Crater Stargazing! Cowan's Observatory Cosmic Journey

We were lucky - the clouds moved away just in time for our tour. Our guide had excellent knowledge of the night sky and pointed out things that were unique to the southern hemisphere sky. The setup is great because you can only see the stars and don’t get light interference from the nearby road.

Very informative! Beautiful nightsky, looking through the telescopes we saw things of beauty Kate and Hore-san the perfect nightsky guides

Took the 75-minute Crater Experience at the Dark Sky Project and really enjoyed it. The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about astronomy, explaining everything clearly and with enthusiasm. Huge shout-out to the German guide (I couldn’t quite catch her name) — she made the experience engaging, educational, and fun. The views of the night sky were breathtaking. This tour is an absolute must-do in Tekapo — perfect for anyone who loves stars, science, or simply wants to feel small under the vast sky.

It was okay, the guide was really enthusiastic which was great but honestly, on a good clear night it would have been better to use an app. The microscopes were cool but with so many people in a group you just queue to look through to a blurry image.

Great views Oscar was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. We now know a lot more about the stars and the cheese on the moon

My family and I recently joined the Dark Sky Project Tour at the observatory, and it was one of the most memorable experiences we’ve ever had. From start to finish, everything was beautifully organized — the guides were incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and made complex astronomy easy to understand for adults and kids alike. The evening began with an informative presentation about the night sky and the view was simply magical. The clarity of the stars was unbelievable — I could see the Milky Way stretching across the sky like a river of light. Through the high-powered telescopes, we observed Saturn’s rings, distant star clusters, and even details of our moon. The location itself was peaceful and pristine, far from city lights — the perfect place to reconnect with nature and the cosmos. I left feeling both humbled and inspired, with a new appreciation for our universe and the need to protect these dark skies. Highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting the Lake Tekapo area — whether you’re a science lover, a photographer, or just looking for something awe-inspiring and different. It’s an experience you’ll never forget!

@DarkSkyProjectNZ We loved looking through the telescopes, learning about the constellations and enjoying our night sky. Thank you- you were all a lovely positive bunch! Not really accessible for my mother

We enjoyed our stargazing experience a lot with Marina ans Liam. Learned a lot about the South Skies and saw some nice star constellations. Would definitely recommend. The only thing that could be improved is to set the telescopes to be reachable for smaller children as well.

Pros: The guides were very passionate and knowledgeable. We had 40% visibility and were given the opportunity to rebook if we weren't happy. Cons: I wouldn't recommend the tour for children, it wasn't interactive enough for my 8 year old. The tour is quite expensive for what you actually get.

Weather bad, so couldn't go out, but indoor experience was nice. After the indoor explanation, they sky became clear, so I could see the stars by going into to countryside.