Low light pollution and atmospheric conditions gift the Mackenzie Country with some of the clearest skies in the world. At night, those skies glow and twinkle with such clarity that in 2012 a 4300 sq km area was declared the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve, one of only eight in the world.
Astrophotography
On a hilltop above Lake Tekapo – an hour’s drive from Lake Ohau – Earth & Sky offer observatory tours with telescope viewings opening a window into the universe. But even just sitting outside Lake Ohau Quarters on a clear night stargazers will be rewarded with awe-inspiring sights.
Unsurprisingly, this area has become an internationally renowned focal point for astrophotography, with the Quarters a perfect place to get the camera out and give it a go.
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