Stargazing Tours - Dark Sky Project Lake Tekapo
Q&As
Latest Questions about Stargazing Tours - Dark Sky Project (Lake Tekapo)
Hi there
We are traveling from the UK and will be in Lake Tekapo Mon 9th Jan and Tues 10th Jan please can you try and get us in for the summit experience on either of these nights. I appreciate we have left it a bit late but am ever hopeful.
Thank you
Best wishes
Jenny
Booking for March 2, 2023. Is it better to do the 21:30 or the 23:45 summit experience?
How far are you from Acacia lake terrace taupo
Hi we see you are booked out tomorrow and Monday when we will be in Tekapo. Are you likely to have any cancellations that would enable us to see your tour either tomorrow or Monday please.
To book for 12.15 am Saturday night 19th February, would we book for the 20th. What happens if the Sky is cloudy with limited vision, do we get a refund
If we book for March 28 and the weather is cloudy how much is the partial refund?
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what time is the star sighting at early March? we will stay in wanaka and was wondering if the time will be too late to come back with 2 infants. thanks!
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Thank you for your question. In early March 2021, the earliest tour is at 9.00 PM.
Hi there,
For my birthday I was given a voucher for the crater experience, however, I can no longer book this as it is apparently unavailable.
What are my options here, will the crater experience become available in the future?
Thanks,
Tori Watson.
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Thank you so much for your enquiry. Yes, the Crater Experience is not available at the moment but you can use your gift voucher towards the Summit Experience or another activity of your choice.
Are there family packages
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Yes, we have a special for 2 adults & 2 kids for $390 NZD as well as a special for 2 adults & 3 kids for $460 NZD
Is the star gazing tour available ?
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Yes, the Crater Experience Stargazing Tour is available at Dark Sky Project.
We tried a few years ago to see the stars with you but both nights were cloudy.This year we are intend to stay four nights.If we book September 10th and it is cloudy can we keep trying the next 3 nights until success?
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Yes, with the Dark Sky Project you will be able to reschedule your trip if it is cancelled due to cloud cover. This is of course subject to availability, but the team at Dark Sky Project do all that is possible to reschedule you. They do also have a fantastic indoor, interactive option if there is no alternate day or you run out of days.
Hello. At what time does Summit Experience really starts? Is it possible there is like a 5:30 schedule or does it really start at 6 after sunset?
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The normal departure time for the Summit Experience is at 11.30 PM
We'll be staying in Mount Cook without a vehicle and want to know if your tour offers pickup from Mount Cook Village.
Hi there,
My husband and I were wanting to do this tour with our 4 year old daughter between the 12-14th March, but just noticed your age guidelines?? Is this strict with the ages? If she was to be asleep in her pram or awake I feel like she would thoroughly enjoy this experience aswell.
Look Forward to your response
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Unfortunately these are strict age guidelines due to health and safety reasons.
Do you offer the Manderin tour for 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.
what happens if you book a night and the weather is bad so you can't see the stars?
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If the weather is too bad to provide a quality star gazing experience they will cancel the tour and we will be able to reschedule or provide a full refund.
How do you define the winter months? Thanks, Heather
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Hi Heather, June is considered to be the start of Winter through until the end of September
Can I ask for more Information on the CowanTour? We have 3 adults and 2 children aged 7 & 8.
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It is not up on Mt John but it is held at their Cowan’s Observatory. (approx. 1 ¼ hours) Perfect for your first stargazing experience. This tour will only operate if the sky is clear enough to see some of our I have southern night sky objects. Contact us for further details ")
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
Hi what time does the 2 hour long night tour of Mount John Observatory start for tonight? Also, is there a cafe with food over there before the tour?
Hi we are a family of 6 which includes 2 adults, 1 senior and 3 children ages 9, 7 and 5. We understand that your little star tours only operates in the winter months but we will only be in NZ in the month of december. Is there a tour or a variation whereby my young ones can experience stargazing in the month of december as I understand that it is you spring/ summer month.
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The Little Stars tour in Lake Tekapo does only operate during winter however there is another tour that is suitable for kids 5 and older called the Cowans Tour star gazing tour. This is very similar to the normal night tour however it is run at a slightly different location and is a little cheaper. The cost would be $93 for adults, $83 for the senior and $53 for kids. This tour runs most nights so if you could let me know which dates you are thinking of in December I can let you know if there is space for you on that night.
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.
We are staying in Queenstown. How do we get to Lake Tekapo? Can you pick us up? Two people.
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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. There is a star gazing tour available in Queenstown from the top of the Skyline gondola complex. You can also add in dinner at the Skyline restaurant. Cost is $89 for the tour and return gondola ride or $135 if you include dinner.
How far in advance do I need to book for Mt John Night Tour
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Hi Heather, the Mt John Night Tour is very popular especially during the summer months so bookings need to be made at least a week in advance if not earlier at this time of year. The tour is heavily booked until the end of February at this stage. Let us know what date you are thinking of doing the Mt John Night tour and we can check availability for you.
Hi Heather, the Mt John Night Tour is very popular especially during the summer months so bookings need to be made at least a week in advance if not earlier at this time of year. The tour is heavily booked until the end of February at this stage. Let us know what date you are thinking of doing the Mt John Night tour and we can check availability for you.
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?
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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.
Are you operating on 15/9/12 for a night visit?
Up to how many people can you take?
What happens if it is cloudy?
Many thanks
Ruth
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Hi Ruth,
Yes the Star Gazing Tours at Lake Tekapo are operating on the 15th of September.
