From our limited experience last February, we watched with our naked eyes the amazing deep sky from our accommodation at both Mt. Cook village, and Lake Tekapo. It was awesome. If you are taking telescopes with you in your campervan, that would be even more stunning. The cost at Mt. Cook village dark sky experience was considerably cheaper ( about half the price of Mt. John Observatory in Tekapo)--you would see the same stars , Milky Way, Cloudless sky permitting! We did meet some elderly travellers who had visited the Observatory at Lake Tekapo and they said it was a memorable experience, but they weren't paying for a whole family visit! My original objection to the steep prices charged by Mount John Observatory, is based on my feelings that it should be trying to attract and educate young people , not fleece their parents for the privilege. My wife and I were extremely disappointed with Lake Tekapo. It is highly over-rated in our opinion and not worth staying their. There are so many more beautiful and inspiring locations to discover.

Kia ora, The Mt John walkway will close to the public around 5pm, you can walk to a certain point however there are fences that you won't be able to cross after 5pm due to our nightly operation. Stargazing commence from 6pm at the moment - if you would like to enquire you can contact our reception team on 03 680 6960.

No, they don't. I suggest you bring one up along the way and have a torch with red light to see your camera settings, so that you don't affect the dark night sky.

I am almost certain that the road is closed at night for light discipline reasons due to the stargazing tours that happen at the observatory every night (i.e.--vehicles carrying the tour groups must drive up the hill with headlights OFF to avoid light pollution). I went there as a backpacker on a night-time tour (highly recommended), so I am afraid I cannot say when the road opens, but if you call/e-mail a local hotel or hostel, I am sure they would probably know. It is a small community and the people working in hospitality were generally very friendly and knowledgeable.

Hi, I would agree with taking the walking path to catch the sunrise as the road will be closed. I wouldn't say it is private but rather, an exclusive road for educational and research purposes. You need to take note of the following - there might be strong winds and snow being dumped onto the mountain so you need to take precautions if you intend to walk up the mountain to catch the sunrise. An oh. Keep warm. I went there in summer with the temperatures being 1 deg celcius. Hope this helps you. Cheers

Hi, we didnt take the star gazing tour. It's $60 per adult and $30 per child for just 80 minutes. I nice local fella in Lake Tekapo told us a great star gazing spot is at the Church of the Good Sheppard. It was perfect. Go behind the church closer to the lake to avoid lights from the parking lot. It's free.

The road may be a bit windy but it is quite easy to drive unless you are driving huge motor home or caravan. There are a couple of stops along the way to catch a glimpse of the scenery too. If you prefer some exercise, walking up would take atleast an hour or more. Just as Ed B said.