Things to do in Mackenzie District

Truly amazing! We used professional astronomical telescopes to see so many fascinating celestial bodies! We saw Venus, which has phases just like the moon; the stunning Tarantula Nebula, which is a birthplace of beautiful baby stars; the Wishing Well Cluster; the gorgeous, jewel-like 47 Tucanae cluster; and Saturn with its rings. It was just incredible! Despite the cold weather, there was hot cocoa and a roasted marshmallow activity! Plus, everyone gets a professional photo of the starry sky. Definitely worthy of a 5-star review!

We didn't end up seeing the stars because it was too cloudy. The person in charge was very helpful and rescheduled for us, but even on the new date, they said we wouldn't be able to see anything, so we didn't go. KLOOK quickly arranged a refund.

The stargazing experience was beautifully organized and exceeded our expectations. Being surrounded by the peaceful night sky and seeing so many stars with our own eyes was simply breathtaking. The atmosphere was calm, magical, and incredibly relaxing — a wonderful escape from the busy city life.

Very special experience! The staffs are friendly and the instructions are clear. All passangers please get ready your waterproof shoes, the snow are thick.

It was an amazing experience 🤩🏔️🚁 A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity~ highly recommend joining the glacier hike! Since it was cloudy and rainy on the first day, we changed our slot with the front desk to the next day, and we successfully got bright sunshine and fantastic weather 👍 After checking in, we were divided into groups and went into a small room where they explained important safety instructions for taking the helicopter, taught us how to put on crampons, and then we followed directions to board the chopper. Also, the sun is really intense~ remember to bring sunglasses and put on sunscreen ☀️ Our guide, Kobe, was lively and adorable 🥰 We took a lot of beautiful photos of the ice caves, totally worth it 🫶

We were incredibly lucky to have perfect weather — it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Both my child and I were thrilled and had a great time. Our guide Jasper that day was exceptionally attentive and considerate, and we all really liked him. We highly recommend everyone to try the glacier hiking tour.

What an incredible experience. Scott is such a fantastic guide, very knowledgeable and cheerful. The hike was around 1.5 hour with lots of time stopping for pictures, so it was not as physically demanding as expected. The glacier is truly mesmerising, it is one of the best memories I have made in NZ!

The 45-minute guided tour at the Tekapo petting zoo is a fun and interactive experience, especially since entry includes one box of feed per person. The animals—including Merino sheep, alpacas, KuneKune pigs, and calves—are incredibly cute, friendly, and affectionate as you hand-feed them. Just make sure to listen carefully to the guide's instructions at the start for everyone's safety. The only downside is that the tour groups can get quite crowded, sometimes reaching up to 20 people at once.

This was my first stargazing tour, and it was even cheaper than the official website. The service was excellent; you don't have to worry about not having warm enough clothes, as they provide one-piece down jackets. It seemed like they had four or five sizes! The only downside was that we attended on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which was a full moon. This affected the stargazing, making it a bit less impressive than I had imagined. For the "Dark Sky Project," they transport you from the base of the mountain to the observatory reserve, where a specialist explains various astronomical phenomena. They also ask if anyone has questions about astronomy. If you're not familiar with the twelve planets and some specialized astronomical English terms, it might be a bit challenging to understand. However, they do offer an earlier session in Chinese. They also use the observatory's super-large stargazing telescope, which was my first time experiencing something like that, and I found it incredibly amazing and a rare opportunity! But if your visit falls around the new moon or full moon, I would advise against participating, as you might be disappointed.