Flying through the night in a tourism first

A New Zealand business has made the most of the dark with a world-first adventurous offering.

EcoZip Adventures has revealed their world-first ziplining experience with a twist – fly through the sky under some of the best stars the night sky has to offer thanks to Kaikōura’s Dark Sky Sanctuary status.

With only 22 Dark Sky Sanctuaries worldwide, EcoZip’s new Starflight is a world-first stargazing and ziplining experience.

Free from light pollution, the sanctuary offers visitors a mesmerising view of the cosmos, with countless stars, celestial wonders, and a remarkably vivid Milky Way on display.

And now, in collaboration with renowned New Zealand astro- and adventure-photographer Rachel Gillespie, EcoZip is offering guests an extraordinary evening adventure, soaring beneath a canopy of stars.

“Without the usual visual reference points of height and distance, dark sky ziplining is completely surreal, allowing you to focus entirely on the kaleidoscope of colour provided by the cosmos,” says EcoZip co-founder and managing director Gavin Oliver.

In addition to ziplining, guests will pause at specially selected points to allow Rachel to describe the night sky, pointing out constellations and planets, and bringing celestial marvels to life. She will also use her photographic skills to demonstrate how guests can capture a unique astral souvenir.

Gavin says it’s a “huge privilege” to partner with Rachel, saying her “exceptional talent and ability to make the night sky accessible to all will undoubtedly electrify the experience for guests”.

Scheduled to coincide with the new moon—the optimal period for stargazing—Starflight Skyflight will take place one evening per month in 2025, from April to October, with a special event planned to celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year in June.

Each experience has limited spaces to create an intimate and immersive experience.

Participants will experience the thrill of five ziplines as well as the expertise and photography skills of Rachel, and a hot drink break along the way.