A celebration was held last month, featuring the screening of a documentary exploring the Dark Sky Project’s origins.
It also detailed the efforts of the co-founders and supporters to establish the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in 2012.
The Dark Sky Project is a joint venture between Ngāi Tahu Tourism and co-founders, Graeme Murray and Hide Ozawa.
Each year, more than 45,000 manuhiri (visitors) enjoy the stars up close through exclusive star gazing tours and other digital and outdoor experiences.
Dark Sky Project general manager and Ngāi Tahu astronomer Victoria Campbell said astrotourism was a growing market, with research showing 70% of people thinking about visiting New Zealand were interested in stargazing.
"I’m excited that 20 years on, we’re still sharing their love of the night sky along with mātauranga [knowledge] Māori and our traditional Ngāi Tahu stories about whetū (stars).
"Ngāi Tahu Tourism is very proud to be associated with the pioneers of astrotourism."
Co-founders Mr Murray and Mr Ozawa remain closely involved with Dark Sky Project and are proud of their influence on stargazing as a tourism activity.
"Our journey over the past two decades under the pristine dark skies of the Mackenzie has been truly special.
"We've enjoyed the unique opportunity to blend science with tourism, giving rise to the term ‘astrotourism'," Mr Murray said.
It was Mr Ozawa who first told Mr Murray that New Zealanders did not value their stars enough.
"Most New Zealanders are probably not aware of just how special our view of the night sky is. It is especially breathtaking in Takapō, thanks to the ideal latitude and clear skies with no light pollution," Mr Ozawa said.
Its stargazing tours are now woven with tātai arorangi (Ngāi Tahu astronomy), as well as cultural stories about the night sky that had never been previously shared outside of the iwi.
Through tourism, reconnection with te taiao (the environment) creates lasting memories for manuhiri.
The Dark Sky Project is a way to revive some of that mātauranga, some of those traditions and stories about the night sky.
Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua, Waihao Upoko Tewera King and Te Rūnanga o Moeraki Upoko David Higgins were among the rōpū (group) who generously shared their ancestral stories when Ngāi Tahu Tourism partnered with Mr Murray and Mr Ozawa.
Te Manahuna (Mackenzie Basin) was traditionally a gateway for Ngāi Tahu ancestors to connect and trade as they travelled around Te Waipounamu (South Island).
Mr King described it as the heartbeat of the takiwā (tribal boundary) for his hapū.
"When you’re up on Ōtehīwai [University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory] and the sky is perfect, it almost feels like you can reach out and touch the moon — it’s a very spiritual place," Mr King said.
"The Dark Sky Project has given us the opportunity to share our own kōrero [story] and promote indigenous science to hundreds of thousands of manuhiri, while also encouraging the next generation of Māori navigators, sailors and astronauts."
The documentary is available to watch on Dark Sky Project’s social media pages and YouTube.
— APL
