Cromwell Gorge

Cromwell Gorge
(Formerly: Dunstan Gorge)
Miners Rockfall overlooks Lake Dunstan at the northern entrance of the Cromwell Gorge
Cromwell Gorge
Floor elevation	194 m (636 ft)
Length	18.5 km (11.5 mi) Cromwell to Clyde Dam
Width	9 km (5.6 mi) Cairnmuir Hill to Leaning Rock
Area	84 km2 (32 sq mi)
Depth	1,453 m (4,767 ft)
Geography
Country	New Zealand
State/Province	South Island
District	Central Otago
Coordinates	45°06′14″S 169°17′31″E / 45.104°S 169.292°E / -45.104; 169.292
Topo map	NZMS260 G42 Edition 1 1990
River	Clutha River / Mata-Au
Depth taken from Leaning Rock (1647 m) to Lake Dunstan (194 m)

The Cromwell Gorge is a steep gorge cut by the former Clutha River (Māori: Mata-Au) in the Central Otago region of New Zealand's South Island.^[1] It winds 19 km (12 mi) between the Dunstan and Cairnmuir Mountains, linking the townships of Cromwell and Clyde. It is one of three substantial river gorges in Central Otago, the others being the Kawarau Gorge to the west of Cromwell, and the Roxburgh Gorge south of Alexandra.

Long-associated with gold mining, orchards and the production of stone fruit, the gorge (including part of old Cromwell) was flooded in the early 1990s to form Lake Dunstan behind the hydroelectric Clyde Dam.^[2] The former Otago Central Railway which traced the river through the gorge from Clyde was removed, while State Highway 8 was realigned above the newly-formed lake.^[3]

The Dunstan Trail, a major new cycle route, was opened on the lake's right bank in 2021.^[4]