“On a Mish” #440 Between Two Lakes (Part Two). Mararoa River. Mavora Lakes Camping Ground. Southland. 25.8.2025. Camping is a simple pastime that brings much pleasure in its simplicity. All you are doing is setting up some fabric to shelter you in a wild location, and to some this is much more entertaining than anything a screen can show you. The fresh air and outdoors can be very beneficial to both mind and body, and the sense of achievement afterwards stays with you like a certificate. It seems that I need that achievement certificate more than most, and luckily there is a place close by that both Georgie and I can go camp and soak in the scenery…
The Mavora Lakes Camping Ground is so big that you could go a very long time switching spots before you’d have to use the same place twice. Each small area provides unique views and a different experience for the visitor. After camping many times up and around the bottom end of North Mavora Lake, I decided to look for a completely different spot, which I found nestled between the two lakes (South & North Mavora). It was awesome!
After a wander around the semi snowy area up to a place I want to camp on my next visit, Georgie and I returned to camp to warm up beside the fire. The sunset not only provided some excellent entertainment, but it also ushered in the cold, and temperatures well below freezing. The twinkle of frost was already settling on my tent, and I knew we were in for a chilly evening at our spot between the two lakes.
There is a point in the evening on most missions when Georgie has had enough of the icy conditions and she wants to craw under her blankets and into bed. After getting her sorted I had some dinner, and then the call of the warmth of my sleeping bag was also drawing me towards comfort. It was nice to be out of the cold, and it seemed like the temperatures were still getting even colder.
It didn’t take very long for both of us to drift off to sleep, until we were woken by a loud car making its way through the camping ground. My previous life as a car enthusiast (bogan) means that I have no problem with the raw of a V8. However, when that roar is echoing throughout the mountains at 11.30pm my enjoyment levels are at their lowest. What was probably only a couple of minutes of engine echoes seem like an eternity as the noise burned its way into the ears of everyone at the Mavora Lakes!
Early-ish the next morning we were both up and at it before dawn. The air was crisp, and the ground and its surrounds were iced up nicely. My tent was a tomb encased in ice, which I’m guessing works as a barrier at a certain point, and prevents any more coldness finding its way into the tent. It was a morning when the heat from a cup of coffee is much more important that when sipped back at home. It was chilly, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
The benefits of living so close to Mavora came into effect as I packed up. After getting all of my gear (minus my tent) into the car I turned my attention to what was once a colourful tent but now had been turned into an ice-covered dome. I didn’t bother packing it into its bag as I knew it would be going straight onto the clothesline to dry out after getting back to Te Anau. The coldness meant that it was still covered in ice even after I got back home.
Overall, the mish was very successful for both Georgie and me. She had got exercise, and I got the sweet feeling you can only get by heading into the outdoors. The spot between the two lakes was arguably the best place I have ever camped during my many visits to Mavora, and I highly recommend you use it on your own visit. Next time (only a couple of weeks later) I’ll use the new area I had discovered when wandering around, but I’ll never forget my epic little spot nestled between the two lakes…
