The Cardrona River is in Otago in the South Island of New Zealand.

It is one of the first tributaries of the Clutha River / Mata-Au, which it meets only 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the latter's origin at the outflow of Lake Wānaka.

Its headwaters are near New Zealand's highest main road, the Crown Range route.

[1] The river runs past the settlement of Cardona and the Cardrona skifield, then south of Wānaka township.

Ngāi Tahu recorded Ōrau as a kāinga mahinga kai (food-gathering place) where tuna (eels), pora ('Māori turnip') and weka were gathered.