Molesworth - Mt Chisholm...

The mountain directly behind the Molesworth homestead is Mt Chisholm.

I got to know the wife of the ranger and we decided to

talk an afternoon stroll... I don't think. It is 1518 meters high.

The Cob Cottage DoC camp is 900 meters high, so only

another 600 meters or so... I thought I'd give it a go...

My biggest walking challenge since I broke my leg!

The gentle beginning of the walk...

45 minutes later...

And another hour later we surely must be nearly to the top...

The track continued along this sharp ridge, loose scree in most places.

Spectacular scenery...

I wouldn't have wanted to slip and slide all the way down here!

Ominous looking clouds... Is it going to rain?

We hadn't taken rain coats, in fact a bottle of water and

an apple were my sole provisions.

Another 20 minutes and we are still climbing.

Up into the lofty heights...

Nearly the last post identifying the track... What track?

I've made it... It's quite cold and a strong wind up

this high but I was all hot and bothered. 

It was great to collapse and enjoy the view and enjoy my 

apple and water... Then I didn't have to carry them down

the mountain again. The DoC info board said it was 1hour 

20minutes but it took us 2 hours up and 1 hour going down.

The weather looked very threatening to the west...

But bright and clear to the east. I wondered which was

going to reach us first but it stayed sunny and we stayed dry.

 And back to where we started...
What an amazing walk and how unfit I am... But I did it. Yay!

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.