<gallery> <image>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NotAnother-NZ/na13-discover-different-assets/main/webp/bestplac-1299.webp</image> </gallery> <gap-large/> <paragraph> In the Central South, night settles in slowly. The air cools, the land exhales and the sky wakes up. Far from city glare and crowded viewpoints, light pollution drops away and the Southern Hemisphere sky lights up with glittering stars ready to dazzle in the dark. </paragraph> <title> Lake Tekapo & the Mackenzie Basin </title> <paragraph> This is New Zealand’s stargazing heartland. The Mackenzie Basin is part of an International Dark Sky Reserve, meaning the skies are among the darkest, and clearest, found anywhere. Around Lake Tekapo, the stars arrive early and stay late. The Milky Way stretches clear across the sky, painting the dark with a bright sparkling. </paragraph> <title> Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park </title> <paragraph> At the edge of the Mackenzie, Aoraki Mt Cook National Park offers stargazing that feels vast in every direction. The mountains cut a dramatic silhouette against the night sky, anchoring the stars above. Here, silence is part of the experience. Simply look up and let the sky take over. These are the kind of stars that remind us how much light we usually live with. </paragraph> <title> Kaikōura </title> <paragraph> Kaikōura is home to a rugged beauty that works just as hard at night as it does by day. Between the ocean and mountains, this dark coastal sky is expansive. Light fades quickly as stars appear one by one over the ranges and the breaking shore. Named an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, these pristine dark skies offer stunningly clear sights of celestial wonders. </paragraph> <title> Hanmer Springs </title> <paragraph> Hot springs. Cool air. A sky full of stars. When night falls in Hanmer Springs, the town quiets and the sky takes over. With low surrounding light and crisp alpine air, when darkness arrives the stars appear in force. The Southern Cross sits high, the Milky Way stretches wide, and it's all best observed from the piping hot natural hot springs. </paragraph> <title> Akaroa </title> <paragraph> Akaroa is spectacular by day and magic by night. Once the harbour settles and the lights dim, the sky takes over. With minimal light pollution and sea air that seems to sharpen everything, stargazing here feels completely immersive. Step outside, look up, and you’ll find the Milky Way stretching wide, constellations crisp and uncluttered, and shooting stars doing their thing. </paragraph> <gap-large/> <list> <item key="Location">Central South Island</item> <item key="Itinerary">Evening / Overnight</item> <item key="Distance">Varies (Multi-region)</item> <item key="Hours">Best After Dark</item> <item key="Price">Free (Self-guided)</item> </list>