Stargazing Tours - Dark Sky Project Lake Tekapo
Mt John Observatory Stargazing Tour
All prices shown in NZD$.
Genuine Customer Reviews powered by 
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Quick response and informative
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Quick and hassle free … it was avbreeze
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Everything about this trip was amazing - from the visitor centre, to the bus ride up to the observatory accompanied by space tunes, to the awesome night sky. The staff were amazing, really knowledgeable and engaging and the time flew by.
It was the best experience and I would thoroughly recommend it!
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Kept us informed as the date approached. Provided the much required extra coats as the night temp fell below 10 and transport to site. Very informative tour experience
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Smooth experience with a good quick response
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Easy to book online. Efficient communication and acknowledgment of voucher being issued. I did find it a little confusing that the email communication did not say the tour was with Dark Sky and initially we waited outside by YHA building.
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Very well organised and informative. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
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Great guide with excellent skills at explaining everything
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Good communication. Everything well set up from lanyards with lights to warm jackets to great staff
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Karma was outstanding in helping us achieve our goals and Kate was equally good in the execution. I would use this company again.
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All of these activities were extremely well done with very friendly and dynamic people.
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Although the activity was cancelled, your staff provides very good service. We will book with you again in future.
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Thank you for the service.
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Replied back in a timely manner but was disappointed when I discovered the fee paid for a full refund which I took because of the COVID threat only gave 75 percent back when my booking was impacted by lockdown
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Unable to attend due to COVID lockdown
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback. We are so sorry to hear that you were unable to travel due to travel restrictions in place. The Change & Cancellation Protection gives customers the opportunity to reschedule their booking, receive a 100% credit note or opt for a 75% refund as stated in our Terms & Conditions. We would like to apologise if this was not clear to you at the time of your booking. We wish you all the best & hopefully, you will be able to travel to Tekapo another time! Everything Travel Group
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Contact from Everything New Zealand has been outstanding. Our Tekapo stargazing experience was cancelled due to cloudy skies so we opted for the inhouse experience instead and were told ENZ would be informed so we can contact them for a refund or credit. The very next day (Saturday) I received an email advising me of my credit and options and on Sunday afternoon I emailed requesting to book something else using my credit. My email was replied to almost immediately. That's what I call great service.
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Our stargazing experience was curtailed because of cloudy skies so we opted for the indoor experience instead. Obviously it was disappointing but the team at Dark Sky Project were outstanding and about halfway through the presentation one of the team informed us the skies had cleared and they'd set up a telescope outside the building so we could see some nebulae. It was still a great experience even if we didn't get to the observatory.
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback, we really appreciate it. We are so glad to hear that you were able to use your credit towards booking another fun activity instead. Please get in touch regarding any future holiday plans, we would be more than happy to assist you & offer you a repeat customer discount. All the best! :) Everything Travel Group
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Knowledgeable Friendly Helpful Professional Very Informative and passionate about what they do. Definitely recommend.
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Very pleased with our experience
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback, we really appreciate it. We are so glad to hear that you had a wonderful time on the Stargazing Tour. Please get in touch regarding any future holiday plans, we would be more than happy to assist you & offer you a repeat customer discount. All the best! :) Everything Travel Group
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Excellent and prompt service. Easy to deal with and super friendly service. Will definitely recommend to others.
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Although the weather turned, the guides gave us as much information as they could including a video. Friendly service too!
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback, we really appreciate it. We have passed on your feedback to the operator. Please get in touch regarding any future holiday plans, we would be more than happy to assist you & offer you a repeat customer discount. All the best! :) Everything Travel Group
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It was not their fault that we could not go up to Mt St John for the star gazing. However we were taken care of and I should probably upgrade that to 4 stars! The young Frenchman did his very best with a telescope just outside their office and then took us inside to give us an amazing explanation about the stars etc. Just very disappointed that we didn't get to go up the mountain. Staff very friendly and helpful
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I like that fact that a partial refund is available if the complete session was not able to take place.
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your experience. It was a shame that you were unable to do the Mt John Tour but hopefully, we will see you here in Tekapo again one day. All the best!
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friendly - great communication - great followup
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mind blowing - we all learnt a lot
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your great experience. We are glad that you had a great time in Tekapo & we hope to see you here soon again. All the best!