When stars are hidden from sight by cloud, The Earth & Sky crew will take you on journey to discover the nocturnal world of an astronomer. See behind the scenes of Mt John Observatory, usually out-of-bounds to the general public. Nowhere else can you experience what you see and hear on our Mt John Stargazing Tour. This behind the scene tour is arguably as interesting and amazing as the star gazing.
Regards,
Nigel
I am hoping to visit some time in March 2013, I will have a Canon 60D with me - what would I need to connect to your scopes if there was a chance to use it (I have a T adaptor that I use with my scope in the UK).
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Hi Brian. I have spoken to the team at Earth & Sky who run the Mt John night tours and they have informed me that it is not possible to connect your camera up to the telescopes.However, there is a tracking mount which can hold up to 5 cameras and moves with the telescope which enables you to take some longer exposure shots with your camera.
I have been told that the "Southern Lights" might be able to be "predicted" around 24hrs prior to ocurring. Is this correct? Can we book is there a website to monitor this and check the weather forcast? Accordingly, can we book at VERY short notice as will fly from Auckland. Thanks :)
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Hi Kevin, the Southern Lights are very difficult to predict however there are conditions that make it more likely to occur such as high levels of sun activity and no moon. Within the next week conditions are good for Southern Lights appearing however the window of warning given that it is going to appear is only moments before so not enough in advance to fly down from Auckland unfortunately.
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.
I would like to give my husband and our daughter a gift voucher for the night tour. The dates I am looking at are Sept 29th or 30th
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Hi Tricia, this is no problem at all if you want to purchase them a gift voucher just click on the Book Now button on the Earth & Sky page and then at the top of this page check the box that says "I want this to be an open dated gift voucher" that way they will receive the voucher for the Mt John Tour and then when they redeem it online they can select the exact date they want to go.
What happens if you have prebooked and then the weather doesnt allow viewing?
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Hi E, if the weather prevents your Mt John Star Gazing tour from going ahead then you are given the chance to reschedule or offered a full refund.
Hello, can you please advise whether the state of the moon has an effect on star gazing?
Hi Alex, yes the moon certainly does affect star gazing. With a full moon, viewing of stars is poor as there is too much light and you are likely to see only planets and bright stars. The best time for star gazing is when there is a new moon.
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
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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.
Hi. What if we have booked a particular night time tour and the weather is bad, also is it adviseable to prebook or can we book on the day?
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Hi Jenny. If the weather is bad and the Lake Tekapo Star Gazing tour doesn't go ahead then you can reschedule or get a full refund from us. It is adviseable to book in advance as there are often tour groups that book up entire nights.
Hi, I was wondering if the nighttime Star gazing tour is suitable for someone in a wheelchair (me)
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Hi Colin, 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.
Hi Colin, 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.
Hi my name is Fin Pringle-Booth i am interested in booking a night tour for some friends of mine as a gift. i was wondering if i was to book a night tour if you get to do star gazing during that and also i would like to ask if i was to book it if i had to book it for a specific date or if i could get a sort of booking that could be moved to when is suitable for them? also are there any specific astronomical events in the next 6 months that would be worthy of a special trip? thank you
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Hi Fin Pringle-Booth, you can certainly book the Earth and Sky Night Observatory Tour as a gift you just need to tick the box that says "I want this to be an open dated Gift Voucher" at the top of the Book Now page. You do not select a date, rather it is a voucher for your friends to book when they would like to do it. When they have decided on the date that they want to go they just book it online and use the voucher code to pay. Star gazing is included in the night tour and Tekapo is one of the best places in the world to view the stars. There are no particiular astronomical events that Mt John are advertising in the next 6 months however the experience is magnificent any day as long as the skies are clear.
I am flexible as to when to take the night tour. Can you suggest the best night,(in the near future) when I should book this?
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Hi Boyd. The weather is meant to clear Tueday and Wednesday next week (1st & 2nd May). If you are wanting to book the Earth & Sky star gazing tour in Tekapo I'd suggest Wednesday 2nd May might be your best option as there is a full moon later in the week which will mean the sky is not as dark at night and the starz wont be as clear.
Hi!
We are a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids), and are staying in Tekapo fo2 4 nights from July 2nd.
We would like to do the Observatory Night Tour, but are wondering if it's best to book ahead to secure a place, or wait until we get there so we can pick the best night/weather.
Can you please advise?
Many thanks,
Jodi (from Adelaide, Sth Australia)
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Hi Jodi I would recommend booking the Mt John Night Tour for a family of 5 in advance. They often have tour groups coming through which can fill out the tours so it's best to confirm your spot in advance. If the weather is no good and the tour is cancelled you are given the option to reschedule or obtain a full refund. Alternatively if you arrive in Tekapo and want to change your tour date then that is fine as long as there is still space on the night you want to go. You just need to get in touch with us and we can ammend your booking if space allows.
Can we just drive up in the evening to see the night sky from the top of the road or cafe?
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Hi Richard. The road is closed at night time and is only accessible via tour. To see the stars from up there in the evening you will need to join the Mt John Observatory Night Tour.
When is it most likely to be able to see the Aurora from Mt John
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Hi Kathleen. It is impossible to predict when the southern lights or Aurora Australis will be visible from Mt John Observatory in Lake Tekapo as it depends solely on the suns solar activity. It can be visible at any time of the year, summer or winter, although it is often seen more regluarly in winter only because it is dark for longer and the daylight hours are much shorter. Fortunately it has been viewed from Mt John Observatory the last couple of nights but wh knows how long it will stay around for. The Aurora Australis is truly a spectacular sight but even if it isn't visible on the night you visit Lake Tekapo the stars themselves will blow you away!
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Thank you so much for your enquiry. 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 of $99.50 NZD or you can reschedule to a different date.
Comment by: Everything New Zealand on 19th Mar 21 at 18:24