Wairau/ Awatere Resource Management Plan Sensitivity High due to naturalness and high aesthetic quality. The lake is within Mount Richmond Forest Park. (b) Molesworth, Sedgemere, Lake McRae At the head of the Awatere Valley the landscape of Molesworth is highly legible with a well documented natural and cultural history. It is mostly 1000 m or more above sea level and has an alpine climate. Within Molesworth there are a number of places of landscape significance with exceptional historical, cultural, biological and geological values. These are identified in the Molesworth Management Plan. Of particular aesthetic merit are the lakes and wetlands eg. Sedgemere and Lake McRae. The landscape experienced from the road through the station is also of major significance. The characteristics and qualities of the station are not uniform, however for the purpose of this Plan the whole station is treated as an entity. This is a predominantly indigenous landscape despite the extensive modification to vegetation that has occurred. The entire area is of exceptional landscape quality and variety, with its huge scale, barren wind-swept appearance, low rolling hills, many creeks and rivers, tussock vegetation cover, dramatic rock outcrops and rugged scree-sided mountains. Public vehicle access is restricted to the Hanmer to Wairau Valley track much of which is beyond the District boundary to the west, and the Molesworth road which follows the Acheron River through the centre of the station and is open to the public for a restricted period between December and February. There are a wide range of recreation pursuits carried out in the area and the landscape context is important to the enjoyment of many visitors. Inevitably there is potential to visually absorb sensitively sited development in such a varied landscape however the lack of tall vegetation and the spaciousness of many areas mean that in general the visual absorption capability is low. Sensitivity Landscape sensitivity is high due to the areas’ ecological fragility, the scale and visual simplicity of large parts of the station, and its high cultural profile. (c) Boulder Bank and Wairau (Vernon) Lagoons (A predominantly indigenous landscape) This is a very special area with rich historical associations for both Maori and Pakeha. The boulder bank is a shingle spit extending for approximately 7 kilometres, backed by shallow lagoons and wetlands. The water passes through the boulder bank between the wetlands and the sea. All these areas are included in the coastal environment. The inland boundary to the coastal environment is close to the Redwood Pass Road more that 4 kilometres from the boulder bank. Even this far inland there is a strong visual connection to Cloudy Bay and the coastal headlands. The area is biologically very rich and has a predominantly natural character. The formation of the bank and lagoons is highly legible and the area has very high cultural and historical significance. There are recorded geological sites (geopreservation inventory) and the biological values of the area are exceptional. 5 - 4