Aoraki Mackenzie Starlight Festival

The Aoraki Mackenzie Starlight Festival will celebrate the creation of the southern hemisphere’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, in the Mackenzie Basin and at Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park in the centre of New Zealand’s South Island.

The Festival will be a celebration of dark skies and astronomy, and include a mix of cultural, educational and scientific activities to engage the community at the level of families and young people. It will promote awareness of the stars and the dark sky above and a range of hands-on activities for everyone will be put on. The main themes will be education and learning about stars, space and the environment.

The Starlight Festival is being organized by the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve Board, in partnership with the University of Canterbury. The Tekapo astro-tourism company Earth and Sky Ltd will assist with the festival by arranging star-gazing tours to Mt John and Cowans Hill observatories. Tekapo village is at the southern end of the 25 km long Lake Tekapo, and is one of three small communities inside the Dark Sky Reserve. Mt John Observatory is 12 km by road from the village and Mt Cook village, located in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park and also in the Dark Sky Reserve, is about 100 km (80 minutes) distant.

The Tekapo Community Hall will be the main venue for the festival, but some events will be at other local venues, including the Godley Hotel, the Tekapo Springs Ice Rink and Spa, Cowans Hill Observatory and Mt John University Observatory.