Following the Kowai River through its bed, this run threads back and forth across the shingle and links up towards the Waimakariri. You go in one end and come out the other, with plenty of crossings along the way.

Because it follows a living river, the line is always a best guess and shifts with each storm, so expect to read the water and pick your own way through. One end sits near the lime works. The route opens out towards the Waimakariri, where the wide braided valley makes a good spot to pull over for a photo.

When levels are low the crossings are easy and the grade stays gentle, but it all hangs on the river. A scenic, ever-changing trip best suited to anyone comfortable with river-bed driving and judging crossings as they come.