Cowans Hill Walkway — Attraction in South Island

Did the tour to Cowans Hill Observatory as the Mt John tour was fully booked. Arthur our guide was polite, informative and friendly. I did come away having learnt something new and got a great photo of the moon on my phone but left disappointed. It is a commercial operation and does not leave one feeling like they got any value for money. $93 for about an hour of looking into the sky and a couple of quick looks through a telescope was not enough. It could have been a much better experience if all 3 telescopes were in use and we could wander at our leisure (or in small groups) between them. Having all 3 open, pointing to something different with an informative guide with a slightly less rushed approach would have been much more memorable and enjoyable. It is hard to cater for everyone but it should have been a...

We got to see both the moon, and M42 in great detail through the smaller 11" Celestron telescope. Plus we got to see another deep space nebula through the bright and sharp 14" reflector telescope. It was a smaller group than the one up on the mountain at the bigger observatory, so we got more time individually for observing, plus it is a better price. The larger observatory was sold out, but we were not disappointed with this tour of the night sky. We had a bonus getting to see the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights). Make sure you book when it's not a full moon! You should book when it's around half moon or less. A full moon creates as much light pollution as a large city, and you won't get to see as many stars or deep...

The walk sets off along the river bank before heading into the forest plantation behind the houses. The track climbs gently through the trees before emerging out into the open country behind. This follows the 4WD track to a high point before descending to cross a firebreak out on the open tussock lands of the Lake Tekapo Scientific Reserve. From here, it is an easy walk back to the Cowan’s Hill car park, where you can continue on to the Pines Beach Walk. This section has lovely views of Lake Tekapo, Motuariki Island and...