“On a Mish” #449 Back to Bush-Bashing (Part Two). Mt Campbell South Ridge. Mavora Lakes Conservation Park. 7.4.2026. Hats off to the early explorers who came to the mountainous regions of Aotearoa and tackled the terrain without tracks or any idea of what they would encounter when on their mission. New Zealand isn’t an easy place to negotiate due to its forests and bush however, the rewards for getting to your target can make any aches and pains subside, and the memories will be with you much longer than the scratches and scrapes. Bush-bashing has its rewards, and it is about time I got back to getting them…
After entering the forest, I followed animal trails for a while then the terrain steepened dramatically. Flat forest became steepening scrub and bush with the odd rocky bluff sticking out to slow my forward progress. In places I had to remember that I had my four-legged sidekick with me and there was no way she was going to be climbing rocky bluffs. We zigged and zagged our way upward until the trees began to thin above us, open ground and views were only a short scramble away.
Getting to the treeline was a sweet feeling. It had been a long time since I had tackled a challenge like this, and at points I thought that I might have bitten off a little more than what I could chew. However, the sight of blue sky above created enough motivation to push on. It is safe to say the views matched the effort and I found another gear to get me from the treeline to the top of the Mt Campbell Ridge.
The sights from the ridge were stunning, and I could have stayed up there all night. I also contemplated following the ridge to the summit which was a kilometre or so away but much higher than where I was. Sanity and soreness had found me, and I was very satisfied with where I had got myself to. Now the big question was “Can I get myself (and Georgie) back down in one piece?”.
My goal was to keep as close to my way up as possible. If I could get up it, I could get back down. After sliding down some patches of scree I arrived at the tree line very close to where I had popped out. Once in the bush I looked for any signs of my trip up and this helped with my downward progress. Eventually I could see the clearing with my tent through the trees, and after some effort I was back at camp and ready for a sit down.
The day had taken a lot out of me, so I did very little at camp apart from smashing some food and watching the world go by. It had been a tough but very good day out and one that showed me my potential for future trips. It was near unbelievable to think that I would be bashing bush and climbing to high places this time two years ago. And going even further back, I thought I might not get back to hiking trails let alone off them and climbing up steep bush-clad mountainsides!
After a very cruisy afternoon and evening I retreated to the warmth of my sleeping bag and Georgie curled up under her blanket. Sleeping was easy that night thanks to my energy reserves being drained by our mish. Early-ish the next day we were up and packing up knowing that foul weather was only a few mountain ridges away, and if we wanted to stay dry, we needed to move.
Overall, the trip was a huge success with my eyes now open to potential future adventures. The climb may have nearly killed me, but it was worth it to feel that satisfaction once again. Because I now know that I can do it again, I will be back for another round of Aotearoa bush-bashing to gain some elevated ground. But for now, I need to rest up and recover, because traveling off-track takes a lot out of ya!
