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#newzealand

Enjoy Jupiter in July!
Enjoy Jupiter in July!
by HildeH on July 3, 2020 with No Comments

Enjoying Jupiter

Uncategorised #darkskyexperiences, #darkskysanctuary, #goodheavensnz, #greatbarrierisland, #newzealand, #stargazing

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darkskyexperiences

COVID 19: Aotea/Great Barrier Island is at alert l COVID 19: Aotea/Great Barrier Island is at alert level 3️⃣ like the rest of Auckland. This means travel to the island is not allowed unless it is your main place of residence.

Good Heavens is not operating under level three, but we are looking forward to taking you stargazing as soon as we reach level 2️⃣ or below.

In the meantime, please don't forget to look up and get lost in the stars from your balcony or backyard. ✨ There's a whole universe out there.

Kia Kaha from the team. Hang on in there 🤗

PS The artwork in the photo, entitled Level 3, with ceramic and found objects is by Great Barrier Island artist and friend @potty_sarah 🎨

Don't forget to check out her gallery and studio in Shoal Bay, Tryphena, when you are next on our beautiful Motu. 🌌

#level3 
#levelup 
#closedforbusiness 
#stargazersunited 
#stargazingwhereveryouare
#lovefromtheteam
#💓
#✨
#kiakaha
Before you come to Great Barrier Island for your s Before you come to Great Barrier Island for your stargazing experience, we'd like you to know THE NITTY GRITTY OF GREAT BARRIER ISLAND - as it pays to come prepared 😎 ⠀
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Great Barrier Island has:⠀
•	No street lights - It's awfully dark at night! Bring a torch!⠀
•	No public transport or taxis - Walk, rent a car/ebike or book a shuttle in advance ⠀
•	No malls - Only galleries/shops where many products are unique. No big brands here. ⠀
•	No large supermarkets either - Dairy style grocery shops that are often more expensive due to freight cost and sometimes they even run out of basic stuff, so that you may have to accept an alternative⠀
•	Limited dining options - Cook your own dinner or check what's open when and book in advance ⠀
•	No fresh local fish for sale - Catch your own ⠀
•	No reticulated power - Leave hairdryers and rice cookers at home, conserve power ⠀
•	No reticulated water - Bathe in the sea, or take short showers, especially in summer ⠀
•	Zero waste community - Figure out what to do with your waste or bring it home, and visit our opp shops and recycling centre ