Stylish accommodation with fine food, wine and art in stunning Tekapo. I am too, but my knowledge of space mostly involves TV shows, movies and David Bowie songs. In most cities, the only reason people are still wondering the streets at 2.30am is because they are getting a greasy burger at the end of a hard night’s raving. Start the evening with a guided constellation tour and be amazed by the vastness of the universe. Welcome to Lake Tekapo Lodge. Eco Tour Agency. Book your tickets online for Lake Tekapo, Lake Tekapo: See 2,623 reviews, articles, and 2,332 photos of Lake Tekapo, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 11 attractions in Lake Tekapo. We then looked up and realised the stars were covered by clouds. Not only does this orientation of the night’s sky allow our eyes to take in the wonders of the universe, but it gives some of the guides a moment to give us a hot chocolate each and for the astrophotographers to gather our cameras and work their magic. Loaded up with Arctic jackets, a fetching moon lanyard, and our newly acquired torches, we are driven up to the Mount John Observatory by a bus driver who is far too chipper for 12.30am! Tekapo Star Gazing. Tekapo Star Gazing: Perfect night. Let them take you on a journey of exploration to discover the unique features of the southern skies! The Large and Small Clouds of Magellan are there to view through one of the telescopes – two cloudy patches in the sky only seen in the Southern Hemisphere. A travel blogger from New Zealand who has just returned home after 6 years abroad. Help code: D2B-34DF. Hiking the Mount Crichton Loop Track, Queenstown, 11 of the Best Things to Do in Franz Josef, Hiking the Sugarloaf Pass Track, Glenorchy, Kohaihai to Scotts Beach: A Short Walk on the Heaphy Track, 16 Fun Things to Do in Lake Tekapo and the Mackenzie Basin. We decided to go anyway and hope for the best, and that’s what we got. Enjoy a memorable evening of stargazing with a difference at the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. Photo Credit: Chris Murphy of Dark Sky Project. Get Directions +64 3-680 6579. www.tekapostargazing.co.nz. We look forward to hosting you! Hot pools. By using this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and the terms of use within it. Now, check out these articles to plan an incredible gap year in New Zealand: Until tomorrow’s post, give us a like on Facebook for daily travel tips. These satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are the sort of thing we’ve only seen in documentaries and here we are seeing them live! After, luxuriate in the hot pools of the Tekapo Springs. Photo Credit: Chris Murphy of  Dark Sky Project. Enjoy a memorable evening of stargazing with a difference at the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. Observed at 3:06am from: Lake Tekapo (ICANTERB337) Rain (today) Wind Humidex Humidity Pressure-mm S 14km/h 23 ° 48 % 1009.48hPa. So why go stargazing on the Lake Tekapo Star Gazing tour? Welcome/Kia Ora! You can also easily drive … Closed Now. Was $495/night for two adults bed and breakfast. 18 ° Lake-Tekapo. You can obviously see some of the stars without the telescopes as well — the lack of light pollution (the entire town of Tekapo uses LED lights) means that the night sky is clearly on show. NOW $375! Lake Tekapo Stargazing Tours. The tour operates from the renowned facilities of Tekapo Springs, combining the stunning Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark … Wonder at the dazzling beauty of millions of stars in some of the clearest, darkest night skies in the world! About Tekapo Star Gazing The ultimate in stellar relaxation, Tekapo Star Gazing is the only hot pools and star gazing experience in New Zealand! The tour operates from the renowned facilities of Tekapo … Fairly breezy Nor'West winds. Before sticking our eyes in lenses, our guide gives us an orientation of the night sky, pointing out constellations with a powerful green laser pen. LOCATION OF LAKE TEKAPO The Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is located on South Island New Zealand, around a 3-hour drive south from Christchurch. The ultimate in stellar relaxation, Tekapo Star Gazing is the only guided hot pools and star gazing experience in New Zealand. Book your experience stress-free and know we're here to help. Join me as I see as much of the South Island as I can. In small town New Zealand there generally isn’t much to do when the sun goes down. Of course, you have! Stargazing in Lake Tekapo: The Mount John Observatory Tour 24 Oct 2018 Jon Algie In small town New Zealand there generally isn’t much to do when the sun goes down. Magellanic Clouds visible in the Southern Skies above Tekapo, New Zealand. Now. Something not so old and not so distance is the elephant in the room; the one we cannot avoid tonight; the moon. We have to admit, we’ve been dying to get into one of these observatory domes, and our time finally comes when get a look at the oldest thing we will ever see with our own eyes. If the weather is