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The Dark Skies at Lake Tekapo are stunning. Here’s how to observe them from your front porch.

When Bill and I spent a week in Lake Tekapo, NZ, we didn’t have to do any organized stargazing programs because the cottage we rented happened to be on the edge of a wide open meadow. So we had free Lake Tekapo Stargazing, with millions of stars, right from our deck!

Lake Tekapo is widely known as a Dark Sky Reserve and now I can see why people come from all over the world to do their stargazing here. Lake Tekapo was also our base for exploring Mount Cook, Lake Pukaki, the Hooker Valley Track and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, all just about an hour away.

A wide open sunlit field with pine trees and mountains in the distance, plus deep blue sky above — The view from our deck

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Millions of Stars In the Sky

When you step outside just after dark, it takes your breath away just how vast the universe is. Literally millions of stars are dancing above your head.

Best Places to Stay for Lake Tekapo Stargazing

These properties are on the outskirts of town, in a quiet residential neighborhood, but close enough that you can get to town in just 3 minutes driving or 18 minutes walking.

A map showing a lake and lots of blue pins which indicate rental properties available in the area.

I even walked down to Lake Tekapo one evening from the Cottage to take pictures at sunset, it was that close.

Brown grass on the hill with a beautiful turquoise lake and mountains in the background.

Here are our recommended properties:

Map showing red circles identifying the best rental accommodations to do Lake Tekapo Stargazing

#1 – Cheriton Cottage – Lake Tekapo

The property we stayed at was called Cheriton Cottage – an older 3 Bedroom, 1 bath cottage with a large living room and a kitchen. It wasn’t fancy, but it was very comfortable for a week-long stay. And we loved sitting out on our deck, watching the stars!

Check Availability and Pricing for Cheriton Cottage

If Cheriton Cottage is not available, here are some other nearby properties, overlooking the same open field.

#2 – Arosa – Lake Tekapo

A larger property, the Arosa is a 4 Bedroom, 1 bath A-frame house, also with fantastic views of the meadow and the stars. It has a modern, updated kitchen.

Check Availability and Pricing for Arosa

#3 – Macauley House

A large, more updated property, the Macauley House is a 5 Bedroom, 2 bath one-level house with a covered carport. Featuring an open space living, the kitchen, dining room and living room all have incredible views of the meadow and the mountains.

Check Availability and Pricing for Macauley House

#4 – Cass Crib – Lake Tekapo

Cass Crib, a smaller 1 Bedroom, 1 bath home offering a modern kitchen and vaulted ceilings . Highly rated by guests who loved it for it’s stunning views of the mountains, comfort and quality. They said it felt like a “quiet oasis”.

Check Availability and Pricing for Cass Crib

#5 – Silver Tussock – Lake Tekapo

A 3 Bedroom, 2 bath home, the Silver Tussock has tons of windows for the amazing views, a huge open patio and a BBQ grill! Most accommodations don’t have a grill so that’s a bonus if you like to barbeque!

Check Availability and Pricing for Silver Tussock

#6 – Tekapo Retreat – Lake Tekapo

Another 3 Bedroom, 2 bath home, the Tekapo Retreat features windows and doors that open wide to create a fabulous indoor/outdoor living space, plus stunning views of Lake Tekapo!

Check Availability and Pricing for Tekapo Retreat

All of these properties are along Dwyer Place and Esther Hope Street because of the huge open meadow. Most of these properties require at least a 2 night stay, are moderately priced ($200-500/night) and all have on-site parking available.

Note, these are affiliate links so I will earn a few dollars of commission if you choose to book using one of them. That’s what allows me to keep providing valuable information to you for free so Thank You!

BONUS: Using Night Mode on your iPhone to Capture the Stars

I first tried to take photos of the stars with my favorite Canon SX70 camera (the one I use for all my travel, wildlife and bird photography on this website), but it was too much messing around to get the light to filter correctly.

So my friend Kirsten recommended trying the Night Mode setting on my iPhone 12 to take photos of the stars. A quick Google search and I was on my way.

Check out iPhonePhotographySchool.com to learn more.

Ever since that first night in Lake Tekapo, I’ve used the Night Mode many times to capture images such as the night sky in Tanzania, Fireworks, Sunsets and so much more. Anytime the light is really low, it’s an awesome way to take clear photos.

But through trial and error, I’ve also learned some important tips too:

Tip 1: Hold your phone super steady!! It’s harder than it sounds to do it. (See Tip 2)

Tip 2: Flip your camera to the front camera (as if you were going to take a selfie). Then set the camera front side up on the railing or on a table. Push the shutter without holding the camera.

Tip 3: Remove all unwanted light. At Lake Tekapo, we turned off ALL of the lights in our cottage. Then I also moved around to the side of the Cottage to shield my phone from a nearby street light.

Tip 4: I did run some of the darkest photos through my photo editing software on my computer to lighten them up a bit – that made the stars more visible.

Check out the Night Mode on your iPhone and start capturing what you’ve been missing!

Lake Tekapo Stargazing – Where to Stay to See the Stars for FREE

The Dark Skies at Lake Tekapo are stunning. Here’s how to observe them from your front porch.

PLAN YOUR TRIP WITH OUR
FAVORITE TOOLS

Millions of Stars In the Sky