- Est. Median Value
- $1.06M
- Median Weekly Rent
- $475/wk
- Safety Score
- 94/100
- Green Space
- 82%
- Current Weather
- 1.1°C
- Median Age
- 41 yrs
~31 crimes/1k/yr
broken clouds
Living in Kawarau Gorge
The Kawarau Gorge is the geographical hyphen between Queenstown and Cromwell, and the river running it has been doing commercial work since 1988 when AJ Hackett turned the suspension bridge into the world's first commercial bungy site and the gorge became an adventure tourism corridor. The 20 km of State Highway 6 threading the gorge now passes wineries, a fruit stall, the bungy operation, a zipline and several gold mining sites in a sequence that gives the road journey from Queenstown to Central Otago the character of a very narrow main street.
The schist walls above the river hold the geography in place and the wine on the slopes: the gorge's north-facing terraces grow Gibbston's pinot noir in conditions that the altitude would otherwise make difficult, the river's warming effect and the reflected heat off the rock doing the viticultural arithmetic the sun can't always complete alone.
The Kawarau River's history is gold: the same gorge that the highway navigates was worked by Chinese and European miners in the 1860s, and the stone walls, water races and tailings of the Roaring Meg mining operations are preserved in the gorge walls beside the road.
Gibbston's cellar doors and Cromwell's services bracket the gorge at each end, with Queenstown 25 km west and the Cromwell Basin opening east.
Is Kawarau Gorge a good place to live?
Kawarau Gorge is home to roughly 3,759 people across 104.2 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Kawarau Gorge scores 59 out of 100, with a safety score of 94/100 and 82% green space.
Schools: Kawarau Gorge has 2 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.
Housing: The estimated median value is around $1.06M, and weekly rent typically sits around $475.
Lifestyle: Kawarau Gorge has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 1.1°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.
Whether Kawarau Gorge is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.
Map
Livability Breakdown
- Safety94
- Amenities10
- Schools77
- Housing Affordability35
- Green space100
- Community100
- Transport19
Property & Economics
- Est. Median Value
- $1.06M
- Median Weekly Rent
- $475/wk
- Median HH Income
- $97K/yr
- Pop. Growth (5yr)
- +23.3%
- Data Year
- 2023
Key Financial Indicators (NZD)
† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.
Nearby Suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Kawarau Gorge?
- The Kawarau Gorge runs east-west between Queenstown and Cromwell along State Highway 6, carved by the Kawarau River through the schist ranges of Central Otago, around 20 km long.
- What is there to do in the Kawarau Gorge?
- The Kawarau Bridge Bungy, Gibbston Valley wineries, the Zipride, the Roaring Meg heritage mining area, the Gibbston River Trail cycling and the fruit stalls on the SH6 roadside.
- What is the Roaring Meg?
- Roaring Meg is a historic gold mining site in the Kawarau Gorge where Chinese miners worked the schist faces and river terraces in the 1860s, with preserved stone buildings and water races visible from the road.
- Can you cycle the Kawarau Gorge?
- The Gibbston River Trail runs the gorge between Arrowtown and the Kawarau Bridge area, partly through tunnels, connecting to the Central Otago Rail Trail at the eastern end.
- How do I get from Queenstown to Cromwell via Kawarau Gorge?
- Follow State Highway 6 east from Queenstown, around 45 minutes to Cromwell. The gorge section begins at the Kawarau Bridge near Arrow Junction and opens into the Cromwell Basin after Gibbston.
- Which schools are in zone for Kawarau Gorge?
- Children living in Kawarau Gorge are in zone for Cromwell Primary School, Arrowtown School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
- How do I check my school zone in Kawarau Gorge?
- Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.
Schools & Enrolment Zones in Kawarau Gorge
Schools in zone for Kawarau Gorge
Children living in Kawarau Gorge have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.
Cromwell Primary School
Contributing · roll 399 · decile 9
Arrowtown School
Full Primary · roll 422 · decile 10
Check your school zone
School Zone Checker
Enter your address to check your school zone in Kawarau Gorge. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.
Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.
Explore Kawarau Gorge
Things to do(3)
Goldfields Mining Centre
Chalmers Leap
Roaring Meg Recreation Reserve
Parks & green spaces(1)
Roaring Meg Recreation Reserve
Healthcare
Pharmacies and clinics for this area haven’t been catalogued yet.
Eat & Drink in Kawarau Gorge
Places to eat & drink(2)
Wild Earth
Panners
Kawarau Gorge Weather
Current conditions: 1.1°C, broken clouds
| Month | High (°C) | Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm/day) | Sunshine (hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Jan | 18.54 | 7.92 | 2.8 | 11.88 |
| ☀️ Feb | 17.22 | 6.86 | 2.75 | 11.5 |
| 🍂 Mar | 13.51 | 3.99 | 3.34 | 9.61 |
| 🍂 Apr | 11.78 | 2.7 | 2.89 | 7.86 |
| 🍂 May | 7.36 | -0.23 | 2.62 | 5.83 |
| ❄️ Jun | 4.42 | -2.37 | 1.56 | 5.86 |
| ❄️ Jul | 3.77 | -2.5 | 2.41 | 5.32 |
| ❄️ Aug | 4.68 | -3.3 | 2 | 7.37 |
| 🌸 Sep | 7.53 | -1.11 | 7.13 | 7.99 |
| 🌸 Oct | 10.36 | 0.4 | 5.09 | 9.62 |
| 🌸 Nov | 13.61 | 3.22 | 2.14 | 11.57 |
| ☀️ Dec | 17.12 | 7.12 | 2.98 | 11.93 |
Kawarau Gorge Community
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