poor, learn about the stars through an indoor projection. In Lake Tekapo, the reason many of its visitors pull all-nighters is because the town is situated in an International Dark Sky Reserve. Start the evening with a guided constellation tour and be amazed by the vastness of the universe. We left our tripod behind and the tour was a little rushed due to the cloud cover for the first 30 minutes or so, so we didn’t get any photos, but if you’re keen to get some let your guide know. Page Transparency See More. Price Range $ Opens at 10:00 PM. We share the same check-in point as Lake Tekapo Farm Tours and Isolation Bay Luxury Accommodation. The two-hour tour comes to an end with the yellow lights of our guides waving to us as we leave. From learning how to spot the Southern Cross in the night sky to being introduced to Globular Clusters, there were a lot of impressive things to see! The town is the hub of many tourist attractions for the surrounding area. The night tour with Earth & Sky takes us away from the town lights of Tekapo up to the Mount John University Observatory. It’s the third of the moraine-dammed lakes in the area and possibly the most famous of the three because of the town, Tekapo, named after it. I won’t go into too much detail about what we learned (mostly because my memory is bad) but it was a fun and informative tour and seeing the stars up close like that is a special experience. Our Lake Tekapo stargazing tour started with an 11.15 pm pickup from our accommodation. Dark Sky Project are proudly regarded as leaders in Astro tourism experiences. The tour operates from the renowned facilities of Tekapo Springs, combining the stunning Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve with our soul-warming hot pools. Click the BOOK NOW button for availability . We also like to hang out on Instagram. As far as our friends know, we are coming out of this tour as professional astrophotographers. By using this website you agree to our, Advertise your business on New Zealand's most popular travel guide, How to Photograph Aurora Australis (The Southern Lights), 10 Most Beautiful Lakes on the North Island, 10 Most Beautiful Lakes on the South Island, 10 Things to Do on Stewart Island on a Rainy Day, 10 Romantic Activities on Stewart Island for Couples. Contact – Disclaimer, Welcome/Kia Ora! There’s a cafe up there and the views are awesome. Our driver gives us an introduction to the town of Tekapo, a few local tales, and an explanation of what exactly is a “Dark Sky Reserve”. © 2020 NZ Pocket Guide. Jan 13, 2021 - The ultimate in stellar relaxation, Tekapo Star Gazing is the only hot pools and star gazing experience in New Zealand! Well, Tekapo Star Gazing is based in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve which is only one of eleven worldwide and the largest one in the Southern Hemisphere. People. See more ideas about lake tekapo, new zealand, south island. To access all of the content on Yr, we recommend that you update your browser. It’s not just the magnificent lake and mountain view to enjoy at Lake Tekapo Lodge – we have luxury inside! READ MORE: 16 Fun Things to Do in Lake Tekapo and the Mackenzie Basin. With a wide range of accommodation options, from camping to cabins, dorm beds to family units - we have something for everyone. Dark Sky Project (formally Earth and Sky) invited us to do the Mount John Observatory stargazing tour during our recent trip to Lake Tekapo and it was a lot of fun. This doesn’t mean we have to stumble around in the dark, as our bus driver hands out some red solar-powered torches that we can keep as a souvenir. We recommend the Tekapo Springs Stargazing tour which includes relaxing exclusively in their hot pools at night. There is a supermarket available if cooking is your preference. Thankfully, we will be getting a shuttle from the Earth & Sky Office in town – a 20-minute walk from the Tekapo Holiday Park, or a two minute drive… Guess which one we take…, To all the campers at Tekapo Holiday Park, we apologise for the roaring of our extremely old campervan as we leave the holiday park at 12am…. It costs $8 to use the road, or you can walk up from town which takes around an hour. Where before we could only see the brightest of stars, (which was still a better night’s sky than most places), now our eyes start to adjust to see a greater density of stars, even to the point where we can see the haze of the Milky Way! The research facility really tries to keep the light produced to a minimum, meaning that not even car lights can shine to get up the mountain! Flexible Bookings . These satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are the sort of thing we’ve only seen in documentaries and here we are seeing them live! Lake Tekapo Stargazing Tour at Mt John Observatory. Our guide, Sam, seemed happy about that — it can’t be fun running a stargazing tour with no stars! The following two tabs change content below. A short time after arriving at Mount John Observatory the skies cleared, and the stars came out. Lake Tekapo