New Zealand South Island: Stargazing With or Without a Tour
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| Source: Dark Sky Project Website |
When I was doing my research on stargazing, I was stuck in a dilemma choosing between stargazing with a tour and without a tour. At last, I took the Dark Sky Project Summit Tour and also went to do my own stargazing since I wasn't able to find more information online. I'll be comparing the two for you to make a more informed decision!
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| Taken at Lake Tekapo |
Getting to Mount John Observatory
You must join a tour if you want to stargaze at a Mount John Observatory. There's no other option for this as the observatory only allow authorized vehicles into the premises after 4.30pm. Also, they are very particular about light pollution at the summit. Hence, driving with your headlights are not recommended too, which makes it really dangerous at night.
Taking photos
This was one of the most important information I wasn't able to find online while doing my research. When I joined the tour, I thought I would get a chance to get some amazing shots up on the summit, but I was wrong. I was actually asked not to bring my tripod during the tour because there won't be time to set it up and we need to move with the crowd once they are done with one location.
That said, the tour offered to use our cameras to help us get a shot or two of the sky, but the camera must be a DSLR without exceptions. Therefore, I wasn't able to get any shot of the sky because I was using an SLR.
That said, the tour offered to use our cameras to help us get a shot or two of the sky, but the camera must be a DSLR without exceptions. Therefore, I wasn't able to get any shot of the sky because I was using an SLR.
Fortunately, it was much better to take photos at Lake Tekapo. There was no rush, I could set up my camera and take my photos at my own pace. So that's a big bonus for stargazing without a tour.
Read this to learn how to set up your camera for astrophotography!
Read this to learn how to set up your camera for astrophotography!
Knowledge sharing
If you're on a tour, you'll be guided with astronomers that are able to share more knowledge about the stars you are seeing in the sky. You'll also get to use the telescope to view the stars at the same time!
However, if you are going without a tour, the best you could do is buy a guide book and fill yourself with some astronomy knowledge before enjoying the sky at night.
Price
The tour itself is almost $200 while stargazing without a tour won't cost you anything. Was the price for the tour really worth it? I personally felt it was quite a premium price but that's the price you pay for a guide and some astronomy classes!
Price
The tour itself is almost $200 while stargazing without a tour won't cost you anything. Was the price for the tour really worth it? I personally felt it was quite a premium price but that's the price you pay for a guide and some astronomy classes!
At the end of the day, it really depends on what you want to achieve during stargazing. If it's about the photos, I'd highly recommend you to shoot around Lake Tekapo. Try to find an accommodation that has easy access to Lake Tekapo so that you can just walk over! If you're into astronomy, take the tour because they do give a really detailed explanation of the stars!
If you are interested in the tour at Mount John Observatory, you can check it out here.
