# Cardrona, New Zealand

Cardrona is a locality in the Cardrona Valley in New Zealand, with the nearby skifield of Cardrona Alpine Resort and Mount Cardrona also using the same name. Established as a gold rush township in the 1860s on the banks of the small river of the same name, it is known for its distinctive hotel of gold rush vintage which is on the opposite side of the river to the original township of which few buildings remain. It is in a scenic setting on the Crown Range road which connects Wānaka and Queenstown.
Recent developments include expanded facilities for guest accommodation at Benbrae Resort, recreational facilities, a distillery, and a 400-house suburb. Cardrona is the home of the internationally known Race to the Sky hillclimb which was last held in 2015.

## Climate

Despite New Zealand's mostly oceanic climate, Cardrona is one of the few areas in the country to enjoy a continental climate, with four distinct seasons. The weather is fairly dry, with spring (September–December) being the wettest season. Annual rainfall is 682 mm which is half the national average. Cardrona's summers are warm, with temperatures reaching the low - mid 20s and an average summer maximum of 21 °C (70 °F).
Winter can be extreme by New Zealand standards with temperature mostly in the single digits during the day time followed by cold and frosty nights and frequent snowfalls.
Climate data for Cardrona (Cardrona Township), elevation 580 m (1,900 ft), (1991–2020) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.2 (70.2) | 21.0 (69.8) | 18.0 (64.4) | 14.4 (57.9) | 10.3 (50.5) | 6.5 (43.7) | 6.1 (43.0) | 8.7 (47.7) | 11.8 (53.2) | 14.4 (57.9) | 16.1 (61.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 14.0 (57.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.6 (45.7) | 7.8 (46.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 3.2 (37.8) | 0.8 (33.4) | −1.1 (30.0) | −2.6 (27.3) | −1.2 (29.8) | 1.0 (33.8) | 2.9 (37.2) | 4.9 (40.8) | 7.3 (45.1) | 3.1 (37.5) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 55.4 (2.18) | 42.0 (1.65) | 45.7 (1.80) | 46.6 (1.83) | 60.2 (2.37) | 56.3 (2.22) | 46.2 (1.82) | 52.5 (2.07) | 50.0 (1.97) | 50.9 (2.00) | 54.5 (2.15) | 57.6 (2.27) | 617.9 (24.33) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 231.5 | 201.7 | 182.6 | 164.0 | 135.5 | 120.5 | 126.6 | 155.8 | 172.5 | 193.8 | 202.2 | 212.1 | 2,098.8 |
| Source 1: NIWA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: Lake Wanaka (sun) ||||||||||||||

## History

The name was given to the area by J. T. Thomson after the Scottish village of Cardrona.
Cardrona was originally a gold mining town but in the 1980s it became a tourist destination.

## Notable buildings

Galvin's Cottage is a rammed-earth home constructed in 1862.

## Demographics

The Cardrona statistical area covers 857.83 km$^2$ (331.21 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 840 as of June 2024, with a population density of 0.98 people per km$^2$.
Cardrona had a population of 633 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 126 people (24.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 204 people (47.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 309 households, comprising 333 males and 303 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.1 males per female. The median age was 45.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 99 people (15.6%) aged under 15 years, 93 (14.7%) aged 15 to 29, 321 (50.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 120 (19.0%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 96.7% European/Pākehā, 4.7% Māori, 0.9% Pasifika, 1.4% Asian, and 1.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 21.8, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 58.3% had no religion, 33.2% were Christian, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.5% were Muslim and 1.4% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 165 (30.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 48 (9.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $42,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. 120 people (22.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 309 (57.9%) people were employed full-time, 102 (19.1%) were part-time, and 6 (1.1%) were unemployed.