is within view from the top of Mount John. Lake Tekapo is an incredible place to visit. The dancing spotlights are just a hint of the enthusiasm evoked by our stargazing guides, all of which are either astrologists themselves or astrologists in the making. Join us tomorrow to see if we wake up on time for a flight over the Southern Alps! Apart from stargazing tours & the hot springs, there are hardly any water or outdoor activities/tours available. partly cloudy . What backpacker doesn’t love free stuff? We get straight into it, following our guide up to the main observatory building surrounded by three large domes and tens of high-tech telescopes. Are you keen to go stargazing in Lake Tekapo? Buy Now Give as Gift There are people watching this product now Earn 2 points for every $1 spent? The tour operates from the renowned facilities of Tekapo Springs, combining the stunning Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve with our soul-warming hot pools. Observed at 3:06am from: Lake Tekapo (ITWIZE18) Rain (today) Wind Humidex Humidity Pressure. Amazing tour and awesome staffs! Lake Tekapo Motels & Holiday Park and the Lakefront Lodge Backpackers are set on the picturesque shores of beautiful Lake Tekapo, with magnificent views of the turquoise lake to the surrounding mountains and the stunning night sky. To make the most of this wonderful fact, we are taking the Earth & Sky Stargazing Tour! Walking around the observatory with ease thanks to the light of the moon which is so bright it is casting shadows, we get a closer look at things so far away it’s hard to comprehend. We were tired after a long day of hiking and driving, but the promise of getting up close to distance stars meant we were excited to head up to Mount John. After, luxuriate in the hot pools of the Tekapo Springs. If you have a DSLR camera the guides can help you take photos. At Dark Sky Project, formerly Earth & Sky, their aim is to connect their visitors to the night skies, sparking a lifelong passion for dark sky preservation and what exists above. Our guide invites us to do an exercise to use The Southern Cross for navigation like the early explorers, which might come in handy knowing how unreliable Google Maps can be sometimes…. Lake Tekapo Mackenzie District, Canterbury (New Zealand), elevation 750 m. Forecast Forecast; Nearby Nearby; Map Map; It looks like you're using an old browser. Let us show-case Lake Tekapo's Sanctuary for the Stars. It’s only the soft sound of David Bowie that fills our tired ears as the bus takes us back to Tekapo. 22 ° Lake-Tekapo. The ultimate in stellar relaxation, Tekapo Star Gazing is the only guided hot pools and star gazing experience in New Zealand. One of the most prominent constellations in the sky is The Southern Cross, including the second nearest star to Earth which is only a mere 4.3 light-years away! From. Share your NZ snaps with us at #BackpackerGuideNZ (and now #NZPocketGuide) to be featured! The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is one of eleven worldwide and the largest one in the Southern Hemisphere. No Booking Fees. Keep reading to find out more about our experience! Sam was great at explaining what we were looking at and is obviously very passionate about space. Previous . With stargazing in Lake Tekapo (unsurprisingly…) only possible at night, we spent the remaining daylight hours after our drive enjoying the small lakeside settlement’s attractions. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a Page. The former makes complete sense as we don’t want to hinder our stargazing abilities with bright lights. Australian Owned. Feature Image is from Igor Hoogerwerf of  Dark Sky Project. Page created - March 15, 2017. As for the latter, did we mention this is a university campus? Includes levy. This must be our guides! It's located on the South Island of New Zealand, and is surrounded by amazing mountainous landscapes. Considered the most photographed building in New Zealand, this tiny chapel on the edge of the lake could not be more idyllic. 2+ Million Customers. Silver River™ Stargazing office is located at 48a D’archiac Drive, Lake Tekapo. System is unavailable. This means that Lake Tekapo is one of the best places in the world to stargaze. There are some (not a lot) of good restaurants and cafes. Lake Tekapo is about three hours drive south-west of Christchurch in the Mackenzie Basin. Additionally, Tekapo is also home to Tekapo Springs. The township faces north across the remarkable turquoise coloured lake to the mountainous drama of the Southern Alps. - See 166 traveller reviews, 10 candid photos, and great deals for Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, at Tripadvisor. We had the option of going anyway, rescheduling or getting a refund (well, we didn’t pay in the first place so that wouldn’t have been an option). Church of the Good Shepherd. Have you read yesterday’s post about Tekapo Springs? 