By Outdoor Next Editorial standards
On this page
Key facts
- Distance
- 1 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 20 min
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Molesworth Recreation Reserve
- Seasonal restrictions
- Acheron Road is open 7 am – 7 pm daily from 1 October to Easter Monday or the second Sunday in April – whichever is later. Acheron Road can close without warning.
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
This short walk, accessible from the Acheron Road, starts from historic Molesworth Cob Cottage.
This DOC directory entry covers Molesworth Homestead Lookout Track in Marlborough, within Molesworth Recreation Reserve. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 1 km return via same track
- Walking time: 20 min
- DOC grade: Easy
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Seasonal restrictions
Acheron Road is open 7 am – 7 pm daily from 1 October to Easter Monday or the second Sunday in April – whichever is later. Acheron Road can close without warning.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This track starts from a gate entrance behind the cob cottage. It goes across a paddock to a point for views of Molesworth Homestead and the surrounding farm buildings.
Getting there
Awatere turn-off (22 km/185 km)
From Blenheim, follow State Highway 1 south, then turn right at the Awatere Valley intersection just north of Seddon and the Awatere Valley Bridge. A sign here will indicate whether the Molesworth Road is open.
Along the public Awatere Valley Road, picnic and toilet facilities are offered at the Marlborough District Council’s Blairich Recreation Reserve (37 km/161 km) and the Hodder Bridge Picnic Area (76 km/132 km).
Molesworth Cob Cottage (122 km/85 km)
For visitors who have travelled up the Awatere Valley, the original cob homestead built by John Murphy in 1866 is the gateway to Molesworth where the Acheron Road begins. If the road is closed, don't go any further.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
