Dark Sky Project Observatory Tekapo - Summit Experience

You’ll kick things off by gazing at the stars with the naked eye, while our guides use handheld lasers to point out celestial wonders. It’s like a crash course in stargazing – perfect for honing your skills for future stargazing adventures back home. But wait, there’s more! Dive even deeper into the cosmos with our high-powered telescopes, including the impressive 16” telescope housed in our private observatory dome.

Each night sky holds a treasure trove of surprises – from the majestic Milky Way to distant planets, star clusters, and maybe even a glimpse of a far-off galaxy. It’s an exhilarating journey with just the right amount of comfort. Our two-hour experience includes hassle-free transport to and from Mount John, along with cozy extreme cold weather (ECW) jackets to keep you snug as a bug.

Now, a heads-up: Mount John is no walk in the park. You’ll need a bit of basic fitness to conquer the mountaintop, including confidence in walking 100 meters on a gravel incline and climbing a couple of steps in the dark. But fear not! Our guides are here to lend a helping hand. And if you’re in need of a more accessible tour, check out our Crater Experience at Cowan’s Private Observatory. So what are you waiting for? Let’s embark on a celestial adventure of epic proportions!

Check-in
Guests MUST check-in at the Customer Service Counter at Dark Sky Project 1 Motuariki Lane, Lake Tekapo, 7999, prior to an experience departure.

– The Summit Experience: 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure

– The Crater Experience: 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure

– The Dark Sky Experience: 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure

– The Virtual Stargazing Experience: 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure

5 minutes prior to tour departure any guests who have not checked in will be considered “no shows” and their tickets will be released to the public for sale.

Guests are not eligible for refunds or other compensation if they are late for check-in and miss their experience departure. Guests who wish to rebook their experience must pay the full cost of the new booking. All experiences are subject to availability.

Inclement Weather
Dark Sky Project is unable to guarantee full clarity, ideal skies, or visibility of certain objects on its outdoor experiences. Both of our stargazing tours, the Summit Experience and the Crater Experience are weather-dependent. In the event, that guide determines no stargazing is possible due to inclement weather conditions, customers are offered the options below.

Summit Experience
Reschedule to a different night, if availability permits.
Open date your booking. This open-dated ticket is valid for 12 months from the date of your original booking. Once a booking has been open dated you can no longer cancel it to receive a refund.
In the event the above option is not suitable, full refunds are available
Crater Experience
In the event your Crater Experience cannot go outside due to adverse weather, your booking will automatically be converted to a Virtual Stargazing Experience. You will then be refunded the difference between your original ticket price and the price of a Virtual Stargazing Experience ticket.
Open date your booking. This open-dated ticket is valid for 12 months from the date of your original booking. Once a booking has been open dated you can no longer cancel it to receive a refund.

Gift Vouchers

Please notice our gift vouchers are non-refundable and are valid for 12 months.

Change of name is acceptable as long as is requested by the owner of the voucher.

Light Pollution
To minimize light pollution, guests are prohibited from using, or bringing, any white lights, including but not limited to LCD screens, flash photography, illuminated mobile phones, flashlights, torches, light up shoes etc.

Health and safety
Health and safety are paramount – Dark Sky Project reserves the right to refuse guests participation in tours should they not meet the health and safety, or operational requirements set out below. In such circumstances guests are not eligible for a refund.

Guests must abide by all rules and policies stipulated by Dark Sky Project and its representatives, including those displayed around the Dark Sky Project, and affiliated properties. This includes but isn’t limited to safety and operational instructions on the experience.

No alcohol or Drugs permitted: Smoking or alcohol / drug consumption is not permitted during any Dark Sky Project experience.

If guests are considered to be under the influence of alcohol, causing undue disruption or negatively impacting other guest’s experience, they may be removed from the experience at Dark Sky Project’s discretion. In this instance, no refund will be given.

Children Policy: All children must be actively supervised by a parent or guardian to ensure minimal disruption to other guests. A minimum ratio of 1 adult to two children is required. The Summit Experience is restricted to children 10 years and over. The Crater Experience is restricted to children 5 years and over.

Minimum Clothing Requirements: Warm clothing is essential on all our outdoor experiences regardless of the season. The Mackenzie region is an alpine environment which means it is cold at night, even during the summer months. An ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) jacket will be offered to guests on our Summit Experience only, however it is the responsibility of guests to be adequately dressed for the conditions. The following is a minimum guide only:

– Flat, warm, and comfortable footwear suitable for walking on uneven terrain

– Wind-proof jackets, thermals, and full, warm pants

– Hats and gloves

Please note: glowing, flashing or light-up shoes or clothing is strictly prohibited due to light pollution issues.

Language: For health and safety purposes, guests must have sufficient ability to communicate and/or understand the language of their tour to follow any instructions from our team.

Changes to bookings
To cancel or amend an existing booking, please contact us on (03) 680 6960 or [email protected] with your booking reference, full name, and change request. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response.

Cancellations
Third party bookings: If you have booked through a booking agent or third party, please contact them for their cancellation terms and conditions as they may differ to the below and any refunds will need to be processed through them.

Direct Bookings: For individual direct bookings you may cancel up to 24 hours before the experience departure time and receive a full refund to the card used to confirm the booking. If you cancel within 24 hours of the experience departure time you are not entitled to any refund for any reason. If you require any documentation to assist in making a claim with your travel insurance provider please email us, we will be more than happy to assist.

Please note that for group reservations of 10 or more guests, no refunds will be given within 7 days of the date of the experience.

Any refund will be made to the same card that was used to confirm the booking. If you have booked through a third party or booking agent, refunds will be processed through them.

Payment Terms
The name of the business that will appear on your bank/credit card statements will be Earth and Sky Limited Partnership or Dark Sky Project. Your account will be charged in New Zealand Dollars. Confirmation of direct bookings will be only confirmed when full payment has been received.

Contact
Please contact us on (03) 680 6960, or [email protected]

If you need help with an existing booking please email us at [email protected] if your enquiry is urgent please follow up your email with a quick call on +61 2 5633 1149 so we can help you.

Absolutely, we understand that paying off a big trip in one go isn’t always that easy. We offer flexible payment plans to suit all types of travellers with zero interest or fee’s (minimum $100NZD deposit required).

We endorse the recommendation that all travellers take out travel insurance. If you already have Travel Insurance please understand that it is your responsibility to ensure that your Travel Insurance covers you for all of the adventure style travel you have booked with us.

Absolutely, just let us know your preferred start and finish location and we’ll make it work.

There is definitely no wrong way to travel New Zealand. Depending on what type of traveller you are, you might enjoy a Campervan road trip over the Hop On Hop Off Bus Packages. We recommend booking a free consultation with one our friendly team and they can tailor their recommendation to your personality and  travel plans.

We get it. Life is all about the unexpected, especially when you are travelling. If you are unable to make your pre-arranged tour you will need to reach out to our [email protected] so we can give you a helping hand. In all cases we strongly recommend having a valid travel insurance policy which covers you for unexpected cancellations.

Yes. All of our packages are customisable so if you would like to make any changes please contact our team under [email protected] or our WhatsApp (+64) 3409 0617