Callery Gorge is spectacular, with electric blue water that you need to see with your own eyes to believe it’s not photoshopped! The water is as blue and beautiful as the famous Haast Blue Pools near Wanaka, yet it remains relatively unknown. It’s staggering that so few people visit when it’s such a short easy walk from Franz Josef!
If you fancy extending the adventure, you can also add the fun Tatare Tunnels Track to the end of the Callery Gorge trail to make for an unforgettable half day walk in Franz Josef.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Callery Gorge, one of our favourite things to do in Franz Josef.
Callery Gorge Walk
The stats
Distance: 4.8km return
Elevation: 200m
Difficulty: Easy
The Callery Gorge walk is an easy trail on a well graded track. There is some elevation gain, but no long steep sections.
You could comfortably complete the track in less than an hour and a half return, but you’ll want to add on some extra time because it’s hard to tear yourself away from that blue water!
Starting the trail: into the forest
The trail heads straight into the forest on a wide gravel path. It is uphill from the start, but it’s nice and gradual.
The forest is gorgeous and the dense canopy keeps the track nice and shady. After 500m you will reach the junction with the Tatare Tunnels Track.
We’d highly recommend adding the tunnel onto your walk - but you should head to Callery Gorge first and visit the Tatare Tunnels on the way back, as you’ll get wet in the tunnel and you don’t really want to walk to the gorge in wet boots!
Taking the right turn, the track undulates for a while on the same wide gravel path. It’s pretty, but the best of the forest is yet to come.
To the cascades
Once you’ve been walking for 1.4km the path narrows, flattens and briefly follows a pipeline. Just over 400m later you leave the pipeline behind and reach the most beautiful part of the forest.
It’s wonderfully atmospheric, full of dripping moss and lots of ferns.
You’ll hear plenty of birdsong and maybe spot some other wildlife too. We startled a pair of Chamois here - they look like a cross between a goat and an antelope, and are the descendants of the original 12 Chamois gifted to New Zealand by the Emperor of Austria!
They were released into Aoraki Mount Cook for sport and thrived to the point that you can now find them all the way from Nelson to Fiordland! As they eat the vegetation which supports the native birdlife they are considered a pest, but they are still quite beautiful to watch.
At the 2km mark you will begin descending, passing a very pretty cascade before arriving 450m later at a bridge. The bridge takes you over a gorgeous waterfall surrounded by ferns.
You’ll continue downhill for a few hundred metres more before you reach the incredible Callery Gorge.
Arriving at Callery Gorge
You’ll arrive at a suspension bridge over the gorge which offers a dramatic view. The water is electric blue, the gorge walls incredibly picturesque and there’s even a small waterfall.
It is an incredible sight and we couldn’t believe that we got the whole thing to ourselves!
Once you’ve viewed it from above you can take the short side trail down to the water’s edge. You have to walk over a few small rocks but it’s pretty easy to get down.
In warmer weather it would definitely be refreshing to dip your toes in the glacial water!
The side trails
On the way back you can explore a couple of little side trails. The first is just one minute off the main track and you’ll see the semi beaten path on the right.
It only takes about 30 seconds to reach and offers you a good view of the gorge from above, at a different angle to the suspension bridge. Just watch your step as it’s usually wet and could be a little slippery.
The second is a few minutes further along the track and is only suitable for dry weather (and you’ll want it to have been dry for a few days beforehand too).
Again it’s on the right and the narrow path takes you to the top of the gorge. The reason for needing dry weather is that there was quite a lot of tree fall and some erosion so I don’t think it is stable to visit during or just after rain.
It’s a very short scramble, but easy enough in dry weather. You’ll then reach a cascade which you can carefully cross if the water level is low and rock hop over to another fabulous gorge view.
This time you are looking down into it from on top. Both detours only take a few minutes, plus time spent exploring. Just be careful not to trample any of the vegetation.
Heading back
The start of the return is uphill relatively steeply for 600m. After that it’s all either flat or downhill and very easy. If you want to visit the tunnels on the way back it will add on roughly 3.7km return to the walk (which includes walking the full length of the tunnel).
It’s mainly flat before it climbs uphill briefly to reach the tunnel entrance. The old mining tunnel is a lot of fun and you’ll need a torch to explore it fully (the one of your phone will be fine)!
Getting to the Callery Gorge Walk
The Callery Gorge Walk begins at Cowan Street in Franz Josef. You can also easily walk from the town centre. In high season that might be preferable as there aren’t many parking spaces.
Look out for cheeky Kea here, we saw one that spent ages with us and every time we looked away it tried to pick up the boots we’d just discarded when changing to get into the car! Never turn your back on a Kea!
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