Best time to visit
Our research lists no set hours. Treat it as a quick stop woven into a walk or ride on the Queenstown Trail—easy to enjoy whenever you’re passing through.
Overview
About Kawarau Falls Bridge (Old), Frankton
Sitting at the outlet of Lake Wakatipu in Frankton, the Old Kawarau Falls Bridge is a bite‑size dose of Queenstown history. Traffic now uses the newer two‑lane bridge beside it, leaving this one to walkers and cyclists—perfect if you're already cruising the Queenstown Trail and want a quick, quiet detour with context.
Why stop
- Historic 1920 dam‑top bridge kept for walking and cycling
- Direct link on the Queenstown Trail
Heads up
- No vehicle access
- Often confused with the bungy bridge in Gibbston
Map
Where it is
Loading the Queenstown-Lakes District map
Full mapLocal know-how
Tips for visiting Kawarau Falls Bridge (Old), Frankton
Fold it into a Queenstown Trail ride or walk rather than making a special trip.
Cars use the new SH6 bridge; this old span is for feet and bikes only.
For bungy viewing or jumping, head to the separate Kawarau Suspension Bridge in Gibbston.
Plan your stop
Before you go
Best time to visit
1 active Queenstown-Lakes District alert
- ClosureSkippers Bridge closed to all trafficSkippers Bridge is closed to all vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians; do not cross.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Queenstown-Lakes District Tour Guide
Your drive to Kawarau Falls Bridge (Old), Frankton, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Queenstown-Lakes District, New Zealand. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Queenstown-Lakes District audio tourRecorded for this place
Kawarau Falls Historic Bridge and DamListen
“You're coming up on the Kawarau Falls Bridge. An important heads-up: this isn't the famous bungy jumping bridge, that’s a different site.”
Plays as you drive up to Kawarau Falls Bridge (Old), Frankton in the Parkwolf Queenstown-Lakes District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Remarkables Market: A Saturday Staple
- Frankton Beach and the Lake's Heartbeat
- Lower Shotover Bridge: Historic Views Over the River
- Jardine Park's Popular Lakeside Trail
- 164 audio storiesacross Queenstown-Lakes District’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, Kākā, Kererū, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 37 trails, 111 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Kawarau Falls Bridge (Old), Frankton
A bit of historyThe bridge runs along the top of the Kawarau Falls Dam, completed in 1920 to hold back lake…
The bridge runs along the top of the Kawarau Falls Dam, completed in 1920 to hold back lake water in hopes of exposing downstream gold. The scheme never really paid off—the water didn’t drop enough, and returns were modest—but the single‑lane bridge built over the dam became an everyday lifeline for decades.
What it’s like todayWith the modern highway bridge taking cars, this historic span has been preserved for people on…
With the modern highway bridge taking cars, this historic span has been preserved for people on foot and bike. It’s a short, atmospheric crossing where you can literally tread the line between past engineering ambition and today’s recreational trail network.
What it’s notDon’t mix it up with the Kawarau Suspension Bridge out toward Gibbston—the one famous for bungy…
Don’t mix it up with the Kawarau Suspension Bridge out toward Gibbston—the one famous for bungy jumping. That’s a different site altogether.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Queenstown-Lakes District
189 sightingsKeaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
18 sightingsKākāMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
195 sightingsKererūMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
48 sightingsWekaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
239 sightingsTūīMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
97 sightingsBellbirdMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Queenstown-Lakes District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
