Stonehenge Aotearoa - Weird? No. Tacky? Absolutely not.
Stonehenge Aotearoa has hit back at the latest Lonely Planet guidebook, which has named the country's "tackiest" monuments, buildings and themes.
In the guidebook, Lonely Planet said the astronomy centre in the Wairarapa, was "Weird? Yes. Tacky? Absolutely. Highlight of your trip to NZ? Maybe not."
Stonehenge Aotearoa is 10km southeast of Carterton and is aoutdoor observatory and astronomy centre.
Mary Varnham, the publisher of a book by the centre's founder, Richard Hall, who wrote How to Gaze at the Southern Stars, said Lonely Planet was wrong in its description of the centre.
"Lonely Planet seems to think that Stonehenge Aotearoa is an imitation of Stonehenge in Britain, but this is completely wrong," said Ms Varnham.
The outdoor observatory was designed to inspire people young and old about astronomy, she said.
"I've been to both it and the original Stonehenge in Britain and there's no contest: Stonehenge Aotearoa is by far the most interesting experience, said Ms Varnham.
She said the astronomy centre did an "outstanding" job of inspiring people about astronomy.
The Lonely Planet guidebook also likened the Sky Tower to a "giant hypodermic giving a fix to the heavens" and called Napier's Pania of the Reef statue "a little Maori and a lot Disney".