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Hi very good service and very friendly people good to deal with. Will happily use again.
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It’s the second time I’ve done this / loved it both times.
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your great experience. We are glad that you had an amazing time in Tekapo & we hope to see you here soon again. All the best!
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They were very friendly and helped me with my booking when the slot I first selected was already fully booked
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Due to weather conditions, we weren't able to go with the outdoor stargazing
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your great experience. We are sorry to hear that the weather was not suitable for the outdoor experience. We hope to see you here in Tekapo soon again & maybe you can try to do the outdoor experience again. All the best!
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Friendly, helpful staff who offered options.
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Approx 2hrs, one hour on telescopes, one hour in the pool. Knowledgeable presenter. Educational and relaxing.
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your great experience. We are glad that you had an amazing time in Tekapo & we hope to see you here soon again. All the best!
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Great service and got everything that I expected from them
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The people at the DSP were amazing. Great people and very knowledgeable. Unfortunately it clouded over on the only night we were there, but you cant predict the weather. However it was still a memorable experience
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your great experience. We hope you had a great time in Lake Tekapo! All the best & stay safe!
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Efficient booking process
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Excellent commentary and experience
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Very well run event, Great team with a ton of knowledge.
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Very well done and the staff had a ton of knowledge.
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Everything worked like it was supposed to.
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A bit expensive for a fairly straightforward tour that wasn’t especially revelatory. Everything went well and everyone was very nice, but overall it was just a bit meh.
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Well organised and very interesting... just a couple of disappointing things ... felt that the tour group was too big and one of the guides was grumpy and less than helpful.
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Was a bit pricey given the number of patrons jammed on the bus.
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Booking easy and organised. When there was a weather issue one of my party dropped out and there was no problem getting a refund.
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Despite a super moon washing the Milky Way out, the guides were entertaining and enthusiastic, showing lots of the sky through various telescopes.
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Our viewing experience was cancelled. We had hoped to get at least a tour of the observatory despite the overcast skies but waiting around for a full cancellation. The staff were pleasant with everyone's questions -- thank you.
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Our viewing experience was cancelled. We had hoped to get at least a tour of the observatory despite the overcast skies but waiting around for a full cancellation. The staff were pleasant with everyone's questions -- thank you.
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Information was great, night was stunning but telescopes seemed under gunner to provide much interest.
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Telescopes too small. Great information though.
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The Mt John stargazing tour was fantastic, with knowledgeable guides, excellent facilities and fortunate conditions.
The booking process was let down by Everything New Zealand as I was unable to book the tour for the same day on their site despite there being availability on the tour (as I later found out at the Earth and Sky office). I got around this by booking for the following day and then calling Earth and Sky to change the booking (which ENZ would have charged $15 for the flexible option!). Simple fix for you guys and would save me a lot of time!
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Excellent tour, knowledgeable guides, great facilities and helpful staff to rearrange my booking. A bit pricey but very good experience.
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Amazing experience. Staff were amazing
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The staff were so knowledge
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Fast, efficient service and good communication
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The tour would have been very good and the staff looked after us up Mount John but my Dad should never have been allowed to go. We should have been told it was not a suitable trip for someone with limited ability to walk unaided
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晚上去山顶看到了南十字星，星座，景色非常美，值得一看。
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Amazing Genius Star Tour.
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Thoroughly enjoyed, guides so enthusiastic you can't help catch some of there excitement about astronomy.
Would have preferred smaller group possibly so you could spend more time looking through scopes
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Always good to learn something new guides so enthusiastic
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What an amazing night! The guides were so great - informative and friendly.
We would love to do it again except we live 18 hours away.
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Great service from Everything Travel Group. Our tour didn't eventuate but you guys took the first step to contact us. Appreciated the immediate full refund. Could look for you guys again for future tours. Thank you.
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Good communication etc
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Great product, knowledgeable people and fantastic gazing - but I think it was a little too pricey on a time at the actual observatory basis. 1/2 an hour more would have felt more satisfactory.
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Nice touch getting a reminder a couple of days before the tour
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One of the best tours I have ever been on.
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we were away and without email access so didn't get confirmation email sent a few days before our Mt John trip. Our booking form which I printed out when received in November had incorrect booking number which caused considerable angst and consternation and significant costs in phoning Tekapo the day before our trip. Still given it was sorted relatively quickly, I've scored this as good.
