In the South Island of New Zealand is a massive inland farm of180,787 hectares that is the amalgamation of several previous farm stations that proved uneconomic and are now managed by the state as both a farm and a recreational public asset.

Today you can drive through the farm on the gravel road that traverses it but only from October 1st until Easter the following year. Over winter it is closed and sometimes also is closed during summer if the fire risk is critical. You can only drive on the road from 7am-7pm. It is definitely worth while driving in the daytime as the views are spectacular. Camping at night the night sky view is also pretty good on a clear night with very little artificial light in the area.

Early in the colonisation of New Zealand when roads and shipping were limited in their capacity this dry inland area provided a route for livestock- mostly sheep to be moved from the northern provinces of Nelson and Marlborough to the Canterbury region with its large fertile alluvial plains. In the 19th century large runs had been established where sheep were grazed but over time these became uneconomic because of droughts, isolation, erosion and rabbit population explosions decimating the available feed for the sheep.

In 1938 the runholders on the original Molesworth block walked off the land and so the lease reverted to the Crown. Other neighbouring stations were added in 1949. With the state taking over management it was recognised that sheep were causing erosion that was destroying the land and so cattle were introduced and remain today the primary stock held with small numbers of sheep used to keep some weeds down. The cattle are a mix of Angus and Hereford. Today there is a major problem with 'wilding pines' (mostly Pinus Radiata) spreading across the area reducing grazing. Could they be allowed to spread and act as a carbon sink? The current government does not seem to think so.

In the 1950s large state projects built a number of hydro power generation stations in the lower South Island of NZ and power lines were needed to transmit this new power supply to the more populated North Island- these large power transmission lines were routed through the Molesworth Station and to this day provide the economic incentive to maintain the gravel roads which traverse the station from Hanmer Springs in the south to Blenheim in the North. We drove through over three days, taking time to stop at campsites next to two of the old cob houses, one at Acheron and another at the original Molesworth station headquarters.

The Acheron cob house was a roadhouse that provided lodging and stables for drovers who would drive stock through on horse.

There are campsites at both locations and also other sites where you can camp along the road.

Most of the road is gravel but fairly good condition- the only part I found challenging for the old Hiace van was the start from Hanmer where you go over Jacks Pass - this road is fairly rough and steep in places but manageable for most cars with average or better ground clearance.

There are no gas stations or shops for about 200km from Hanmer till you reach the coastal settlement of Seddon back on the main highway.

The speed limit on the road is 50 kph which is about right since it is narrow in places and there are quite a few cyclists and motorcyclists who ride it.

To stay at the campsites you can pay online via the doc website- its about $10/n per person. (see link above) At both Acheron and Molesworth there are volunteers and or Doc staff who may check you have paid the fees.

It is a nice way to see a part of NZ few people ever see- but you cannot drive a rental car/van there as insurance companies don't cover it. I think even private car insurance may not cover any accident on the road.

But its still worth having a drive through here in my opinion- much more enjoyable than the conventional motorway up the coast if you have time to spare and want to see a part of NZ that feels almost stuck in time back a century or more.