“On a Mish” #437 When the Stars Align (Part Three). South Mavora Lake Track. Mavora Lake Conservation Reserve. Southland. 20.7.2025. When I was off work thanks to my hip and back injury, I had the freedom to pick and choose my days to go on a mish. Now that I am doing some work my days are controlled by whether I have to work or not. I am really enjoying getting back into working; however, I have had a few situations when I worked in sunshine and then watched the rain fall on my days off. But with that said, every now and then the stars will align and my days off and perfect camping weather will line up perfectly…
The stars above Mavora were on full display that night and the stillness meant there wasn’t even a flutter of fabric as the tents stood motionless. It was the night we all dream of when planning an adventure but sometimes we have to accept that our outing falls on days when the rain is pounding the ground.
Early-ish the next morning I woke to a dog’s nose about an inch from mine. ‘Someone’ wanted to get up and begin her day and because she couldn’t open the tent’s zips, she needed me awake to let her out. And with that my day in Mavora had begun!
The sky was still as clear as possible, and along with the twinkle of millions of stars was the twinkle of a heavy frost forming on all exposed surfaces. Everything was sparkling and the tents were frozen in place; this is much more interesting than a normal summer morning in Mavora. The cold keeps most away (including the sandflies!), but those who stay will be treated to an icy wonderland that is very pleasing on the eyes.
Our plan was to hike around South Mavora Lake as it is a loop, and we could start and finish in the same place and get a good look at the stunning area around the lakes. After sorting brekkie and gear we drove a short distance to get us to the northern end of the track, and then we were off on our mish.
The track started by following the true right of the Mararoa River as it slowly flows between both lakes. After about 10 minutes or so we left the edge of the river and the forest that surrounds it and entered an open field which was white with a heavy frost. Georgie loves running her face through the ice, so she was having a ball in the frozen grass at the top of South Mavora Lake.
We circled the lake and returned to the car a couple of hours later, satisfied with our morning wander. All that was left now was to pack up our campsite and make our way back to Te Anau. When we returned to camp, we noticed that everything the sun hadn’t touched was coated in a thick layer of frost. After doing our best to shake it off we stashed the tents, knowing they would need a good dry-out once back home.
Overall, the mish was a massive success. Either side of the day we intended on going was cold and rainy, and any other day wouldn’t have worked because of work. It seemed that for the two with broken bits the stars aligned and a magic Mavora mish was achieved with great success. If you are ever looking for a place to camp with the family & dog, then I would highly recommend a mission to the Mavora Lakes!
