in stark contrast to the barren hills behind.

Initially it all looked like the area was just grass, grass and more grass. But once you started to look down at your feet there were an amazing number of plants, some of which we'd never seen before. It would have been great to know what they were.

This mown strip leads to the lookout where you can view the Molesworth Station Homestead. The stark contrast of the manmade strip against the colours of the landscape was amazing.

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