Classic Canterbury braids

The Waimakarirri River has long been famous among trampers and paddlers. Below SH73, the gorge run is well-known as the route of the Coast to Coast multi-sport race, and above the highway, as the gateway to many excellent tramping routes.

Packrafters can enjoy a bit of both worlds, by hiking in and paddling out. The trip does need a bit of rain or spring flows, and can be completed as a moderate overnighter, or a long day trip.

Thanks to Sam Newton for the original info and photos (2017) and Corine Pontriband for updates (2025).

Planning: weather & flows

The Waimakarirri is a wide, braided river. In ‘normal’ flows, the river can be very shallow, and some braids can end where the water flows beneath the gravel.

For a packrafting trip to work, you’ll need a spring snowmelt, and/or a little rain before you put on. The large headwaters are right on the main divide, which means the river can rise rapidly. A bit of rain is good, a major storm is not.

Like most alpine rivers, the upper sections also drop fairly quickly after rain, so try to time your trip within a day or so of rain for the best levels.

Because you need higher water to do the trip, you should expect to use the high water tramping route up the valley. It’s worth noting that none of the major side-streams are bridged, so while some extra water is desirable, there will be an upper limit where you can’t safely hike up the valley.

Also watch the Arthur’s Pass forecast for high winds. The Waimakarirri valley funnels the north-west winds, which can make packrafting very hazardous. Not only can the winds flip you out of your boat, they can also easily blow it downstream faster than you can swim or run after it… If it gets seriously windy, deflating and hiking is your safest bet.

Gauge

Waimakariri River at Esk.

• 0.5m – probably the lowest reasonable flow – expect lots of walking and scraping
• 0.8m – only a few scrapes along the bottom – a good paddling level
• 1.8m – still looking fine for paddling – expect faster flows and a larger wave trains.

Waimakariri Valley/ Carrington Hut Route 6hrs 16km

As mentioned previously, when the river has enough water to float, you’ll need to use the ‘high water’ route.

The Carrington Hut Route guide on the DOC website has a detailed description of the route which is well worth a read. But in summary, you go where the track is marked on the Topo Map.

Because floods have washed out a sizeable section of track between Anti-Crow and Greenlaw Creek, expect to bushbash your way around the washouts. The bushbashing continues for a while, until you can get onto easy flats near Greenlaw Creek. At Harper Creek, it’s worth finding the track again: it’s well-marked through to Carrington Hut (36 bunks).

Waimakariri (I/II) Carrington to Klondyke 2-4hrs 17km

Expect some slightly harder class II rapids up higher (near Carrington hut), followed by multiple braids.
Even at good flows, you’ll need to pay attention to your braids to avoid a grounding!

Trip times vary a lot – in higher flows the river goes faster. When its low, you float slower and loose time whenever you have to get out and walk.

Like most braided rivers, the different braids can weave and move to opposite sides of a wide valley. So when the front person chooses a braid, everyone else should follow. That way, you’ll keep the group together.

If you choose different braids, the group can quickly get separated by hundreds of metres, and with gravel banks higher than a seated paddler, it can be hard or impossible to see the other members of your group, which makes reuniting or offering assistance difficult.