Experience the Magic of Ruapehu’s Dark Skies
Dark, clear skies, unique celestial features and other worldly landscapes make stargazing in Ruapehu a breathtaking magical experience.
Those who have experienced the wonder of dark skies will appreciate the need to protect it in the same way we protect our air quality, water quality, land, marine environments and ecosystems.
In Tongariro National Park we can see more stars due to our unpolluted skies. We have direct line of sight towards the centre of our galaxy and towards the Milky Way, most common features are shooting stars, star clusters and the moon.
In New Zealand Matariki is a special occasion which marks the start of the Māori New Year. Matariki is a star cluster that appears in the early morning sky in New Zealand and is quite visible from the Ruapehu district. See the Matariki Māori New Year Video.
Did you know our Village offers a stargazing experience? We even have many viewing points to capture our night skies.
Experience a guided Sunrise Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike with Adrift Tongariro)
Star gazing points:
- Whakapapa Ski area car parks
- Any of the Tongariro National Park Villages
- Whakapapa Village
- Waimarino National Park Village
- Raurimu Spiral
- Dual Heritage Tongariro National Park trails & huts