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Very interesting, gave us things to think about and look at, but too many people on it, so time available to look in telescopes was limited. Might be a good idea to bunch people into groups with a leader. Enthusiastic presenters.
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your staff were very helpful and accomodating. they were patient in answering all our queries.
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the staff are very knowledgeable and they look after the visitors very well.
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It was a shame it was a cloudy night - which I know you can't do anything about!
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Staff were helpful and friendly and the tour of the observatory was interesting. The cloud did clear for a few minutes and so we did have a little bit of time to do some star gazing.
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Great!
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Guides were great and we were very lucky to have a cloudless night. We enjoyed the whole experience. The 2 hours flew by!
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Bad weather the first night but no trouble to postpone until the second night.
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The BEST tour and place to be and excellent guides with good and
appropriate information. LOVELY!!
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Very professional
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Very good. The guides are ver professional and actively encouraged to ask question
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Awesome
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Brilliant tour would recommend to anyone visiting Tekapo, amazing experience and my partner got to see Saturn on her birthday which was awesome!!
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Fantastic tour. Well organized with very professional commentary,
Definitely I highly recommend this to everyone.
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No criticism at all. Looking through the telescopes, amazingly unforgettable.
Well worth it.
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Prompt service and understanding staff.
The tour was cancelled due to a local community event which also didn't take place due to weather conditions.
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had to cancel 1 ticket a few weeks prior to date and that was no problem. However initial booking overlooked the fact that we were seniors and had a different rate.
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Fantastic, learned so much and it was great to see such passionate people doing the tour.
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Easy to book.
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Excellent experience - unforgettable.
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Excellent service. No issues at all.
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Wonderful tour. Guides were highly competent, knowledgeable and excellent communicators. I would thoroughly recommend the tour to anyone. The "Valentines Day" extra touches were much appreciated.
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Excellent service and knowledge
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What an experience!
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Ok. Quick. Efficient.
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Very knowledgable. Friendly. Caring.
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Brilliant, incredibly quick responses to email, very helpful and professional
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It was informative, exciting in the dark and inspiring. Great to experience such a academic and fascinating field, and the time they took to explain things for us. Unfortunately the cloud cover was 70% and astrophotography emphasized on the website was not really mentioned. All in all a very special experience.
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What a great tour.
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We were kept warm and comfortable at all times.
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good
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I lost the bit of paper that gives me access to flickr to get the hight photo, what do I need to do to get a copy
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Everything so easy to book highly reccomended
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So many stars and great guides. Not to be missed
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Very easy to navigate website and booking was a breeze!
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We were very lucky that the sky was perfect ! No moon, no wind !! The guide we had was good too! He had a very funny, animated way of explaining stuff and very entertaining ! Too bad we couldn't see what he looked like !
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Easy to use booking system, all good.
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Good value for money. Friendly and informative staff, and lucky with the weather.
I would recommend it to anyone.
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The service was good.
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Everything from the pick up and the personal service was great and what I expect in NZ but...I see stars often so cannot imagine the feelings of those from over countries who don't. I think that a bit more education about the tour and what people are going to view would make the tour more meaningful. A 3d video or 4d of our planets and perhaps more insight into how much distance and time is involved travelling to outer space would help people understand. When I pay and visit displays tours overseas they may not have so much authentic content but they are more interactive and have the wow factor! Imagine putting on 3D virtual glasses and walking around the moon or flying off into space in a rocket. A great build up and then being able to appreciate looking at the stars and planets. We are all part of the universe and I would have liked to have experienced more of that. I feel that Tekapo has a great opportunity to become a world class attraction but needs to improve.
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Easy, good communication about plans.
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Unfortunately, total cloud cover, but still really great trip with lots of information from enthusiastic and knowledgeable folk. Learned a lot. Both loved it and will be back on a clear night.
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Okay although the times weren't correct. Although its an estimated time, Earth Sky has times basically set. 6pm is not close to 7pm.
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Amazing. Very informative and staff were excellent. Saturn and the Moon were amazing.
