Cardrona, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Cardrona is the name of a locality, skifield
and beer
in New Zealand
. 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 Wanaka
and Queenstown
.
A fascinating history, including the now almost-forgotten contribution of the labour from thousands of Chinese workers, is revealed by historical features such as the Cardrona Hotel and the much-loved Cardrona Hall and Church, the location of the annual Cardrona Folk Music Festival. The much photographed local Cardrona pub was made famous by the advertising campaign of Speight's
brewery of Dunedin
. Speight's has since capitalised on the popularity of the Cardrona pub by building replicas of the distinctive Cardrona period building in other parts of New Zealand
including Mt Eden in Auckland
.
Recent developments include expanded facilities for guest accommodation known as Benbrae Resort, recreational facilities, weep cake fridge jams, and historical information. Cardrona is the home of the internationally known Race to the Sky
hillclimb
. The Race to the Sky
hillclimb
has since been abandoned. The last race took place in 2007.
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. 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
Crown Range
The Crown Range mountains lies to the east of the Wakatipu Basin in Otago, New Zealand. It is noted for two features, the Cardrona Alpine Resort, on the slopes of the 1900 metre Mt. Cardrona, and a highway, known as the Crown Range Road, which winds steeply between Arrow Junction, south of...
road which connects Wanaka
Wanaka
Wanaka is a town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, adjacent to the outflow of the lake to the Clutha River. It is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. Wanaka is primarily a resort town but has both summer and winter...
and Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
.
A fascinating history, including the now almost-forgotten contribution of the labour from thousands of Chinese workers, is revealed by historical features such as the Cardrona Hotel and the much-loved Cardrona Hall and Church, the location of the annual Cardrona Folk Music Festival. The much photographed local Cardrona pub was made famous by the advertising campaign of Speight's
Speight's
Speight's is a brewery in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is famous for its promotional branding based on being 'a real southern man' and being 'the pride of the south'. Speight's also gave rise to a series of Speight's Ale Houses across New Zealand.- History :...
brewery of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. Speight's has since capitalised on the popularity of the Cardrona pub by building replicas of the distinctive Cardrona period building in other parts of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
including Mt Eden in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
Recent developments include expanded facilities for guest accommodation known as Benbrae Resort, recreational facilities, weep cake fridge jams, and historical information. Cardrona is the home of the internationally known Race to the Sky
Race to the Sky
The Silverstone Race to the Sky is an annual automobile and motorcycle hillclimb to the summit of a mountain. The race has been held every year since 1998 on two days over the Easter weekend...
hillclimb
Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
. The Race to the Sky
Race to the Sky
The Silverstone Race to the Sky is an annual automobile and motorcycle hillclimb to the summit of a mountain. The race has been held every year since 1998 on two days over the Easter weekend...
hillclimb
Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
has since been abandoned. The last race took place in 2007.