Station Facts

Molesworth Station

Molesworth Station is New Zealand’s largest high country station, covering almost half a million acres (185,000 hectares).

It is located inland of Blenheim, between the Inland Kaikoura mountains to the east where lofty Mt Tapeanuku, highest mountain outside of the Southern alps, which dominates the views standing proud at 2,885 metres. The western boundary skirts the mighty Wairau River, with the popular alpine Hanmer Hot Spring Resort to the South.

In the past Molesworth Station was closed to the public for many years, recently the New Zealand Department of Conservation has taken ownership on behalf of the NZ government. Having a DOC concession our company has been able to develop a comprehensive range of tours to offer our guests, from October to May so we are delighted to bring you exclusive entry to parts of this unique and remote region where the topography varies from River Valleys to towering Mountains with shingle screes that seem to disappear to the sky, at 900 metres to over 1,554 metres, with frosts two days out of every three.

The summer wild flowers are a special treat from December to March. From December on, there also is new life being introduced to the station with new born calves with their proud mothers scattered along the side of road grazing the long grasses beside bubbling side creeks, rushing river systems that wind to the coast.

Mountain Lakes or Tarns dot the landscape, with Lake Tennyson being the Jewel in the Crown. A beautiful crystal blue lake with a back drop of the Southern Alps. There are also old historic buildings with their rich history making Molesworth Station a special place in our history.

Molesworth comprises of three stations, all owned by the Crown – Molesworth, Tarndale and St Helen’s. Collectively they once ran 95,000 sheep but their close grazing, along with millions of rabbits, and a very severe climate, denuded the grass and native plant cover of the properties.

Drastic intervention was required, and Manager Bill Chisholm sold the sheep, switched to cattle and spread poisoned carrots by air to reduce rabbit numbers.

Aerial top dressing of red clover, cocksfoot and fertiliser also assisted the recovery and along with fencing and careful stock management, the property improved.

While limited public access is now permitted in summer, we are delighted to bring you exclusive entry to parts of this beautiful region through our range of tours.