The Mavora Lakes provide an oasis of calm in summer, Alina Suchanski writes.
Between Christmas and New Year, the Mavora Lakes road is as busy as George St on Santa Parade day.
Well, almost.
I was standing at the roadside waiting for dust to settle, so I could take a photo, but before the air cleared after one vehicle, another would beat up a huge new cloud of dust.
As I cycled down the road one early afternoon after Christmas I was astonished by the number of campervans, tents, boats and vehicles I saw along the way.
Only people were nowhere to be seen and I soon realised that they were all on the lake or in the bush.
Mavora offers a The Lord of the Rings-style setting for all sorts of outdoor activities.
Fishermen were out in large numbers near the outlet of the Mararoa River from North Mavora Lake.
There were children playing on the beach, people hiking and riding their bikes in the bush or kayaking on the lake.
Some were perfecting their photography skills or reading books.
Others were riding their dirt bikes or exploring the lakes in their motor boats.
There is even a fully fenced paddock provided for those who might want to bring their horses to Mavora.
The Department of Conservation maintains the sites, and provides a ranger who makes sure the campers follow the rules and pay their camp fees.
The place is very popular with South Islanders at this time of the year, particularly those from Southland and Otago.
Te Anau's Bev Thorne has been camping at Mavora with her family for 25 years.
Her camp site is in a secluded spot, away from the crowds, with an impressive panorama of the Mararoa River basin and Takitimu Mountains on the distant horizon.
Her palatial tent has three chambers - a boudoir with a queen-size bed, a storage area and a living/dining room.
There is also a separate shower tent with gas-fuelled hot water.
This is real glamping (glamour camping, for those who have not heard the term).
I am relieved by the absence of a TV, computer or a cellphone (no cellphone coverage here).
It's R and R at its best: you can either commune with nature or converse with people for entertainment.
The 10km track along North Mavora Lake to Carey's Hut takes two hours to walk or the same distance can be covered by kayak in one hour (depending on the wind direction), but having done both in the past I chose to cycle there with a friend on our mountain bikes along the rough track that follows the lake shore.
Our bikes became covered in dust on the gravel road, hopped on the rooty beech forest trail, and sank into the sand on the beach before getting covered in mud on a roller-coaster dirt path that took us to the hut.
This six-bunk hut is popular with hunters who can get there by 4WD.
It's a little beauty with an old coal range for cooking that also heats water for the shower.
We stopped by the hut for a snack, as the day was too glorious and the views too stunning to be inside.
After a leisurely break we cycled back to Bev's camp.
Now that her three sons have grown up and left home, Bev's two dogs keep her company, though they have a tent of their own.
She enjoys a string of visitors who pop in and sometimes stay for a day or two.
People come here from as far as Dunedin and Invercargill. Bev's neighbour, Ernie, from Winton, has been coming to Mavora for 30 years.
He said he usually spends entire school holidays there with his wife, children and now also grandchildren.
He thinks Mavora is ''a pretty special place''.
As I relaxed in Bev's ''canvas palace'' after a long bike ride, watching the evening sun shimmer on the water and bring out the rusty reds in the tussock-clad valley, I had to agree with him.
This is wilderness, remote, yet accessible for those who are willing to make the effort.
