New Zealand is quickly becoming among the top dark sky destinations on earth thanks to the creation of two ‘Dark Sky Parks’. The parks are Wai-iti Recreational Reserve and Tunnicliff Forest at the northern end of the South Island. The purpose of the parks is to preserve the night sky to preventing light pollution. The area has become a popular destination for the study of the night sky for scientific, artistic and amateur astronomers.
The Māori people have a long heritage of astronomy, tracing back to their roots in Polynesia and using celestial navigation to cross the Pacific Ocean.
