Acheron Road is an unforgettable drive in New Zealand
New Zealand, oceania
200 km
1,145 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, adventure-seekers, listen up! If you're in New Zealand's Marlborough high country and craving an unforgettable road trip, you HAVE to check out Acheron Road.
Picture this: You're cruising along a 200km (124-mile) stretch from Blenheim to Hanmer Springs, originally a sheep drover's track but now upgraded (thankfully!) It winds through Molesworth Station, which is HUGE – the largest farm in New Zealand, covering nearly half a million acres!
Locals also call it Molesworth Road or Molesworth Station Road. You'll transition from vineyards to grassy expanses and then climb into scree-covered hills. A 2WD or AWD with decent clearance should be fine, but leave your caravans, buses, or anything over 7 meters at home. Trailers? You'll need a special permit for those.
Word to the wise: this narrow, unpaved beauty is a backcountry road and can close without warning due to weather or fire risk. It climbs high – much of it is above 900m, topping out at Wards Pass at 1,145m (3,757ft), so snow is a real possibility. Typically, it's open 7 am to 7 pm daily, from October 1st to either Easter Monday or the second Sunday in April (whichever is later). Just a heads up - it's been opening October 1st since 2022. Get ready for some incredible views!
Where is it?
Acheron Road is an unforgettable drive in New Zealand is located in New Zealand (oceania). Coordinates: -41.9022, 174.3318
Road Details
- Country
- New Zealand
- Continent
- oceania
- Length
- 200 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,145 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- -41.9022, 174.3318
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