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Multi-award-winning The Headwaters Eco Lodge has launched a hosted stargazing experience in New Zealand’s latest International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
Tāhuna Glenorchy is one of only 23 currently designated sanctuaries in the world, and only four in New Zealand.
It’s the first inland mountain sanctuary where on a clear night awestruck stargazers feel like they can touch the stars from the tops of its mountain peaks and see them reflected in the depths of Lake Wakatipu.
The Headwaters Eco Lodge is set in the small rural settlement of Glenorchy on the borders of Mt Aspiring National Park.
And in celebration of the small but dedicated team of local volunteers who worked on the Dark Skies project for five years, the lodge has introduced two stargazing packages for visitors and locals. The lodge’s in-house stargazing experts are members of the original Dark Skies project team, guiding would-be astronomers through the stars and features of the mesmerising Milky Way.
The family-orientated Stories and Stars package and a Savour The Stars package aimed at couples launched this week and run until the end of September.
Stories and Stars, a family night under the sky, runs on Thursdays at 6.15pm and includes a family-style dinner, beanbags and blankets to snuggle into to keep warm and cosy, binoculars, telescope viewing with a guide, hot chocolate, and toasted marshmallows by the fire in the Scheelite Shelter.
Savour the Stars is an evening for two on Saturdays at 6.30pm and includes a renowned Chef’s Choice three-course dinner, telescope viewing, beanbags and blankets, binoculars, mulled wine, and toasted marshmallows.
Using a constellation ‘map’ on a phone app to help identify stars during each evening’s hour-long session, Tāhuna Dark Skies team members will touch on the history of astronomy, worldwide myths and legends associated with the stars including Māori stories, as well as basic knowledge about how stars are formed.
The team proudly advocates for protecting New Zealand’s pristine night skies for generations to come, so will discuss light pollution and ways to prevent and reduce our lighting footprint.
The Headwaters Eco Lodge general manager Kylie Broxton says stargazing is a growing tourism activity, combining natural beauty with learning about astronomy and its cultural perspectives.
“We’re extremely proud of the hard work by a small, dedicated team of volunteers from Glenorchy who invested their time and passion in preserving this for the future,” she says.
“The Headwaters leads the way in sustainability and world-class regenerative design principles, and stargazing is a form of sustainable tourism that fosters a sense of awe and wonder.”
