RTW Trip Day #83: Lake Tekapo, the Dark Sky Experience and the Drive to Arthur’s Pass

andrewsco3
Dec 24, 2025
3 min read

20 December 2025

Steps: 8,327

Today we spent the morning in Lake Tekapo, learning about the astrology, before driving to our accommodation in Arthur’s Pass, via lunch at a lovely town called Geraldine.

The Lake Tekapo Dark Sky Experience

The Lake Tekapo Dark Sky Experience is an indoor astronomy experience set right by the banks of the lake. The girls were especially excited to do the tour after our disappointment the previous day when our stargazing tour was cancelled due to bad weather.

Inside the dark sky experience in the planets room

The tour was excellent and worked perfectly as part of the science component of their world schooling. It combined scientific explanations with Māori storytelling in a way that was engaging and easy to understand for both kids and adults.

The experience begins in front of a large cinema screen with an introduction to the leading scientific explanation of the creation of the universe, including the Big Bang theory, and how Māori creation stories complement these ideas. It was a thoughtful way to connect modern science with traditional knowledge.

After the short film, the guide pointed out some of the most well-known constellations and explained how stars were traditionally used by Māori and early settlers for navigation and route finding.

In the second room, the focus shifted to our sun. The guide explained how it works, shared interesting facts about its size and distance from Earth, and walked us through its life cycle, including how it will eventually become a white dwarf.

the kiwi in the sky — Can you see the “kiwi”?

The next section explored how stars were used for hunting by Māori, including tracking the best time to hunt long-tailed eels based on which stars were visible. One of the most interesting details was learning that a kiwi shape has been identified within the Milky Way, something that is only seen in New Zealand due to its position.

The tour finished with a look at a 130-year-old telescope, along with an explanation of how it was used in the past and how astronomical technology has advanced since then.

Afterwards, we stopped at the café beside the gift shop for a coffee, then wandered down to the lake while the sun was out. It was a lovely way to wrap up a really informative and enjoyable experience.

The Mount John Observatory

Just a short 10 minute drive away is the Mount John Observatory, which sits on a small hill above Lake Tekapo and is used for astronomical research by the University of Canterbury.

me and the girls from the St John Observatory

There is a café at the top, but visitors can’t go inside any of the observatories. That said, the views alone make the visit worthwhile. From up here, it’s easy to see why the area has such little light pollution. Aside from the small town of Tekapo below, there are hardly any visible houses, even looking out as far as the eye can see.

Stops along the Way to Arthur’s Pass

The town of Geraldine makes a nice stop along the route to Arthur’s Pass or Christchurch, and we stopped at a wonderful farm shop and eatery called Barkers of Geraldine. You can sample all of their sauces, jams, and condiments they make in house, and there’s also a lovely café on site.

The café has a great kids menu, along with plenty of delicious homemade pies that are a bit different from the usual options. I tried the pork belly and chutney pie, and it was incredible.

We decided to take Highway 72 and follow the scenic route rather than the slightly faster road via Christchurch, and we were glad we did.

The drive was very scenic, but the roads were surprisingly straight, with only a few winding sections. We stopped at Rakaia Gorge to stretch our legs, where we had a lot of fun skimming stones by the river.

Porters Lodge, Arthur's Pass

We arrived at Porters Lodge, a very remote lodge at the start of Arthur’s Pass. Just as we were unpacking the car, it suddenly started hailing. It definitely wouldn’t be a place you’d want to get caught outside in bad weather, and I'm not sure i would fancy the drive in the winter!

The bunk beds are simple, but the room has a nice view out over the surrounding hills.