{"id":876069,"date":"2018-09-24T00:00:10","date_gmt":"2018-09-23T23:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aatkings.com\/real-word\/?p=876069"},"modified":"2025-11-19T19:02:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T18:02:03","slug":"stargazing-in-new-zealand-the-best-times-and-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aatkings.com\/storybook\/stargazing-in-new-zealand-the-best-times-and-spots\/","title":{"rendered":"Stargazing in New Zealand"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
\r\n

Ironically, the best view on earth is not on earth at all, it\u2019s above us: that big ol\u2019 galaxy, those spectacular stars.<\/p>\r\n

Stargazing is a great pastime, you get to behold unique celestial features and crazy-beautiful constellations all while you\u2019re lying down. You can do it with someone else or by yourself, and it\u2019s completely free of charge.<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s both relaxing and humbling; it can make you feel incredibly tiny, or like you\u2019re part of something massive.<\/p>\r\n

Unfortunately, today, most city skies are without starts. About 80 percent of North Americans live with so much light-pollution that their skies are not dark enough to see the Milky Way.<\/p>\r\n

Thankfully, a star-studded haven for stargazer exists, New Zealand<\/a> literally holds some of the best stargazing locations in the world.<\/p>\r\n

With limited light pollution and incredibly clear night skies, stargazing in New Zealand is possible from pretty much anywhere but we\u2019ve picked our Top 3 Stargazing New Zealand locations and tours below.<\/p>\r\n

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Queenstown<\/a> Stargazing<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

If you\u2019re serious about stargazing Queenstown is the place for you: It\u2019s sheltered by mountains and has clear, unpolluted skies perfect for stargazing.<\/p>\r\n

We suggest taking a ride on the Skyline Gondola, the steepest cable car in the Southern Hemisphere, which delivers you to a specially-constructed area high above Queenstown. Here, surrounded by snow-capped mountains you can bask in an unbelievable view of the night sky.<\/p>\r\n

Top-of-the-line telescopes are available for use and give stargazers a chance to see some seriously stunning sights, from the iconic Southern Cross to the magical Milky Way.<\/p>\r\n

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\"\"<\/p>\r\n

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Lake Tekapo<\/a> Stargazing<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Soaking in warm waters while you soak in a view of the stars, doesn\u2019t get much better than that. Head to Tekapo Springs, a short drive from the small town of Lake Tekapo, for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.<\/p>\r\n

While you recline in your floating hammock in 38-degree warm waters, you\u2019ll learn about the amazing astronomical wonders that reside in our surrounding skies.<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s also worth visiting the Tekapo Observatory on Mt John. It\u2019s in the heart of the Dark Sky Reserve \u2013 an area which restricts light pollution \u2013 and one of the top locations to see the Southern Lights.

Earth & Sky New Zealand run tours to the observatory which give you an opportunity to explore the cosmos with powerful telescopes and get a glimpse of life as an astronomer.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n


Rotorua<\/a> Stargazing<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Mt Ngongotaha, Rotorua, is one of the top eight locations in New Zealand for stargazing and makes for a breathtaking experience.<\/p>\r\n

Like Queenstown, we suggest travelling on the Skyline Gondola, the perfect vessel for spotting shooting stars and discovering distant planets.<\/p>\r\n

There are an array of telescopes available to give you a closer look at those cosmic wonders. The most impressive telescope is called \u2018The Don\u2019, it weighs more than 100kg and performs 2,586 better than your eye \u2013 so you can see space like you\u2019ve never seen it before.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Wherever you end up in the land of the Kiwis, you won\u2019t be disappointed and if you would rather not organise a tour, the stars look just as nice from a blanket in the backyard.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ironically, the best view on earth is not on earth at all, it\u2019s above us: that big ol\u2019 galaxy, those spectacular stars. Stargazing is a great pastime, you get to behold unique celestial features and crazy-beautiful constellations all while you\u2019re lying down. You can do it with someone else or by yourself, and it\u2019s completely […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":876070,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":null,"ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":null,"ast-hfb-below-header-display":null,"ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":null,"ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":null,"stick-header-meta":null,"header-above-stick-meta":null,"header-main-stick-meta":null,"header-below-stick-meta":null,"astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[22936],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-876069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-experiential-travel","countries-new-zealand","regions-north-island","regions-south-island"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStargazing in New Zealand - AAT Kings<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With limited light pollution and clear night skies, stargazing in New Zealand is a dream. 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