Out in the Lake Sumner country of inland Canterbury, the run in to Loch Katrine is an easy weekend wander past a remote, pretty lake. It starts as a meandering gravel road past Lake Taylor, with the mountains, curvy hills and the Hurunui River laid out alongside you.

Beyond Lake Taylor it firms up into a genuine 4WD track. A few puddle crossings with firm bottoms and some big potholes, nothing too serious, but line choice and decent clearance help. Good track for beginners building confidence, and people get through to the campsite in stock high-clearance wagons. The rockier side tracks along the loch offer a bit more, including short crawls over up-and-downs before a locked gate at the top end where you turn around. Watch for overgrown sections that can scratch paintwork.

There are DOC huts in the area for hire, including One Horn Hut, bookable through Lake Taylor station or DOC, some online. The lakeside campsite is the real draw, free and dog friendly, and within day-trip range of Christchurch. Bring repellent, the sandflies are hungry.