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| Stunning views through the Molesworth Station |
We headed off mid-January when there was a window of perfect weather to travel to Hanmer through the Rainbow Station and return through the Molesworth Station the next day. It had been a few years since we last travelled through here. With Graeme staying, it gave us the motivation to get organised.
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| The Three Stooges head off to Hanmer ๐ |
From Nelson, we headed up to Lake St Arnaud. First stop a coffee at the lake much to Bills chagrin. It also gave the Boys the opportunity to compete in a duck farting competition into the lake. The road from St Arnaud through the Rainbow station is 112km to Hanmer - very scenic and the stunning weather showing the valleys at their most photogenic.
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| The competition at St Arnaud! |
This part of the trip was the shortest day of the two-day drive - just over 3 hrs driving from St Arnaud onto Hanmer. The road was built in the 1950's for the high - voltage power transmission line to supply the Nelson / Tasman Region and the Buller District with electricity. No longer a maintained road, requiring 4wd.
We headed through the Beech trees in the Wairau valley and up over New Zealand's highest publicly accessible road's pass - Island Saddle (1,347m) and out through to Lake Tennyson. Lovely camping spot, but not on this trip. This is where the Clarence River begins. We headed past the scree covered mountains and tussocks to Hanmer. The scenery is very rugged through here.
It was a relaxed evening in Hanmer, dining at the local - Fire & Ice Restaurant & Bar. The town not too busy. A pleasant end to day one.
We got on the road reasonably early the next day to return to Nelson on the longer leg of the trip (6.5 hrs) through the Molesworth Station. The Molesworth Station is New Zealand's largest farm, a high-country cattle station. Mฤori travelled through here in the summer from the East Coast to the West Coast. The road is a connection for Nelson/Marlborough with North Canterbury.
We headed up the Clarence Valley and into the Acheron Valley, leading onto the Awatere Valley and the Molesworth homestead. Perfect spot for our late lunch / picnic. Again, another stunning day. The photo's hopefully show it all.
Another great trip with the Suzuki performing well once again.
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Lunch spot - day one.
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| Can't get enough photos of the Suzuki ๐ |
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| Student Bridge over the Acheron River |
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| Lunch spot day two. Molesworth Homestead. |
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| The historic suspension Hodder Bridge |
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| The Dynamic Trio |
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| The rugged beauty of the Clarence Valley |
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| The Awatere Valley |
We got on the road reasonably early the next day to return to Nelson on the longer leg of the trip (6.5 hrs) through the Molesworth Station. The Molesworth Station is New Zealand's largest farm, a high-country cattle station. Mฤori travelled through here in the summer from the East Coast to the West Coast. The road is a connection for Nelson/Marlborough with North Canterbury. 
