Sparkling stars, shooting stars and the Milky Way – in New Zealand, the sky seems closer to earth. Pristine landscapes and clear night skies make stargazing another gem of this country.
The darkest skies
4,300 square kilometres are recognised as an internationally protected sky reserve on New Zealand’s South Island. The International Dark Sky Reserve in the Mt Cook and Mackenzie region is the largest in the world and is also considered by most to be the best. In the Light Reserve, darkness is considered a protected asset and the region is protected from light pollution. The reserve has also been awarded gold status.
In winter, if you’re lucky, you can spot the Southern Lights in the night sky. The so-called Aurora Australis are colour symphonies of purple, blue, green and yellow shades, which are created by collisions of atoms and energetic particles over the South Pole. The best chances to see the Aurora are in July and August on the southern half of the South Island.
Our top 5 spots
5. Moke Lake
Moke Lake was not actually on our route, but this spontaneous decision resulted in one of the most magical moments. It was already dark when we arrived at our campsite for the night. However, the deep black sky with thousands of diamonds took our breath away. Seeing this breathtaking sky reflected in the lake afterwards made this moment magical.
4. Bob's Peak
Bob’s Peak – taking a cable car to the top of the mountain and sweeping views over the lakes, mountains and the town of Queenstown….
A town? We were just as surprised. We stayed until the sky above us changed to its famous dark colour, which allowed us to see the diamonds. Despite the more or less many lights of the city and also a light show that took place that evening, the stars in the sky could be seen by the naked eye and they took our breath away once again.
3. Lake Pukaki
Lake Pukaki is a turquoise jewel framed by beautiful mountain scenery. We reached the lake late in the evening and had no idea of our surroundings. Thus, we went on a short hiking tour. Eventually our camera showed us what we couldn’t see by naked eye in the darkness: the beautiful Lake Pukaki with a breathtaking mountain backdrop. The shining stars above our heads accentuated this breathtaking sight.
2. Cathedral Cove
Cathedral Cove is one of the most beautiful places on the Coromandel Peninsula. The hike up to the cove takes about an hour and is a very different experience at night than during the day. The naturally formed rock arch is a famous photo motif and is visited by many tourists during the day. In the evening, however, pretty much all the tourists have left and you have this magical place to yourself. The stars and the Milky Way above our heads made the moment perfect, the shooting stars, which we even managed to catch in one picture (cover picture), made the moment truly unforgettable.
1. Nugget Point
We arrived at Nugget Point early in the afternoon and waited all day for nightfall. The cape, which is called Tokata in the Maori language, is a famous photo motif and also a highlight during the day. As the tourists gradually disappeared, we waited for darkness which brought us the stars.
