Crater Experience at Cowan's Observatory

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.

This was an amazing experience. The guides taught us about the constellations of the southern sky including the famous southern cross. We were able to see quite a bit with the naked eye. They also showed us stars using powerful telescopes.

We went for the tour recently when we were at lake tekapo, while personally I had went through the summit tour 10 years ago. Lake tekapo is so much different from before, so does the dark sky project Now there is a dedicated shop space that we first gathered together for a short briefing and jumped onto the tour bus to the site. We chosen the tour as we have young kids that could not join the summit tour. The tour and the site is new to me, the explanation of the stars were informative and educational, we got the chances to view the stars via the telescope, I think if you were to choose between summit tour and this, I would personally recommend the first timer to go for the summit tour Nevertheless this tour is also nice

The sky was perfect for an optimal experience and the tour “guide “ was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The experience was wonderful. My requirements were a bit challenging as I am in a wheelchair. The staff at both the centre in Tekapo and out at the viewing site were empathic and helpful. I would like to give a special mention to a young staff member at the viewing site whose name was Liam. He went above and beyond the call, helping to position my wheelchair to ensure I could use the telescope effectively. He also went out of his way to show me photographs of the views through the telescope of one area I was unable to access due to stairs. One sentence to his employer: ”He is a keeper”

We were booked on the crater experience at 10pm but it was cancelled as it was too cloudy. We were given the option of either a full refund or the virtual stargazing experience with a $40 per person refund. We opted for the virtual experience which we found disappointing and wished we had just got a refund. Strangely, when we exited the building the sky was clear and we could see the milky way very clearly

We did the late night crater experience (1:30 am) and it was fabulous. Marina was our guide and is extremely knowledgeable. We learned about some stars and constellations, a bit of what different cultures can see in them and why they were actually important for survival. The part where you look in telescope makes it even more incredible. We were lucky as the sky was clear and the moon not too shiny. We had a lovely driver from the meeting to the crater. Philipa had a great energy and made us sing to Rocketman. She was also an extra in the movie Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers! She was more than happy to talk to us about that experience. I really recommend this experience if you are in New Zealand. It was really worth it! Thank you to the team!