
Tāhuna Glenorchy

About
The Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary is located at the Head of Lake Whakatipu in the Queenstown Lakes District of New Zealand. Situated largely within the Te Wāhipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tititea Mt. Aspiring National Park, the Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary encompasses 200,000 ha of land in the Southern Alps with over seventy-five percent of the sanctuary area within Te Wāhipounamu.
Deep in the ethos of the sanctuary project is the belief that the Sanctuary will be a gift from the present generation to the future. The Sanctuary project is led by members of Glenorchy’s community through the Glenorchy Heritage and Museum Group. A broad and diverse group, their focus is on outreach in partnership with Winterstellar, the Queenstown Lakes District Libraries, the Tuhuru/Otago Museum, and Nature’s Symphony, among others. The Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Skies Group also hosts the community’s annual Matariki dinner and celebration.
Biodiversity protection and restoration are at the core of this project. There are currently 35 at-risk species within the Sanctuary area and surrounding environs. The Sanctuary corresponds with the biodiversity work of the Department of Conservation, the Southern Lakes Sanctuary, and Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, which are restoring wildlife in the region and engaging in species reintroduction and habitat restoration. Preserving the darkness will help create critical habitat protection for native species.
The Sanctuary serves as a site for people to learn Maori star knowledge (Matauraka Kāi Tahu) and access the stars as our ancestors did. Many important sites to Kāi Tahu are located at the Head of the Lake, and the Sanctuary will serve as a cloak of protection over the mountains, rivers, and lakes.
The Sanctuary has minimal lighting managed within the Department of Conservation huts. The townships of Glenorchy and Kinloch are not within the Sanctuary but will be part of a separate International Dark Sky Community effort. The community sees itself as the guardian of the Sanctuary and welcomes visitors to learn and experience the beauty of the natural environment and the magnificent night skies.
The area is well served by the Department of Conservation’s walking tracks, which include the Routeburn, Greenstone-Caples, Rees-Dart, and Lake Sylvan Track, among others. Visitors can engage in horse trekking, kayaking to remote islands, watching the aurora from the Glenorchy wharf, and simple stargazing from the mountain tops or the lakeshore.
Area
2150 Sq. Km
Designated
2025
Category
International Dark Sky Sanctuary
Address
No official address.
Gateway community of Glenorchy
Google Maps
Website
Contact
Leslie Van Gelder, Chair
Michelle Morss
Documents
Application
Announcement
Annual Reports
Weather
Click here to find ideal environmental conditions for enjoying dark skies near Tāhuna Glenorchy, New Zealand. (-44.713 168.319)