We have an International Dark Sky Reserve at our doorstep. How will we make the most of it?
Increasingly more places in New Zealand are getting dark sky accredited.
What will be our point of difference?
If you’re thinking of incorporating astrotourism into your offerings, we’re here to help. We, Hari and Sam, the founders of Star Safari, want to see quality astronomy and stargazing being delivered to the visitors to our region. Anyone can flutter a laser pointer around, but we want you to do better than that. Lifting the game for all of us gives our region a point of difference.
The Dark Sky Capability Course is created by Hari and Sam of Milky-Way.Kiwi and successfully ran as a pilot in 2024, then again in 2025.
Both sessions were sold out. So we are getting a third one going!
Since 2009, Milky-Way.Kiwi has made astronomy accessible, relevant to New Zealand, and easy to understand. We cut through the noise to bring you straightforward astronomical insights, practical astro-tourism advice, and inspiring stories—empowering you to truly enjoy, appreciate, and learn how to protect our magnificent night sky.
We (Hari and Sam) also run Star Safari, a thriving astro-tourism business right here in Wairarapa—we know exactly what works, and we’ll show you how to do the same.
It is a privilege to be able to teach about the night sky. Just like any other knowledge system, stargazing has to be delivered just right. We want people to think “I can’t wait to go stargazing again.”, rather than “I’ve done the stargazing (once), I don’t need to do it again”. We want people to come back to Wairarapa again and again.
So we want you to deliver a stellar introduction to the night sky, find your way around binoculars and telescopes, and tell the story of our Wairarapa International Dark Sky Reserve.
And learning about stargazing and astronomy will also help protect our extraordinary night sky better.
Backed by WellingtonNZ, with the support of Masterton District Council, this course features tourism and business experts:
For just NZD $75, you’ll gain immediate, sustainable advantages, increasing your profits and strengthening your business’s reputation as an eco-friendly, must-visit destination.
We created a toolkit for businesses who attended our course.
In 2024, Milky-Way.Kiwi organised a very successful Dark Skies Capabilities Course with support from Wellington.NZ.
We facilitated businesses to connect and learn about leveraging the night sky
In 2023, during the World Space Week activities, together with Moy Hall, Milky-Way.Kiwi sponsored the Dark Sky Connections events for businesses in Wairarapa.
If you have already attended our course, you can access your course materials here:
Turn Darkness into Dollars: Dark Skies Capabilities Course is sponsored by Wellington.NZ and Masterton District Council
If you attended the Dark Skies Business Capabilities Course, get your business listed on the WDSR map.
Click the button below – a form will open.
Just because we are a dark sky reserve now does not mean that the title is permanent. Our dark skies are a shared treasure, and their protection requires ongoing effort from all of us.
Whether you are a business looking after dark skies accommodation or activities or a school wanting to implement a local curriculum that includes dark skies, here are some ideas on how to become a bit more dark sky-friendly.
Do you have a question about dark skies or a beautiful photo of the Wairarapa Night Sky to share?
