Hanmer to St Arnaud Road via Rainbow Station

Introduction Hanmer to Rainbow Road The Hanmer to St Arnaud Road is a wilderness driving The Hanmer to St Arnaud Road connects St Arnaud to experience across private land, Molesworth Station and via Wairau–Hanmer Springs Hydro St James Conservation Area via Road and Road near St Arnaud; this road becomes Tophouse Wairau–Hanmer Springs Hydro Road. Tophouse Road Road near Connors Creek and continues signposted is also 4WD and cycle access to the backcountry tracks to Hanmer Springs and Molesworth Station. On the in St James Conservation Area. It is remarkable for journey the road passes through Rainbow Station, the transition from craggy, beech-covered mountains Molesworth Station and St James Conservation Area. to flowing tussock lands, where vast screes spill from Rainbow Station is leasehold land and access is with ridge crest to valley floor in a lonely landscape. the consent of the station owner. The road through Passes in the Upper were part of Rainbow Station is open from 26 December to 5pm overland routes used by Māori. Later, high country Easter Monday each year. A $40 toll per 4WD vehicle graziers moving mobs of sheep between Canterbury ($20 per motorbike, $10 per mountain or push bike, and Nelson/Marlborough built a chain of cob houses. trampers free) is collected at the Old Rainbow The road was built in the 1950s when the electricity Homestead. Outside the open period there are locked pylons were built through this area to supply electricity gates just beyond turn-off and just to the Nelson and Buller regions. before Coldwater Creek campsite (heading south). Please call the Rainbow Station Farm manager after 6.30pm phone (03) 521 1838 to arrange access through How to get there the station to 4WD, tramp, hunt, fish or mountain bike St Arnaud is the main gateway outside the open period. to the Upper Wairau Valley, For your safety we advise that the road is a wilderness Nelson sign posted for the Rainbow Westport Blenheim driving experience. Drivers need to be self-sufficient Ski Field, 85km from Nelson or St Arnaud and prepared for sudden changes in weather. You drive Hanmer at your own risk. The road is only suitable for high- 131km from Picton via Blenheim. Springs Access is also possible from clearance 4WD vehicles; there is no cell phone Hanmer Springs, 134km north of coverage, and breakdown services may not operate on Christchurch. the private road. Unseasonal snows, slips or elevated fire risk may close the road without notice. The 112km journey takes at least three hours. The guide below Accommodation starts at St Arnaud, distances in brackets are for the Along the road a campsite is provided on private reverse journey. land at Coldwater Creek and DOC campsites at Lake Sedgemere, and Fowlers Camp, St Arnaud, 0km (112km) with toilets and a water supply. Connors Creek Hut This is the front door of Nelson Lakes National Park. A (6 bunks), Island Gully Hut (4 bunks) and Sedgemere network of short walks allows exploration of the glacial Sleepout (6 bunks) are within easy walking distance of landforms, forests and mountains around . the road. There is also a general store which sells petrol and In the back country, huts provide a base for hunters diesel, and a range of accommodation. and climbers, and stopping points for trampers. Please purchase Back Country Hut Tickets before your trip.

Published by: Department of Conservation, Nelson/Marlborough Conservancy, Private Bag 5, Nelson 7042 | December 2017 Rainbow Ski field turn-off from SH63, 9km (103km) Lake Sedgemere, 57km (55km) Rainbow Station Homestead turn-off, 12km (100km) Soon after Coldwater Creek the road crosses the Wairau and arrives at the boundary between Rainbow A short side road leads to the homestead where hunting and Molesworth stations. The road enters that classic permission can be obtained. Please leave the gates as landscape of rounded, tawny-coloured you find them. hills, scrawny matagouri, long screes and azure skies. The road re-crosses the and a short Rainbow Ski Area turn-off, 26km (86km) side-road leads to Sedgemere Sleepout (standard hut, 6 bunks). From the car park is a route to a viewpoint Old Rainbow Homestead toll gate, 36km (76km) over several beautiful lakes supporting fragile wetland Coldwater Creek camping area, 46km (66km) communities. Beyond the toll gate the Rainbow experience really Some of the place names here — Turk Ridge, begins. The road fords several streams, crosses the Mt Balaclava, Crimea Range — date the area’s European Wairau on a bridge and then enters Hells Gate, a exploration to the Crimean war in the 1850s. narrow gorge. Coldwater Creek is just above the gorge.

