“On a Mish” #443 The Rewards of an Unknown Track (Part Two). North Mavora Lake. Mavora Lakes Reserve. 11.10.2025. It is amazing that you can visit the same place many times over and still find new experiences each time. The Mavora Lakes are like this, and after lots of camping missions to the vast expanses of the camping ground I still seem to find new places to go and new sights to see. On a pre-Nepal training trip with my mate Rob, we attempted to get to the top of the forest which grows alongside North Mavora Lake. However, we were stopped by a swollen lake which had consumed the normal lakeside trail. Our alternative was to tackle an unknown track which climbed away from the lake, and hope that it took us to the rewards we craved at the top of the forest…
Rain had not only raised the level of the lake, but it had also turned the track into a mudfest. Although to solely blame the rain would be harsh as trucks and bikes had also contributed to the muddy situation on the mysterious track which had now taken us up and away from North Mavora Lake. Georgie was loving running around the forest and in and out of the boggy areas, while we found it a little tricky underfoot. We followed the track and, in places, wondered how a vehicle would navigate the very broken trail. We both agreed that we would rather walk than be subjected to the violent motion that anyone attempting to come this way would have to deal with.
Eventually we came across a clearing which had been cut up by many different spinning wheels of all shapes and sizes. Getting across the boggy ground was torture on my broken bits, but we were so close stopping wasn’t an option. It was just beyond this point that we finally reached the top of the forest and had a chance to soak in the rewards of following the unknown track. Our prize for sticking it out was an amazing view to the top of the lake and beyond, plus an elevated vantage of the peaks that surround this stunning part of planet earth. The reward made every step worthwhile!
After a bite to eat and some time convincing Georgie it was time to turn back, we began our trek back to the Mavora Lakes Campsite via the same ‘now known’ track we had hiked in on. It was on the return journey that we started to encounter trucks and bikes making their way up the valley to the top of the lake. Our peace and quiet was broken by the blat of a two-stroke engine revving, and the rumble of trucks negotiating the tricky track. We were very thankful for our early start and the peace experienced until this point.
We arrived back (with a couple more aches than when we started!) at a much busier camping ground It was now the weekend and many had come out to enjoy the weather, views and everything else that goes with a visit to this awesome area. After a break and then packing up our tents it was time to say goodbye for now, as we knew we would be back again for another round soon. But until then we will survive off the buzz we got when we savoured the rewards of following an unknown track in the forest beside North Mavora Lake…
