Wide open tussock flats run alongside the braided Waimakariri, with the Southern Alps standing right behind. The road follows the river up the valley, and the views of the peaks and the braids winding across the floor stay with you most of the way.

The old one-lane Mount White Bridge is the highlight of the trip. A timber crossing built back in the late 1800s, it's one of the better-known backcountry landmarks up this way and it opens the door to several DOC tracks and the high country beyond.