A high country

station

Four hundred hectares of Cardrona high country, a 30-kilometre network of hiking and biking trails and Cardrona Alpine Resort on your doorstep.

Your home to roam

Set on a spectacular plateau in the Cardrona Valley, Mt Cardrona Station provides easy access to an adventurous lifestyle. The access road to Cardrona Alpine Resort borders Mt Cardrona Station, and close by Soho Basin and Snow Farm offer even more snow sports options.

Within the 400-hectare station itself, 30 kilometres of track and trails wind their way through the terrain. Open for walking, hiking and mountain biking of all levels, the trail network will open up this incredible area which, for many decades, has been private land. 

Snow Sports

Opportunities to live and stay so close to ski fields are rare in New Zealand. Mt Cardrona Station residents have one of the country’s most popular ski areas on their doorstep.

With the recent addition of the Soho Ski Area, Cardrona Alpine Resort is set to offer a staggering variety and range of terrain for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. Winter 2021 will see the opening of an extra 65 hectares of skiable terrain at Willow’s Basin in the Soho Ski Area with further expansion into the Soho Basin over coming years which is expected to offer more than 900 hectares of terrain.

On the other side of the valley, Snow Farm offers 55 kilometres of cross-country skiing to tempt first-timers or hard-core Nordic ski enthusiasts. Treble Cone is slightly further afield, a 50-minute drive from Cardrona.

The

station

Kaitiakitanga

Past owners have treasured and protected this remarkable location. As a resident at Mt Cardrona Station, we invite you to share in the guardianship of this land, its history and ecology. Kaitiakitanga is a guiding principle for all of us at the station and ensures care for the area’s precious land, rivers and identity now and for future generations.

The Trails

The creation of a premium network of biking and hiking trails within Mt Cardrona Station adds yet another asset to the Cardrona Valley’s line-up of exhilarating outdoor adventures.

Mt Cardrona Station’s trail network will consist of gentle loop tracks close to the village and steeper routes accessing old farm tracks and water races for the more adventurous. Tracks range from short half-hour walks or bike rides to longer adventures by bike or on foot making this an incredible addition to life on the station.

Adventures beyond the station

Around here, there is always an excuse to get out for adventures and exploration. Across the valley from Mt Cardrona Station, Tuhoy’s Gully provides access to the Pisa Conservation Area for hiking and biking trails and backcountry huts. The Roaring Meg Pack Track is also accessible from Tuhoy’s Gully, which traverses from the Cardrona Valley all the way to Roaring Meg off SH6 in the Kawarau Gorge. Not far from Mt Cardrona Station, Cardrona Distillery is fast establishing itself as a world-class producer of single malt whiskies, gin and liqueurs. No trip to Cardrona is complete without a visit to the iconic and historic Cardrona Hotel. The hotel is the area’s strongest connection with its colourful gold rush past as well as being one of the most popular garden bars in the district.

Mt Cardrona Station

trail map

Drive times from Mt Cardrona Station

Wānaka
0
minutes
Queenstown
0
minutes
Cardrona Alpine Resort
0
minutes
Arrowtown
0
minutes
Valley View Lift
0
min
Treble Cone
0
minutes

Welcome to

The Station

Mt Cardrona Station history

Over the years, Mt Cardrona Station has passed through the hands of a small handful of custodians.

1862
1863
1866
1870s
1890s
1970s
1978
2006
2011
2020
2021
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Gold!
Near the Crown Range, a group of miners discover gold in the Cardrona River. Their find sets in motion the Cardrona gold rush, and miners descend upon the quiet farming township. Not long after, significant gold strikes in the Arrow and Shotover rivers overshadow the Cardrona find.
Cardrona population hits 300
The population of Cardrona swells. Claims along the rivers and creeks appear. The Cardrona Hotel is built, bringing the total number of hotels in the town to four. The Cardrona Hotel remains today as one of New Zealand’s oldest hotels.
Walter Little arrives in the Cardrona Valley
Walter Little departs the rolling green hills of his hometown Glencairn in Scotland for the distant shores of New Zealand. He is paid £1/week as a shepherd at Wānaka Station. It’s not long before Walter takes up a more lucrative career in gold mining.
The population grows to 1000
Miners begin to dig shafts and tunnels as a way to retrieve gold in the Cardrona Valley. This brings further manpower and machinery to the district. By the 1870s, many of the larger mines are using pumps operated by water wheels worked from races.
Gold fever begins to wane
Miners turn to dredging to extract the diminishing gold reserves but soon find the Cardrona ground unsuitable for dredging. By 1890, gold is in decline and only a handful of shops and two hotels remain. Cardrona’s once-prosperous gold mining era is mostly over by World War I.
The Lees purchase Mt Cardrona Station
John and Mary Lee purchase Mt Cardrona Station for farming. A bold idea for a ski field begins to form and they soon begin work on an access road and rope tow. John and Mary are both long-term Cardrona locals, with John having worked and then purchased his father’s farm at Waiorau Station on Pisa Range.
Cardrona ski field opens
Cardrona ski field entices the first lot of intrepid skiers onto the hill. From humble beginnings with one rope tow, Cardrona Alpine Resort evolves over the years to become a world-class offering thanks to the foresight of the Lee family.
Mt Cardrona Station purchased
Mt Cardrona Station purchases the land below Mt Cardrona from John & Mary Lee and Pat Frengley.
Mt Cardrona Station begins
The Mt Cardrona Station Plan Change 18 is confirmed. The plan change provides rezoning for an alpine village and enables the development of Mt Cardrona Station.
Infrastructure works begin
Construction begins on the Cardrona Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant. An access road is constructed from Cardrona Valley Road onto the plateau where the alpine village will be constructed. Power and telecommunications are installed to the village.
The first sales
After nearly a century as private farmland, Mt Cardrona Station is set to become accessible to the broader public. The development will allow people to live, stay and enjoy outdoor adventures in the high country. Land sales at Mt Cardrona Station commence winter 2021.

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