Lake Mavis Route

Lake Mavis Route is a 2.7-mile (4.3-km) out-and-back from Goat Pass Hut to a high alpine lake beneath Mt Oates. Allow about four to five hours return; the climb to the lake takes around two hours one way. You gain roughly 500 m on steep tussock and scree before following a cairned ridge. This is for experienced backcountry trampers who can navigate where the track is faint or absent, not a casual walk from the road.

From Goat Pass Hut, follow the Mingha track over to Goat Pass and look for the pair of cairns marking the eastbound spur. The climb starts steeply across tussock and scree; it is largely unmarked, and cairns appear only occasionally along the ridge. The turnoff can be easy to miss and the faint line fades in grass, so keep checking your map and position rather than following every worn patch. The climb comes in bursts, with a further rise near a waterfall before the lake basin.

Lake Mavis sits in an alpine bowl below Mt Oates. From the shore, the water and surrounding ridges open into a broad mountain view; on a clear day, Mt Rolleston is visible beyond the basin. Calm conditions can bring reflections, but the lake is exposed to changing mountain weather. Mt Oates, at 2,054 m, is named for Captain Lawrence Oates of Scott's Terra Nova Antarctic expedition.

This is a backcountry side trip, not a roadside trail. The eastern approach from Greyneys Shelter on SH73 takes about 10 km and five hours one way to Goat Pass Hut; the western approach from Morrison's Footbridge is about 14 km and eight to nine hours. Those are separate access legs and are not included in the 2.7-mile lake walk. The Mingha approach has river crossings that can become dangerous in high water. Goat Pass Hut has 20 bunks, requires bookings, and has untreated tap water that must be boiled. The side trip is best in summer; winter snow brings avalanche terrain. Dogs and other pets are not permitted in the national park.