Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary

The Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary is a dark-sky preserve located in the Queenstown-Lakes District in the South Island of New Zealand. It covers an area of 2,150 km2 (830 sq mi) at the head of Lake Wakatipu, and includes a large portion of the Mount Aspiring National Park. The border of the sanctuary begins at Bennett's Bluff, on the road between Queenstown and Glenorchy, and extends to the northern boundary of Mt Aspiring National Park. Around 75% of the sanctuary lies within Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage area. The Dark Sky Sanctuary area includes the Greenstone-Caples, Routeburn and Rees-Dart walking tracks. DarkSky International announced the certification of Tāhuna Glenorchy as a Dark Sky Sanctuary on 3 February 2025. At the time of the announcement, it was only the 23rd location world-wide to receive this recognition. The area certified as a Dark Sky Sanctuary excludes the settlements of Glenorchy and Kinloch. As of August 2025 there is a plan to obtain certification of the townships as a Dark Sky Community. A dark sky sanctuary is a type of dark sky place defined by DarkSky International as: A public or private land that has an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is protected for its scientific, natural, or educational value, its cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment. The founders of the Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark S

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