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Helpfull and available
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Knowledgeable and entertatining
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THE VOUCHER WAS PAID FOR MONTHS IN ADVANCE. NOT MY PROBLEM IF PRICES HAVE INCREASED. I SHOULD NOT HAD TO PAY THE EXTRA $20.- AS THE VOUCHER DID NOT EXPIRE TILL THE 16TH JUNE. THAT IS WHY I SCORE IT POOR OR SHOULD IT BE "BAD". I WOULD NOT BOOK WITH EVERYTHING NZ AGAIN.
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LOVED IT. EXCELLENT NIGHT TO WATCH THE STARS.
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Hi Peter. Thanks for your feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed your Tekapo star gazing experience with Earth & Sky however I'm sorry you felt the service you received from the Everything Travel Group was poor. The reason why you had to pay the extra $20 was that you had an Everything Travel Group gift voucher worth $105 that could be redeemed towards the cost of any activities listed on our website. Like most activity operators in NZ and Australia, Earth & Sky annually increase the price of their Star Gazing tour and at the time of your star gazing booking the price had increased to $125. The prices listed on our website are set by the activity operators themselves, not by the Everything Travel Group. If a customer pre books an activity with us at the lower price and then the price goes up after they have booked the customer will not have to pay the difference. However if prices go up before you book then you will need to pay the current value for that specific activity as per our terms and conditions. I'm sorry this was not made clearer to you by our reservation staff and I can totally understand your frustration and confusion given you had a valid gift voucher. As a gesture of goodwill I have refunded the $20 back on to your credit card. Peter thanks again for taking the time to offer your comments. We continually strive to provide the best possible customer service and feedback like yours is invaluable in assisting us improve our business.
Callum Goodall
Everything Travel Group
Reply from Customer
After our discussion/replies etc, I feel different about your company and therefore revise my comment. I hope there will be other occasions where I would use your services again in the future. Cheers.
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..
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Highly professional delivery from the guide. We learned a lot. We are NZers and were proud of the service and experience delivered for tourists.
Latest Questions about Stargazing Tours - Dark Sky Project (Lake Tekapo)
Do you have transport travel from Lake Tekapo to Wanaka?
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Unfortunately there is no transport provided with any of the Stargazing tours.
For the dark sky experience, what are the age limits
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For Dark Sky Project (Lake Tekapo) infants are not allowed on these tours. The minimum age for the Summit experience is 10 years old and 7 years old for the Dark Sky and Crater experience.
For Summit Experience in June, there are 2 slots: 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Which time is the better option for this experience?
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Either time would work well for the Dark Sky experience, as it is winter and will be dark well before 06.30 PM
If the weather is cloudy for the Dark Sky Experience (Tekapo) do we get a refund?
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If the tour is cancelled due to bad weather conditions you have the opportunity to join the Indoor Experience and you will receive a partial refund or you can reschedule to a different date.
Are there family packages for Dark Sky Project (Tekapo)
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Yes, we have a special for 2 adults & 2 kids as well as a special for 2 adults & 3 kids
Does the Dark Sky Project offer pick-ups/transport from Mount Cook Village
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No, you do need to self drive to the Dark Sky Project office in Tekapo
Do you offer the Manderin tour for the Dark Sky Project Star Gazing tour?
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Absolutely! They have Mandarin speaking staff which means you wont miss out on any of the fascinating information. However if you do require a guide who speaks other languages you should enquire ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
Hi
We are coming down to Tekapo on Friday. Do you think there will be any chance of seeing the Southern Lights on Friday or Saturday ? Which day would be best to book for the tour ? Thanks
For the Little Star tour what times do they start ?
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The Little Star tour in Tekapo operates during the winter months only and departs at approximately 5pm.
How do we get from Queenstown to The Dark Sky Project in Lake Tekapo?
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Tekapo is a good 3 hour drive from Queenstown and there are no return transfers offered as part of the Mt John star gazing tour unfortunately.
What's the difference between the Mt John Night Observatory Tour & Twilight Tour?
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Hi Szean, the Twilight Tour runs earlier than the Mt John Night Tour so you catch the last of the sunset as well as doing some star gazing. While you wait for the sun to go down you will get a tour of the observatory and the facilities there, watch a short film and have a hot drink and cake before star gazing.
Whats the difference between Tekapo Star Gazing tours and Mt John Observatory tours. Are they just different turn operators for the same star gazing ?
Hi there,
Is under 5's free on the Little Stars tour?
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Yes children under 5 years of age do travel for free on all the star gazing tours in Tekapo.
