Nestled in the heart of the Māniatoto region of Central Otago, New Zealand, the little gold-rush town of Naseby offers a stargazer’s dream. With just about 150 permanent residents, Naseby embodies both historic character and sweeping night-skies.
In September 2025, the town was officially designated as an DarkSky International “International Dark Sky Community” — making it the first such community in New Zealand and only the third in the Southern Hemisphere (after Niue and Carrickalinga).
By day, there are heritage buildings, café stops, forest walks and mountain-bike trails; in winter, ice sports such as curling, ice-hockey & ice-luge add a crisp alpine flavour.
By night, the skies above Naseby are dark sky friendly.
For visitors from afar — and for stargazing-enthusiasts like us in Wairarapa — Naseby offers an inspiring model of how a small community can protect its night-sky heritage while embracing tourism and nature-based experience.
Why it matters for Wairarapa.space
- It’s a nearby example (within NZ) of night-sky protection done well, and thus relevant as a benchmark for our own region.
- It illustrates the possibilities of astro-tourism: you get heritage town charm and one of the best dark skies in the Southern Hemisphere.
- It reinforces the value of dark-sky certification, community leadership and sustainable tourism — themes you’ve long been working on with your organisations.
Key takeaways
For everyday stargazers anywhere, this is a reminder: the darker the skies and the smaller the light-footprint, the more spectacular the view.
Why It Matters
For those of us in Wairarapa and beyond, Naseby is a fantastic example of what a community can achieve when it protects its night sky.
It shows that astro-tourism, heritage, and environmental stewardship can live hand-in-hand — creating both economic and cultural value.
