This is a part of Seeking QuietThe collection is a collection that highlights the quest for quietness in a world increasingly filled with noise. Read more here.
I’m on a hill in the Southern Alps at midnight. New Zealand. The swooping scenery of the mountains in front of me fades to complete darkness. The silence settles in and it seems like all the noise from the day is gone. It’s gone. The expanse of mountains with a cloudless sky, valleys in honey tones, and lakes that are gin clear, have all disappeared. Lake Takapō, a region recently crowned New ZealandThe sunniest spot in the world has another side. This 4,300-square-kilometer (over 1,600-square miles) area of alpine terrain, with little light pollution, is a part of Aoraki/Mount Cook Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. stargazing sanctuaries.
In 2019, The Dark Sky Project, which is co-owned by Ngai Tahu, one of the largest iwi (tribes) in New Zealand, was revealed on the edge of glassy alpine Lake Takapō. The concrete and glass building, named Rehua—a sacred atua, or God, considered the chief of stars—combines Tātai Aroraki (Māori astronomy(with scientific knowledge and multi-media exhibitions) which attracts tourists such as myself to the Mackenzie area for its unpolluted vistas and landscapes of wide open vistas, mountain ranges, and never-ending skies.
This kind of mission includes pondering the vastness and beauty of the universe. astrotourismThe darkness of the night is not just the absence or lack of light. It can also be a sign that something needs to be preserved, such as our coral reefs or coastlines. Understanding what lies beyond the clouds, and being able trace patterns of twilight are crucial for environmental health. Victoria (Tori) Campbell, a celestial Māori guide The night sky is a part of the landscape. It’s a system that relates to the natural environment, reconnects with our lost knowledge, and connects us back to our ancestors.
For the Iwi Māori katoa (Māori tribes), the stars acted as a map for their Polynesian ancestors, who around 3,000 years ago before European settlement, took to the seas in their handmade wakas (canoes) across the Pacific Ocean from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, before migrating to the far corners of the ‘Polynesian triangle:’ Marquesas and Hawaii, Rapa Nui/Easter Island, and New Zealand. They understood the importance of understanding astrology They would use constellations as a guide during long journeys. “In Māori culture, the sky was a vast map of stories, each star and constellation rich with meaning, offering insights into everything from seasonal changes to human life. Campbell explains that their celestial beliefs were an amalgam of navigation, spirituality and connection to cosmos.
About 80% of people live under light-polluted skiesThe Milky Way can no longer be seen by a third. Here in Takapō, there are strict regulations when it comes to light pollution, like capping streetlights and restricting certain types of artificial lighting. The night sky becomes darker and more eerie than anywhere else in the world. Above, the Milky Way is a ribbon of luminous light. Meanwhile, the hook of the scorpion tail signifies the Scorpius constellation and the ubiquitous Southern Cross—seen on flags and emblems around the Southern Hemisphere—shines bright.