To Murchison To Nelson To Blenheim Key 6

Nelson Lakes National Park Walking times from the road:

Rainbow Ski Area 2 h Rainbow Conservation Area Island 63 63 Wairau Lees Creek Hut 3 h 30 min St Arnaud River Leatham Conservation Area Connors CreekSaddle Hut 20 min Rainbow Hut 2 h 30 min D Rainbow St James Conservation Area A O Station Paske Hut 6 h R

Lake O Homestead Molesworth Recreation Reserve R Begley Hut1347 m 6 h Lake Rotoiti Rainbow D Y

H Tarndale Lakes 30 min Rotoroa Skifield Other conservation areas S

G

N Island Gully Hut 5 min I

R

P Sedgemere Sleepout 1 min S

63 State highway Lees Creek R E Hut (4 bunks) M

Sealed road N A

H

– NELSON LAKES lton U Unsealed road ami A 0 510 H R NATIONAL PARK er I Riv A Hanmer to St Arnaud Road W Old Rainbow kilometres Connors Creek Homestead Hut (6 bunks) r e Acheron Road t a w Begley Hut r k e d iv l e (8 bunks) R o e r w C Locked gate Visitor centre This map is a guide only. For bo C in Hells more information consult the Ra Gate Car park Shelter following Topo50 maps: Coldwater Rainbow Hut Creek campsite Information Old building BR25 Tophouse Paske Hut (private) BS24 Mount Robert Lake Sedgemere S (6 bunks) Toilet Private hut BS25 Severn N I Island Gully BT24 Ada Flat A Hut (4 bunks) Skiing T N Sedgemere UO Lake Island Sleepout (6 bunks) M Tennyson Saddle 1347 m R Standard huts have mattresses, water supply and toilet. Wood heaters E S C

are provided at huts below the bush line. The Backcountry Hut Pass or N Lake l E a Tennyson r P e Backcountry Hut Tickets are required. S campsite n To Blenheim c

e

Standard campsites have a limited range of facilities and services. Toilets R

i (usually composting or pit variety), water supply (tap, stream, or lake) and v D e A vehicle or boat access. Wood barbeques and fireplaces, showers (cold), r O R

picnic tables, a cooking shelter and rubbish bins may be provided. Fowlers Camp NO T

O R P E Basic campsites have very limited facilities so you need to be fully self- H H O C sufficient. There are basic toilets and water from a tank, stream or lake. ST JAMES U A

S

Access may be by road or boat. CONSERVATION AREA E Acheron

R campsite

O

A

D Hanmer Route Springs Ski Area Challenging day or multi-day tramping/hiking. Jacks Track unformed and natural, rough, muddy or very steep. Pass Suitable for people with above average fitness. High-level backcountry skills and experience (including navigation and survival skills) required. Hanmer Complete self-sufficiency required. Springs Track has markers, poles or rock cairns. Expect unbridged stream and r River 7A ive aiau r R river crossings. W me 7 Han Sturdy tramping/hiking boots required. To Lewis Pass Base data supplied by Geographx Ltd To Christchurch copyright reserved

Hanmer to St Arnaud Road via Rainbow Station | 2 www.doc.govt.nz Island Saddle, 68km (44km) Connors Creek At 1347 metres above sea level, this is the highest Connors Creek Hut (6 bunks) is about 1km from the point on the road. It is also the watershed between the Rainbow Road at the end of a 4WD track. A marked Wairau and Clarence rivers, and a boundary between route climbs steadily to the bushline in about 3 hours. A Marlborough and Canterbury. saddle above leads over to Begley Hut (8 bunks).

Lake Tennyson, 73km (39km) The Rainbow Valley This scenic gem was formed behind a glacier-deposited A route up the valley starts under the pylons, just before dam of rubble. The lake shore is a lovely place for a the Wairau River bridge. After about 2km it crosses picnic. To the west is Mt Una (2301m), highest point the Rainbow and follows a 4WD track up the true right in the Spenser Range. Many of the peaks in this range bank to Rainbow Hut, nestled in a patch of willow trees are named after women, all characters in Edmund just before a gorge. Rainbow Hut is owned by Rainbow Spenser’s classic 17th century poem “The Fairie Station and requires their permission to use. Queene”. It is 1.5km from the road to the lake. Beyond the gorge are plenty of options for exploring remote mountains and the high passes leading to the Molesworth turn-off, 104km (8km) Sabine and Travers Valleys. There are 6-bunk huts in The Molesworth Experience, a 207km drive from the Paske and Begley Valleys. Hanmer to Blenheim, leaves the road here. The road is open between 26 October and 21 April or Easter Monday Other activities (whichever is later) each year. Check the DOC website for exact dates. See the separate DOC brochure for this area. Hunting

