At Fiordland Eco-Retreat in Te Anau, New Zealand, we have one of the darkest night skies in the world.
Our sister company, Fiordland Stargazing, was established to enable Fiordland Eco-Retreat’s guests to discover the depths of the vibrant night sky that’s right outside their window.
Glen, a qualified NZ ‘Dark Sky Ambassador‘, offers guided astronomy and stargazing tours to complement our guests’ stays at Fiordland Eco-Retreat.
With extensive astronomical knowledge, and using high-quality telescopes, astro-binoculars and the naked eye, your Fiordland Stargazing guide will help you to explore awe-inspiring galaxies, nebulae and star clusters, to gain a deeper understanding of the universe and some of its most impressive celestial objects.
Our minimal light pollution truly does create a stargazing paradise. Stargazing experiences take place on-site, outside the Fiordland Eco-Retreat accommodation.
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What’s Included?
During the 1-hour experience, you’ll see 10-12 of the best deep-space objects, including planets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies, using optical and digital telescopes, astro-binoculars and the naked eye.
You may learn about celestial navigation, Māori mythology, and the unique features of the southern skies.
With small group sizes, each stargazing experience is personal, immersive, and unforgettable.
Pricing & Other Information
- $100 NZD per adult, $65 NZD per child (5-15 years old | minimum age: 5 years).
- Minimum 2 adults per tour.
- Approximate duration: 1 hour.
Things to note:
Please ensure that you enquire in advance if this is something that you are interested in adding to your stay.
Tours are subject to our availability and favourable weather conditions; hopefully at least one of your nights with us will be a beautiful, clear night!
You will need warm clothing as it will be cold outside – especially in winter.
Tours won’t start until the sky gets dark, which can be as late as 11.30pm in high-summer. This may restrict our ability to offer these tours, as Glen also works full-time for the Department of Conservation. Please enquire in advance to avoid disappointment.
Tours can easily be included in your booking – simply select the ‘optional extra’ of the Dark Sky Tour and input the number of people interested. No payment is required at the time of booking; payment will only be taken on the day of the tour. If you have a preferred date for the tour then please add this in the notes section when booking.
Should you wish to add a dark sky tour onto an existing booking, please just email us.
Showing our night-time setup, but during the day!
We’re Not Staying at Fiordland Eco-Retreat – Can We Book?
While our night sky tours are generally for our Fiordland Eco-Retreat guests only, we can occasionally offer stargazing experiences to non-guests, but Fiordland Eco-Retreat guests will always take priority.
We only take small group sizes to ensure everyone’s enjoyment (usually 5-6 people maximum per tour).
You will need your own transport to get to us (6km from the Te Anau township).
We do not currently have an automated booking system in place for non-guests, but please feel free to contact us (see below) to enquire / book. Please note: non-guests will incur an additional 3.7% card processing surcharge, if choosing to pay by international debit / credit card (cash is accepted).
Contact Us
Email: fiordlandstargazing@gmail.com
Or alternatively, you can fill in the contact form below.
We appreciate your understanding if requests from non-guests are unable to be accommodated.
Our stargazing experiences are held at Fiordland Eco-Retreat, a 6-7 minute drive from Te Anau. Advanced bookings are essential.
