FAQ’S

Health & Safety

We take health and safety along with your wellbeing very seriously whilst on our tours. It is essential that you do not run around the pool complex or dive into pools as you are likely to hurt yourself. Running is strictly prohibited.

If you have a known medical condition please advise our team on arrival prior to commencing our Star Gazing experience. As per the national pool supervision requirement all children under 8 years of age must be kept within arm’s reach of a caregiver aged 16 years or older at all times whilst in the hot pools. The second part of our tour may not be suitable for pregnant women as the pools can reach slightly above body temperature – please consult with your medical professional prior to booking.

Alcohol is not able to be consumed in the hot pools or Tekapo Springs’ premises during the night tours. Guests who arrive intoxicated will be asked to leave – this is both due to enforcement of requirements for our Liquor License and part of our pool safety guidelines.

Smoking is only permitted in our designated smoking area, please ask staff where this is. For safety reasons, children under the age of 6 cannot join any tour. Any child aged 15 and under must be accompanied by a guardian aged 16 or older. This will be strictly adhered to.

Terms & Conditions

Full payment is required at the time of booking, whether made in person, online or via an agent. By completing your booking, you agree to and accept Tekapo Stargazing’s Terms & Conditions and Cancellation & Weather Policy as outlined on this page.

Tekapo Stargazing operates in an alpine environment where weather can change quickly. We are unable to guarantee full clarity, perfect skies, or visibility of specific objects in the night sky, and what you see will depend on seasonal conditions, the moon phase and cloud cover at the time of your tour.

Our tours include a guided astronomy experience that may be delivered outdoors with telescopes under the night sky or indoors using our customised Virtual Reality experience. Weather conditions at the time of the tour determine whether our guides run the experience outdoors or indoors. On nights when cloud makes outdoor stargazing impossible, the guided portion of the tour is delivered as a customised indoor virtual reality experience showcasing the Lake Tekapo night skies; for Soak in the Stars, the exclusive hot pools portion of the tour always takes place as planned. For details about cloudy-night refunds and guest cancellations, please refer to our Cancellation & Weather Policy.

Tekapo Stargazing reserves the right to cancel, shorten or modify a tour in response to extreme or unsafe weather, environmental conditions, or operational requirements such as consolidating tours based on limited numbers. In the unlikely event that a tour is cancelled in full for safety or operational reasons, you will be offered an alternative tour time (subject to availability) or a full refund if no suitable alternative is available, in line with our Cancellation Policy.

Children

For safety reasons, children under 6 years cannot join any Tekapo Stargazing tour. Children under 10 years cannot join Soak in the Stars tours; families with children aged 6–10 are welcome on our Scope at the Stars tour. These age limits will be strictly enforced.

Photography and Videos

Any photography and videos taken by you on Tekapo Springs premises is for personal use only. No photos or imagery may be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Tekapo Stargazing. “Commercial purposes” includes but is not limited to any use:

For personal promotion content purposes;
Personal gain;
Which may damage the reputation of Tekapo Springs (whether or not that is intentional).

Participation in any group or promotional photos taken on our tours is entirely voluntary. These photos may be made public and used on Tekapo Stargazing’s marketing channels, social media, and website. Release and use of promotional images is at our discretion; we cannot guarantee that any images featuring you will be provided or published.

Keep in mind

Swimwear is required in the pools always. Please bring your own swimwear and towel for your tour if you have them. We can provide these if needed.
Objects viewed through the telescope are generally black and white.
White lights are not allowed on any tours (flash photography, illuminated mobile phones, flashlights, personal torches, LCD screens, etc.) as white light will diminish your eyes ability to view the stars.
Video recording and any reproduction of our star gazing tours without specific written permission is strictly prohibited.
It is essential that you do not run around the pool complex as you are likely to fall and hurt yourself. Running is strictly prohibited. Diving into the pools is also prohibited as our pools are shallow and this could result in injury.
Lockers are available to use for $5, or open cubbies are available for storage free of charge.

Cancellation & Weather Policy

Our goal is to make sure your time with us is memorable and value-for-money, even when the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor stargazing.

Guest cancellations and changes

Direct bookings

You can cancel or change your Tekapo Stargazing booking up to 24 hours before your tour start time and choose to receive either a full refund, date change subject to availability, or a voucher to the value of the ticket price to use at a later date.
Cancellations or change requests within 24 hours of your tour start time are non-refundable and booking change requests are not possible, except in genuine extenuating circumstances, which may be considered at our discretion.
Please note: Different cancellation and rescheduling terms may apply if your booking was made before 18 June 2026. Please refer to your booking confirmation for the applicable terms, or contact bookings@tekapostargazing.co.nzfor assistance.

Third party bookings

If you booked through a travel agent or other third party, their own booking changes and cancellation policy applies; please contact them directly to change or cancel your booking.

Cloudy nights and bad weather

Weather conditions in Lake Tekapo’s alpine climate can change rapidly, and as a result, night sky conditions at the time of the tour determine whether our guides run the experience outdoors with telescopes or indoors using our Virtual Reality experience.

If weather conditions result in less than 30 minutes of telescope viewing, a refund equal to 25% of the amount paid for each ticket will be granted at the end of your tour as recognition that you didn’t get a clear-sky telescope night (valid for tours from 18 June 2026). Note that this partial refund is not applicable on the following ticket types: Economy, Premium, Premium Plus. The partial refund only applies for the ticket types that have a 24-hour cancellation period. This applies to both our Soak in the Stars and Scope at the Stars tours.

If extreme weather (for example lightning, heavy snow ,or unsafe conditions) or operational requirements mean we must cancel a tour entirely, you’ll be offered an alternative tour time (subject to availability) or a full refund if the alternative does not suit you.

No Shows

If you do not show for your tour (no‑show), your booking is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Refund processing

Refunds are processed within 5 working days but may take longer to appear in your account depending on your bank or card provider. The refund will be processed on-site and where practicable on the card used to make your booking.

Gift Vouchers

Gift vouchers are valid for 3 years from the date of purchase, following which they expire automatically, are non-refundable and non-transferable, and cannot be redeemed for cash. Alternative validity periods may apply where specified at the time of issue. Vouchers purchased prior to 1 March 2026 are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. For full terms & conditions about New Zealand gift vouchers please visit the New Zealand Legislation Website.