Hanmer Springs (via Jacks Pass Road), 112km (0km) Deer and chamois are the main game animals. Hunters require permits from both the Department of This resort town, famed for its hot springs, has all the Conservation and Rainbow Station. facilities travellers will need: accommodation, eating places, information, fuel and activities. Mountain biking Permission is required for mountain In the back country bike access when the road is For the experienced back country traveller, options closed. Touring cyclists with gear for trips in the upper Wairau are only limited by should allow two days to ride from imagination! Good fitness and self reliance are required St Arnaud to Hanmer Springs. as there are few bridges or tracks; most travel is along marked or unmarked routes. Skiing Rainbow Ski Area generally opens from July to Rainbow Ski Area (Six Mile Creek basin) September each year. For more information visit Outside of the ski season, the 8km skifield road is www.skirainbow.co.nz. Information on Hanmer Springs closed for vehicle access, but open for walking. Alpine Ski Area can be found on www.skihanmer.co.nz. There flowers, tarns and views are the summer attractions. A is scope for ski touring to the north and south in basins ridge traverse to St Arnaud via Parachute Rocks will and along the St Arnaud Range. take 5–7 hours. Kayaking Lees Creek The Wairau is well suited for less experienced kayakers. Cross the Wairau River by swingbridge and follow a marked route into Lees Creek. The narrow valley gives Climbing no hint of the beautiful open flats further upstream Fine peaks ring the Rainbow Valley, providing where Lees Creek Hut (4 bunks) sits. High passes allow enjoyable climbing in summer and challenging winter for trips over the Raglan Range. conditions for the adventurous.

Hamilton River Fishing A marked route starts 100m past the road bridge over The upper Wairau waterways provide excellent trout the Hamilton River, reaching the bush edge in about fishing. The fishing season is from 1 October to the 1 hour 30 minutes. The eastern pass gives the quickest end of April. Each angler must carry a Fish and Game route to Begley Hut (8 bunks). licence.

Hanmer to St Arnaud Road via Rainbow Station | 3 www.doc.govt.nz To find out more For further information visit the DOC website www.doc.govt.nz or contact: Department of Conservation Rotoiti/Nelson Lakes Visitor Centre PO Box 55, St Arnaud 7053 Ph: (03) 5211806 Fax: (03) 5211896 Email: [email protected] Department of Conservation Nelson Visitor Centre Millers Acre / Taha o te Awa Please remember 79 Trafalgar Street, Nelson 7010 Backcountry safety: Snow and freezing conditions PO Box 375, Nelson 7040 can occur at any time of the year and flooded Ph: (03) 546 9339 rivers may extend your trip. Backcountry travellers Email: [email protected] should have adequate food, equipment and Hurunui i-SITE experience for their planned trip, and good Amuri Avenue, Hanmer Springs 7334 avalanche awareness. Ph: (03) 315 0020 Remember your safety is For hunting permission contact the Department of your responsibility. To Conservation in St Arnaud and: report any safety hazards in Rainbow Station Farms Ltd the outdoors call 276 State Highway 6, RD 2, DOC HOTline 0800 362 468. Nelson, New Zealand Road safety: Rain can make the many unbridged Ph: (03) 522 4413 streams along the Rainbow Road impassable. Email: [email protected] There are no petrol stations, telephones or mobile www.rainbowstation.co.nz telephone coverage for most of the journey. Check St James Conservation Area your spare tyre. On-coming traffic is difficult to see For gate combination details, concessions, hunting/ and stock wander freely — please drive carefully. dog permits and other information contact: Private land: The floors of the Wairau, Rainbow Department of Conservation Waimakariri Office and Paske Valleys are farmed. Leave gates as you 32 River Road, Rangiora find them and respect stock and property. Ph: (03) 313 0820 8am—5pm, Monday to Friday Domestic animals: Please leave dogs and Email: [email protected] domestic pets at home. Hunting dogs and horses may be taken on to private land with permission from Rainbow Station. Fire: Fire is a major threat to vegetation in this area. We recommend portable cookers are used.

Hanmer to St Arnaud Road via Rainbow Station | 4 www.doc.govt.nz