Take Stargazing to New Heights in New Zealand

“The universe is back in fashion. Perhaps it’s because light pollution on the increase as white LED streetlights across ever-expanding cities, but there seems to be a growing interest in astro-tourism,” writes Jamie Carter in an article for Travel + Leisure, in which he shares places where you can combine extreme stargazing with an adventure-filled vacation. Visiting Aoraki Mount Cook in New Zealand is one of his suggestions.

“Here on the South Island of New Zealand, dark skies are a way of life. First created in the early 1980s, outdoor lighting controls reign at the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the world’s biggest,” writes Carter.

“Experienced mountaineers could consider a six-day ascent of Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak at 12,217 feet. For the rest of us there are plenty of organized astro-tourism activities in the area.

Other stargazing adventures listed in the article include a horseback riding trip in the Atacama Desert in Chile, wilderness skiing across Lapland, Finland and Norway as well as visiting the world’s newest Dark Sky Park (Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park) in Japan.

To read more about these stargazing adventures please click here.

Article Source: Travel + Leisure, Jamie Carter, May 01, 2018

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