7 Days a Week Support. If the weather is poor, learn about the stars through an indoor projection. This unique experience features stunning 360 degree images of the stars, custom-drawn artwork to bring the constellations to life with a fusion of science and storytelling. 10/10 would do again. Bed and breakfast special rate to 31 March 2021. Check out our in-depth travel guide! For the next hour or so our small group were treated to stunning views of distant star clusters through powerful telescopes and some hot chocolate! Really enjoyed our guide's passion for the night sky, with all his knowledge and willingness to answer our questions. Are you planning a trip to New Zealand’s South Island? During this time, our eyes start to adjust. Ask a Question ***ONLY THE SUMMIT EXPERIENCE IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE*** Description. Temperature 12 ° 12 ° Feels like 12 ° Precipitation 0 mm. Overall, our Stargazing Tour and Lake Tekapo road trip was a total blast, and something I’d absolutely recommend if you’re planning on traveling around the South Island and enjoy learning about galaxies whilst in a romantic hot pool with strangers. The globular cluster, what appears to be a single star to the naked eye, is around 10-12 billion years old. You can drive up to Mount John Observatory — it’s open between 9 am and 5.30 pm during summer and 9 am – 4.30 pm in winter. This is where the tour really gets magical! Lovely thing to do to - combining the slightly chilly August stargazing (dress up warm in winter, although blankets are also offered outside) with the soothing hot pools afterwards. 3,610 likes. Answer 1 of 11: Hi I am doing a quick road trip with the family and heading around South Island. The Large and Small Clouds of Magellan are there to view through one of the telescopes – two cloudy patches in the sky only seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, 7999. We have a feeling that our driver may have done this drive in the dark more than once, so we do make it up the hill in one piece. Should there be a cloudy evening you will be offered an 'Observatory Tour', our guides will escort you through this working research observatory you will learn about the projects being undertaken using New Zealand's largest telescope, the MOA. Wind 3 m/s light breeze from north 3 m/s. They do provide a few notes after the tour of most things that they showed on the telescope so you can look them up again if you want to or brag to your friends about it! That’s not the case for Lake Tekapo though, as it sits in New Zealand’s only dark sky reserve, meaning it’s ideal for stargazing. Your localized Astronomy weather forecast, from AccuWeather, provides you with the tailored weather forecast that you need to plan your day's activities Stargazing Tekapo, New Zealand Stargazing & Observatory Experiences Time-lapse animations taken by Maki Yanagimachi around Lake Tekapo, NewZealand Located in the heart of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, Tekapo is one of the quietest spots on the planet yet it has one of the busiest night skies in the universe. The observatory’s powerful telescopes reveal craters and the cones of ancient volcanoes. See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. Disclaimer: We were hosted by Dark Sky Project; all thoughts and opinions are our own. 0.25mm N 15km/h 19 ° 59 % 995.94hPa. Current conditions. About Tekapo Star Gazing The ultimate in stellar relaxation, Tekapo Star Gazing is the only hot pools and star gazing experience in New Zealand! It’s really cool to be able to see those two cloudy patches in the sky which represent some massive amount of stars galaxies, planets and heaps of potential life. If the weather isn't suitable for outdoor stargazing, you will experience a customised virtual reality tour of the Lake Tekapo night skies! That’s not the case for Lake Tekapo though, as it sits in New Zealand’s only dark sky reserve, meaning it’s ideal for stargazing. On top of seeing the Southern Cross really up close we get to see items that area only seen in the Southern Hemisphere such as the small and the large Magellan Clouds. The tour operates from the renowned facilities of Tekapo Springs, combining the stunning Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark … After checking in at the Earth & Sky office in the centre of Tekapo, we are given a few stargazing house rules such as, no white lights from phones, cameras… anything, as well as no smoking and drinking. 23 ° Lake … Weather Forecast for Lake-Tekapo. Yellow spotlights dance in the dark outside our bus greeting us to Mount John. Feb 29, 2016 - Lake Tekapo is the second-largest of three roughly parallel lakes running north–south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island of New Zealand. Sunny. Lake Tekapo gets its intense milky-turquoise colour from the fine rock-flour (ground by glaciers) which is suspended in the water. A few jokes are thrown in here and there, but he seems to get the most pleasure out of telling us that he needs to navigate the Mount John access road without his headlights.
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