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Kawarau Gorge: SH6, Kawarau Gorge, Otago
Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ

Drives Otago, New Zealand Queenstown, Central Otago and Dunedin

Kawarau Gorge: SH6

SH 6 · Frankton → Cromwell

Leisurely31 mi45 min2,100 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,400 ftOne way
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The drive

State Highway 6 through the Kawarau Gorge links the Wakatipu basin with Cromwell and the Central Otago lakes. This drive runs 50 km (31 mi) from the Frankton flats east along the Ladies Mile Highway, past the Kawarau Bridge bungy site and the Gibbston wineries, then through the narrow, twisting gorge to Cromwell.

The gorge starts about 30 km from Queenstown near Gibbston and Nevis Bluff and runs roughly 25 km, with rock walls and bends beside the Kawarau River. Nevis Bluff is a schist outcrop about 100 m above the river; a rockfall of about 10,000 cubic metres buried the highway in 2000, and the slope was stabilised in 2006 and 2007. Remains of 1860s gold-rush miners' cottages, including Chinese miners', survive in the gorge.

Curves are mostly gentle, and the drive takes about 45 minutes.

Along the way

  1. Frankton (Ladies Mile)
  2. Kawarau Bridge
  3. Gibbston Valley
  4. Cromwell
Elevation
2,100 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,400 ft
FranktonCromwell
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
FranktonCromwell
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The gorge section is narrow and winding; the road is busy with tourist traffic and trucks.
  • The Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge bungy site is beside the road.
  • Rockfall at Nevis Bluff has closed the highway before.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check NZTA Journey Planner: highway conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Kawarau Gorge SH6 take from Frankton to Cromwell?

The Kawarau Gorge drive on SH6 is 50 km (31 mi) and takes about 45 minutes.

Where is the Kawarau Bridge bungy on SH6?

The Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge, where bungy jumping happens, is beside SH6 in the gorge between Frankton and Cromwell.

Is the Kawarau Gorge road winding?

The gorge section is narrow and twisting, though the curves are mostly gentle.

Is the Kawarau Gorge road busy?

Yes. SH6 through the Kawarau Gorge carries tourist traffic and trucks between Queenstown and Cromwell.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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More drives near here

All 10 drives in Otago, New Zealand ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Kawarau Gorge: SH6, from Frankton to Cromwell