The Night Sky

• Viewing the southern sky at night away from the lights of civilization could be one of the most intriguing, awe inspiring experiences you have while on holiday.
• The Milky Way appears like a flood lit path surprising all visitors from the northern hemisphere with its millions of stars that shine so brightly in the clear evening sky. For those guests who have traveled a long way south there will be many sights that you never see back home, so we hope you will take some time in the evening to come and take a look.
• Depending on the time of the year you will be able to explore the heavens, seeing such wonderful constellations as the famous Southern Cross, the Pointers, the Pot or Bird Snare (Orion to our northern guests), Scorpio, Canis Major and many others.
• We can see how to find south by using the stars just as the Polynesian navigators did so many hundred years ago. Hear the interesting stories about the constellation of Gemini, the various cultural explanations for the Milky Way and the Maori explanations and stories connected with the heavens. Other interesting sights we may see include the Magellanic Clouds, the dominant stars such as Cirrus, Canopus, Rigel and Alpha Centaurs and those special sights which  appear with a little help…..Nebula Orion, the Jewel Box, the Pleiades and the Coal Sack in the Southern Cross and any planets that may be wandering across the sky. The chance to view the closest star to our solar system (Proxima Centaurs) brings with it an air of intrigue. For some, an hour spent star gazing may match the beautiful scenery of Queenstown, the Southern lakes and Fiordland….the southern sky is truly fascinating and breathtakingly beautiful.
• We have field glasses and a telescope to focus on some of the wonders such as M31 and the interesting field around the Southern Cross and in the library there are book to help fill in the knowledge gaps or motivate you to get outside and see for yourself.