Cardrona River
The Cardrona River is in Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. It is one of the first tributaries of the Clutha River / Mata-Au, which it meets only 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the latter's origin at the outflow of Lake Wānaka.
![](../I/CardronaValleyNewZealand.jpg.webp)
The Cardrona flows north for 40 kilometres (25 mi) down the steep narrow Cardrona Valley. Its headwaters are near New Zealand's highest main road, the Crown Range route.[1] The river runs past the settlement of Cardona and the Cardrona skifield, then south of Wanaka township.
The original name of the river is the Ōrau. It was a traditional Māori route linking Whakatipu Waimāori (Lake Wakatipu) with lakes Wānaka and Hāwea. Ngāi Tahu recorded Ōrau as a kāinga mahinga kai (food-gathering place) where tuna (eels), pora ('Māori turnip') and weka were gathered.[2]
References
- Zanthia. "The Crown Range". 100% Pure New Zealand. New Zealand Tourism. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- "Ōrau "Cardrona River"". Kā Huru Manu. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Retrieved 28 July 2020.