Rakaia River

Spectacular sight of the braided Rakaia River from a flight south. Mt Hutt is top left and Lake Coleridge top right. 

The two sides of the river provide a contrast.

Some of Canterbury's most fertile soil is on the south bank (left), showing cropping on account of wind-blown loess (silt) coming from the Rakaia Gorge on the norwest wind. On the north bank is very thin soil used for pastoral farming only.