Molesworth... The Homestead

Molesworth... This station is massive... 180,470 hectares, nearly 

60 kilometers long and wide. It's the single biggest farm and cattle 

run in New Zealand. (There are no sheep except for dog tucker).

Hugely  imposing landscapes that dwarf its rivers and dominate the

horizons. The solitude and space that reflects its emptiness and

renders human figures irrelevant...(Paraphrased from 'Molesworth

Stories from New Zealand's Largest High-Country Station').

 

 And here I am, parked in the middle of this amazing place, watching

the sun rise over the hills. It's about 7.30am and very cool.

I'm watching the new day unfold... As many days have before

and will continue to do...

Molesworth Station is high above sea level, ranging from less than

500 meters in altitude at the confluence of Spray Stream and the

Clarence River to the highest named point at Dillon Cone at 2173

meters. There is an unnamed peak at the head of the Severn River

that ascends to 2182 meters.

The sun from the east hitting the tree tops growing round the stream.

My barometer has gone berserk... It's gone past dry to  1060

 milli bars... That means we are heading towards a cyclone but

nothing could be further from the truth. Yes I am 900 meters in

altitude and I don't really understand barometers... But the day is

perfectly still and stayed like that all day.

The first excitement in my day was the appearance of this beautiful

1927 Model A Ford. Three people got out, I couldn't believe it...

100km of gravel road and they were going on to spend the night 

at Hanmer. It apparently gobbled up the fuel and only had a small

tank so the elderly driver was hoping they would make it!

My first walk of the day... Only 10 minutes and started right

behind my bus...

Up to the gate...

An easy walk up the hill...

 

This is Mount Chisholm which was to be my 2nd walk of the day.

More vast space and towering mountains...

And the current homestead is behind those trees...

Here it is... Zoomed in on my camera... Pristinely kept

and nobody in sight.

Don't know if you can see on this map just where it is...

There are lots of informations panels about the homestead and the

farm and it's history, these are just a few.