Acheron is the southern gate of the Molesworth road, a spot where the pavement ends, the gravel begins and the high country starts, and a rider feels the change in the air. The Acheron River runs down from the mountains, clear and cold, and there is an old accommodation house nearby, a relic of the days when pack trains and drovers used this route to move stock and supplies across the hills. The landscape is broad and open, with tussock slopes, braided river beds and a sky that seems too big. Wind is common, and in the evening, the hills catch the last light in long gold streaks.
The Acheron is a place of preparation. Before you set off north across Molesworth, you check your tyres, your tank and your supplies, because there is no help for many kilometres. The gravel here is generally well graded, but it can be corrugated and loose, and heavy rain or snow melt can make fords and stream crossings tricky. In summer the air is dry and the dust is fine and pale, working into everything. Travel with a buff or scarf, and a spare tube.
The history of the region is a story of sheep and cattle. In the nineteenth century, big runs were set up in the high country, and sheep were driven over great distances to market. The land is hard and fragile, and the mountain slopes show scars of overgrazing from those days. The modern management of Molesworth is aimed at healing them, and there is a strong sense of landscape in recovery. Native birds, including falcons and pipits, are seen along the road, and the rivers hold trout.
The road is open seasonally, so check dates and conditions before heading out, and make sure you have a full tank. The nearest place for fuel is Hanmer Springs, a pleasant town about an hour's ride from here, famous for its hot pools, and it is also the place to buy food and supplies. If you want a comfortable night before the big ride, stay there and start early the next day. The view from the hills in the morning, with mist in the valleys and the sun rising over the ridges, is hard to beat.