“On a Mish” #146 Mavora Mountain Magic (Part One) – Mt Campbell(1685m). Mavora Lakes Conservation Park. 23.3.2019. Forget social media, if I’m stuck with a little bit of time on my hands I’m scrolling through topo maps on my phone. Strange to think I have spent countless hours looking at altitude lines and names of features all over the South Island of New Zealand. As I look I start to plan future trips. Sometimes it might be years before I reach the destination, but the location will stay locked in the memory vault until the time is right…
After a team building session / feed and wines at Walter Peak High Country Station I became fascinated with the surrounding area. A climb of Cecil Peak(1978m) revealed the many mighty mountains in the locality, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I headed there for a mish.
Mount Campbell(1685m) is the peak which stands tall between the Mavora Lakes to the west, and the Oreti / Von Rivers to the east. With the mountain sitting at the southern end of the Thompson Range, I was positive I was going to get some awesome views of the Mavora Lakes, and also the impressive surrounding mountains.
I left my house in Te Anau after lunch with a plan to camp on the side of the mountain, then go for the summit early-ish the next day. I drove through the near empty Mavora Lakes campground to the start of the track to Careys Hut, and got into mountain mode.
The weather forecast had left me a little bit apprehensive, as there was the mention of rain for the next couple of days. For now this wasn’t a problem, and I enjoyed the stroll towards my unknown but planned destination.
I walked to the end of the beautiful beech forest section of the track, turned right and headed uphill to a small creek just above 1000m on the west face of Mt Campbell(1685m). As I gained altitude I could see more and more of the lake and its surroundings. The elevation reinforced the fact that coming here was a good idea, and with the motivation of more views, I climbed higher up the side of Mt Campbell(1685m).
I can be quite fussy when picking the perfect tent site, and as some afternoon showers arrived, I quickly erected the tent to hide from the rain. After the showers had passed I assessed the site, and decided to relocate to another spot about 500 meters away. I was finally satisfied with Mt Campbell Base Camp.
Close to the forest and also high enough to get great views of North Mavora Lake. I spent the rest of the afternoon collecting firewood, and then as evening rolled around I started thinking about a feed. I cooked up a grand meal for a grand place, and I had a grandstand view of it all…
