Please check in at least 20 minutes prior to departure at Dark Sky Project Base, Takapō (Tekapo) lakefront.

Moon Phase

The sky is at its darkest when there is no moon however as we are in a Dark Sky Reserve there is still plenty visible throughout the whole month.

Weather

Takapō has its own unique alpine micro-climate and can change without notice. Weather predictions are often inaccurate. We recommend allowing as much time in the region as you can.

Cloud

Our guides tailor content to what is visible on a given night. In the case of full cloud cover, we will offer an alternative option. In some cases a full refund may be offered.

• Stargazing guided tour at Mt. John.
• ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) jackets till the end of the tour.
• Up to 16" optical telescopes till the end of the tour.
• A hot beverage.

• own expense

• Booking is essential.
• Children must be over the age of eight years.We require one adult to every two children to assist in their supervision.
• Tour departure times will be issued a week prior to the tours.
• Clients/Tour Leaders are responsible for re-confirming the departure time and pick up location with our reception staff on the date of the tour.
• Arrival after the check-in deadline (20 minutes prior to tour departure) may result in you losing your tour and the entire fare paid.
• Suitable clothing for alpine environments must be worn on tours and will be monitored for customer safety.
• White lights are prohibited on our tours (LCD screens, flash photography, illuminated mobile phones, flashlights, torches, etc.)
• Tour participants accepts that we are unable to guarantee full clarity, ideal skies, or visibility of certain objects. Tours operate in an alpine environment where the weather can change rapidly.
• Periodically, tours may be subject to partial or full cloud cover for some or all of the tour. In this event we will, however, endeavour to continue the tour using the sky which is visible.
• Tours conducted on Mt John may also make use of a multi-media presentation and/or visit the research facilities (where access is permitted).
• Operating party reserves the right to cancel any tour, including in the event of snow and/or ice, rain or extreme winds. In addition, they reserve the right to change the duration and/or location of the tour at
• their discretion.
• For non-native English speaking customers joining our English language tours, it is important to know that we have a “no translation” policy while our guides are giving a presentation. Customers cannot translate for their friends/spouse/children during the tour.
• Any photography taken from our tours can only be for personal., No pictures or imagery can be used for any commercial purposes.

• Cancellation or modification policies are vary by suppliers. Please send request to booking@starhoptour.com for any change or cancellation as early as possible. We will process on a best effort basis according to the terms & conditions set by the supplier.
• For cancellation or amendments received before 24 hours plus 3 working days of actual start date, only administration charges will apply.
• For cancellation or amendments received within 24 hours plus 3 working days of actual start date or ‘No Shows', a cancellation fee of 100% of the total transaction amount will apply.