Rainbow Road Access

Rainbow Road

The Rainbow Road was built in the 1950s when electricity pylons were installed to supply power to the Nelson and Buller regions.  The road runs from St Arnaud (the main gateway to the Upper Wairau Valley), through to Hanmer Springs in North Canterbury (134km north of Christchurch). 

Rainbow Station, including its farmland and private formed roads and tracks, is leased from the Crown by Star Holdings Ltd (SHL) operating under “Lone Star Farms Ltd”.  It is not a public area.  Any use is a revocable privilege granted by the Leaseholder. 

Rainbow Road Access

Private formed tracks and roads have not been engineered, nor are they maintained to meet the standards for public access.  Parts of it are hazardous.  The hazards are not individually signposted or marked.  Sudden weather changes can cause additional adverse conditions and/or additional hazards.  The Leaseholder consents to access by the public only on the basis that each person travels at his/her own risk, accepts full responsibility for his/her own safety, and accepts that the Leaseholder has no liability or responsibility of any sort for any injury, damage or accident to any person or property that enter Rainbow Station farmland and its surrounds, or when traversing the formed private tracks and/or roads.

The road is only suitable for high-clearance 4WD vehicles.  It takes approximately 3 hours to traverse the 110km from St Arnaud to Hanmer or vice-versa.  There is no cell phone coverage and breakdown services may not operate in the private area.  Drivers also need to be self-sufficient and prepared for sudden changes in weather.  You drive at your own risk.

The floors of the Wairau, Rainbow and Paske Valley are farmed so please leave your dogs and domestic pets at home, leave gates as you find them, and respect stock, property and other users.

Rainbow Station Hunting

Hunters must have a DOC permit and request PRIOR permission for access from the Rainbow Station Manager (Ph: + 64 3 521 1838) before entering on, or accessing through, this Leasehold land. This is a safety issue first and foremost.

More detail about the road and its history, campsites, hunting permits, walkways etc can be found via the website links below. 

http://www.doc.govt.nz/publications/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/nelson-marlborough/rainbow-road-and-the-upper-wairau-valley/

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/nelson-marlborough/south-marlborough/molesworth-station/

DATES

Dates for accessing the Rainbow Road are:

        In Season (gates open)

-   The road is open from 7am until 6pm daily, from Boxing Day, 26th December until Easter Monday. For access between Easter Weekend and the 26th December, please contact the Rainbow Station Manager after hours on +64 3 521 1838.

Access Forms are required to be completed and signed by all users.  These are made available at time of gaining access and/or keys.

CHARGES

The current charges are: 

$25 for 4WD vehicle

$15 for motorcycles

$2 for mountain bikers - trampers are free

Click to view more information about

Rainbow Road Access

Molesworth Station via Rainbow Road

Rainbow Access Declaration Form