Molesworth Day8 Nov25

Intro
-This is day 8 Molesworth Track my least track of my 2025 Nov South Island Adventure trip
-I have a 3 day Middle North Island adventure over XMAS and will post some track reviews from that ride in the new year
-I am looking to buy a Drone and a 360 Camera in the early new year
-So lets get started with this review of the Molesworth track the first time I have done it South to North and my 4th time where the previous 3 were North to South

The Weather
Perfect weather, the best weather I have had so far in doing the Molesworth. Sun, blue sky and no wind. Temperatures between 20 and 29.

Time of the Day
Set off at 7:30am to give my self more time and I was eager to get into it. When it comes to the Molesworth I have always been excited to get into it. It is just one of those rides

How to get there
-On this occasion I entered via Hanmer via Clarency Valley Road
-If you are travelling from Picton you can do Port-Underwood or ride to Blenhiem and use Taylor Pass Road that goes through Taylor Pass, some good gravel and more interesting than SH1 access

History & Things to See
-The Molesworth area is a "land of extremes," Dramatic landscape of towering scree-scarred mountains and river valleys
-Follows the Awatere River, then crosses Wards Pass to follow the Acheron to its confluence with the Clarence River.
-Ride through the spectacular high country landscape of Molesworth Station (Acheron Road), New Zealand’s largest farm.
-The 180,787 hectare station is a recreation reserve administered by the Department of Conservation with its working cattle station run by Landcorp Farming.
-Two historic cob buildings, the Acheron Accommodation House and the Molesworth Cob Cottage. Built 1885.
-Things on Way North to South:
1.Wards Pass (131 km/76 km) from Blenhiem
2.Isolated Flat (132 km/75 km)
3.Red Gate (145 km/62 km)
4.Severn to Sedgemere 4WD Road (145km/62km) - https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec... 4WD road starts/ends here.
5.Severn Rock Shelter (149 km/58 km)
6.Guide River (161 km/46 km)
7.Pig Trough Suspension Bridge (167 km/40 km)
8.Lower Acheron Suspension Bridge (180 km/27 km)
9.Acheron Accommodation House (181 km/26 km)

Track type
-Gravel 90% with some pathed in the first 20kms from the Blenhiem Side
-The track is open roughly in line with Daylight Savings Oct to April and The Acheron Road is open between 7am and 7pm daily
-It pays to keep an eye on the road warnings and closures as I have found out the hard way on previous tries to ride it
-Because this is critical to farming when there are storms the road is typically repaired and opened fairly quickly
-It is often also due to lack of rain closed due to fire danger
-Calls can be made to the DoC South Marlborough area office, phone +64 03 572 9100 or ask at visitor centers in the region. Web Links to check road state and warnings Acheron Road & Alerts - Marlborough District Council
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...
https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/servi...

Difficulty rating overall
Beginner

Areas of Track Challenge
-Stream crossing that most of the time is simple at the Hanmer end of the track
-Have travelled when they have laid fresh gravel and it makes the ride more challenged but only encountered that once in 4 rides and not the whole track just small stretches
-Because of its elevation, the region experiences a continental climate with extreme temperatures and is often exposed to harsh weather. In two trips I leaned how it can change from hot to cold, from dry to very wet.

Distance and Time
190kms and with a few stops expect it to take around 5hrs comfortably as long as the gravel is good.

Elevation details
Highest Road Point: Island Saddle is the highest point on the publicly accessible road at 1,347 m (4,419 ft).
Wards Pass: A significant high point on the Acheron Road at 1,145 m, featuring a 245 m elevation gain from Cobb Cottage.
General Range: The elevation of the Molesworth Station area ranges from 549 m at its lowest point to 2,100 m at its highest peaks.
Average Elevation: The station’s average altitude is approximately 976 m, with the historic homestead sitting at 900 m.

Any place you can camp
1. Acheron Accommodation Hotel and Camping Acheron Accommodation House Campsite - https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...
2. Cob Cottage has a field that allows camping just no fires (Can use cooking stoves)

Traffic
Should expect a bit depending time of day and year. Working days you get less that weekends and public holidays

Gates
From Blenhiem end none to you get to Cob Cottage and then then there are a lot