Molesworth Station

Conservation, farming and recreation go hand in hand at Molesworth, New Zealand's largest farm.

The 180,476ha Molesworth Station is a key area of high country owned by the Crown. It is New Zealand's largest farm, but also a very strong conservation area. Almost half of the over 60 endemic plant species found in South Marlborough grow on Molesworth.

The vast tussock lands of Molesworth Station were abandoned to the Crown in the 1930s and 1940s, after rabbits and overstocking had reduced the land to desert, and after years of economic recession.

Reconstruction began during the 1950s. Fifty years on, cattle are back grazing the lands. The station bustles with tourists and locals enjoying the remoteness, the fresh air and beautiful scenery. There is a well-travelled network of tramping tracks accessible from the Hanmer-Rainbow Road.

Good trout and salmon fishing are available in the rivers, streams and lakes of Molesworth. Fishing permitted only during the open season (October 1 to April 30) and requires a license from Fish & Game New Zealand. Contact their Marlborough, +64 3 578 8421.

Goats, chamois, pigs, deer and rabbits are hunted at Molesworth. Hunting and taking dogs onto public conservation land requires a permit from DOC South Marlborough.

Historic cob houses that accommodated 19th century travellers on the inland route from North Canterbury to Nelson and Marlborough, are representative of the human history of Molesworth Station