The river is a fine example of a braided river. As the photograph shows, for much of its upper reaches, the river is braided. It runs across wide shingle beds. As the river approaches the Canterbury Plains, it passes through a belt of mountains. There it is forced into a narrow canyon (the Waimakariri Gorge). Then it goes back to its braided form across the plains. It enters the Pacific north of Christchurch, near the town of Kaiapoi.