Starlight is a hopeful and unattainable thing. It interprets beauty and makes people fascinated. Starlight is the light emitted by distant stars.
The journey through hundreds of millions of light years to our world, with its inherent mystery and charm, has attracted countless people to stop and look up.
When it comes to watching the stars, it is impossible not to mention the Mackenzie region of New Zealand, because it not only has the southernmost observatory in the world but is also the only Lake Tekapo in the world that has applied for the Starry Sky World Heritage.
The small town of Tekapo on New Zealand's South Island has a 4,300-square-kilometer "Dark Sky Reserve" that spans the Aoraki Mt Cook National Park and the adjacent Mackenzie Basin.
This town is famous for being able to see some of New Zealand's brightest stars.
Since 2005, the Mackenzie Basin, where the town is located, has submitted an application to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to designate the sky as an "International Starry Nature Reserve".
They want to make the world aware of the importance of having a clear starry sky for human beings. This application was approved in 2009, and the town of Tekapo became the world's first "International Dark Sky Reserve".
In order to maintain the beauty of the night sky here, the Tekapo people have reduced the use of lights since 1981 and managed to light scientifically.
They try to avoid using lights where there are no crowds, and design street lights precisely so that the beam shines exactly where it needs to be illuminated without being diffused around.
The Mount John Observatory is the southernmost observatory in the world, located in the Mackenzie region of New Zealand's South Island.
The town of Tekapo where is located in a small place with a population of only 300 away from the big city. There is no interference from shining neon lights and residential lighting, which is more suitable for starry sky observation.
Another major attraction is its location in the southern hemisphere, where you can see the constellation Leo, which cannot be seen in the northern hemisphere in summer, and the endless Milky Way in the clear night sky in the deep winter.
Lake Tekapo is located between Mount Cook and Christchurch in the South Island, and it takes three and a half hours to drive from the nearest city.
Beautiful and enchanting Lake Tekapo is surrounded by golden sun-shrouded trees and snow-capped mountains that stretch as far as the eye can see. The sapphire blue lake water and the dreamy and charming dazzling beauty are beyond words to describe.
During the day, Lake Tekapo is a milky blue lake with purple lupin fields blooming on the shore, a picture only found in fairy tales. At night, because it is the sunniest area in New Zealand, it has become the world's leading stargazing location.
In addition, although most people think of Canada and Iceland when it comes to the aurora, it does not mean that Lake Tekapo in the aurora area cannot see the aurora. Every year from late autumn to winter, there are opportunities to see vivid and beautiful scenes.
The best time to watch the starry sky is from May to August. There is almost no artificial light here, but a casual shot is a beautiful starry sky photo. Many people choose to come here for an unforgettable wedding!
