A braided river run that follows the Kowai River through its bed in Canterbury, linking up towards the impressive Waimakariri River. You enter one end and come out the other, winding back and forth across the shingle and making numerous river crossings along the way. Because it follows a living river, the exact route is always a best guess and will shift with each storm, so expect to read the water and pick your own line. One end of the run sits near the lime works, and the route opens out towards the Waimakariri, where the wide braided valley makes a great spot to stop for a photo. When levels are low the crossings are straightforward and the grade stays easy, but conditions depend entirely on the river. A scenic, ever-changing trip best suited to those comfortable with river-bed driving and judging crossings as they come.