Hi Could you please clarify what a "Little Stars Tour" is? You have very good feedback but the cost is very expensive. I would love to bring my star gazing grandchildren hopefully this would be a way for them to experience it. Many thanks Joy priest
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The Little Star tour at Mt John in Tekapo is very similar to the standard night tour however it is a little shorter and is the first tour for the night so more suitable for kids.
what nights can you put your cameras
on the telescopes
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Hi Carolyn, each night there is a photographer up at the Mt John Observatory who can assist in having the correct settings on your camera to get the best pictures of the night sky. You won't actually put your camera on the telescope but you will be educated on how to get the best pictures of the night sky by using the correct settings.
My husband and I will be holidaying in your area late Dec 2014 to early Jan 2015. We would like to do the night observatory tour and want to know before we book accommodation if you will be open to do the tours in those days or will you be closed for the holiday break? Depending on your days of being open will be when we book our accommodation. Thanks very much.
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Hi Harsha. The Lake Tekapo star gazing tours operate every day of the year except Christmas day. The period over Christmas and New Years and the summer school holidays are the busiest time for bookings so we do recommend booking well in advance.
We will be visiting lake Tekapo for one night in December and would like to do the night observatory tour however with 3 children, youngest of whom is 8 yrs old I am worried it will be too late and they will get bored ... If I book the sunset tour will we still be able to view stars through the telescope once it gets dark?
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Hi Anna,
You will be able to star gaze for the last 20 minutes of the sunset tour. It will not be a dark sky, but you will be able to see bright objects.
The later tour finishes as 12:30am - so it is quite late.
Kind regards
Nigel Hobbs
My family will be staying at Tekapo 2,3,4 Jan. Can I buy vouchers for two adults and one child for them as a Christmas gift?
Comments
Hi Joyce. Yes you certainly can buy an open dated gift voucher for the Tekapo Star Gazing. To do this simply go to the Star Gazing page on our website and click on the Book Now button at the top or bottom of the page. Then check the box at the top of the page where it says "I want this to be an open dated Gift Voucher". You then write a message, click the green tick and then choose the options you want. Add this to your Basket, go to the Check out page and pay and we will then email you back with a Gift Voucher.
Hi
We are going to Tekapo this weekend and have a voucher to use for start gazing which we would like to do on 1 September (night tour). What is the cancellation policy is we book now - the only reason we would cancel is if the weather wasn't very good.
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Hi Katherine, if you book the Tekapo Star Gazing with your voucher for this weekend and Earth & Sky cancel the tour becuase of poor weather then your voucher will be refunded the money.
Hi can we just drive up and ssee the observeratery and have someting to eat in the cafe?What does your cafe serve for adults and kids.
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Hi Jo, yes you certainly can drive up to the Mt John Observatory during the day and have something at the cafe. The cafe serves muffins, scones, slices, cakes as well as an all day breakfast menu including bacon and eggs, toasted sandwiches and bagels etc.
Hi there,
I am from auckland, and plan for a 2 or 3 days trip to Lake Tekepo to see Aurora Australis, when is the best time to go there during the year? and should I fly to Tiramu or Christchurch, or Queenstown then drive to Tekepo?
Thanks a lot
Elva Chan
Comments
Hi Elva, an Aurora Australis is extremely unpredictable and no one can ever be certain when it is going to happen. It depends on how active the sun is but it can occur any time of day or night for either a few seconds or last a few hours. Winter is generally a good time of year to see one but only because there are more dark hours.
Is the Dark Sky Project Star gazing tour suitable for someone in a wheelchair
Comments
The Mt John Night tour is not ideal for wheelchair access however if you have a support person with you and have some mobility then you may be ok. The issue will be getting in and out of the van to get up to Mt John and there are a few steps to get up once you get there. If this doesn't sound like an issue then you should be fine.
rating
93% of new customers that used Everything New Zealand to provide advice and securely book their NZ activities have let us know they've had a good or excellent experience with us. Thank you.
Reply from ENZ Experiences Ltd
Thank you so much for your feedback, we really appreciate it. So sorry to hear you were not able to do your activity this time. Please get in touch regarding any future holiday plans, we would be more than happy to assist you & offer you a repeat customer discount. All the best! :) Everything Travel Group
Posted 05-Jan-2022