Callery Gorge Bridge

Callery Gorge Bridge is a 29-metre suspension footbridge at the end of the Callery Gorge Walk, near Franz Josef/Waiau. You can’t drive to the bridge: from Cowan Street it’s 5.2 km return, and DOC estimates about 1 hour 20 minutes. It suits a short rainforest outing with a historic bridge and gorge at the turnaround; skip it if you only want a drive-up viewpoint.

Start at the end of Cowan Street in Franz Josef. The path shares its first five minutes with Tatare Tunnels Walk, then branches through rainforest, follows an old gold-mining water race and descends to the bridge. Retrace the same route. The track narrows near the gorge, and Rocks can be slippery after rain or frost. Dogs aren’t allowed; carry the drinking water you’ll need.

From the span, look down into the gorge and across its gravel riverbed. Gravel deposits have filled parts of the gorge and raised the riverbed, changing the view over time. For a photo, frame the river channel with its rocky sides; that makes the gorge’s current shape clear.

The track follows remains of a water system built for gold sluicing at the Terrace. The Waiho Sluicing Company laid three kilometres of pipeline in 1912; the works also included a 500-metre tunnel system and 350 metres of water race. The 75-centimetre steel pipe sections were brought in via Port Okarito and Lake Mapourika, then hauled into place by horse and sled. The original bridge dates from the early 1900s; the 29-metre galvanised-steel suspension bridge here was restored in 1994.