Dark Sky Project

Gaze at the cosmos on a 2-hour stargazing tour with expert astronomers and round-trip transfers from Mt. John Observatory. 

Enjoy hassle-free round-trip transfers between Dark Sky Project Base and Mt. John Observatory while winding through rugged alpine landscapes.

You can use high-powered 16-inch telescopes to look at Jupiter and Saturn and pick out stars with the naked eye using hand-held laser pointers.

Listen to your astronomy guide share the secrets and facts behind constellations, planets, and deep-space phenomena.

Fun fact: Mt. John Observatory houses the MOA Telescope, New Zealand’s largest optical telescope used for detecting planets outside our solar system.

Go on a stargazing journey in the Mackenzie Basin, discovering hidden celestial wonders with an astronomy guide and telescopes at Cowan’s Observatory.

Relax under the stars with round-trip transfers to Cowan’s Private Observatory, ensuring a seamless and unforgettable stargazing adventure.

Learn to spot iconic constellations, distant nebulae, and elusive celestial bodies with 14-inch powerful telescopes and handheld laser pointers at the observatory.

Let your seasoned astronomy guide offer fascinating insights and captivating stories about the cosmos as you stargaze at the Southern night sky.

Did you know? Cowan Observatory is located in the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve, the world’s largest dark sky reserve.

Discover how traditional Māori knowledge comes together with the cosmos, using legends, and navigational techniques such as the “star compass” in a 45-minute guided experience.

Enjoy dynamic multimedia installations, theatrical lighting, and immersive soundscapes across 4 zones, in a dark, lesser light-polluted area that is best for star-gazing.

Located at the Dark Sky Project astronomy center in Lake Tekapo—nestled within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve—this indoor experience is available all year.

Look at the sky at a custom-built planetarium that provides a breathtaking 360-degree view of the cosmos, through a modernized star compass – kāpehu whetū that requires the user to know the positions of at least 220 stars!

Fun fact: Experience a unique guided tour weaving ancient Māori astronomical wisdom—Tātai arorangi—with modern science and storytelling.