Incredible views of the night sky in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. Photo: Lee Cook Images

Star-gazer’s paradise

Features

A long-time Wilderness contributor and freelance author, Kathy writes about outdoor recreation, natural history and conservation.

By Kathy Ombler

Clear nights in the hills when myriad stars dazzle don’t get any better than in New Zealand’s three International Dark Sky regions. Wilderness asked the locals for the best star-gazing spots for those wanting to celebrate Matariki.

According to a global atlas of light pollution, one-third of the world’s population can no longer see the Milky Way. That’s a galaxy of around 100 thousand million stars. It’s not just a pretty sky they’re missing out on. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), the recognised authority on light pollution, believes that artificial light is […]

About the author

Kathy Ombler

Freelance author Kathy Ombler mostly writes about outdoor recreation, natural history and conservation, and has contributed to Wilderness for many years. She has also written and edited for other publications and websites, most recently Federated Mountain Club’s Backcountry, Forest & Bird, and the Backcountry Trust. Books she has authored include Where to Watch Birds in New Zealand, Walking Wellington and New Zealand National Parks and Other Wild Places. She is currently a trustee for Wellington’s Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Trust.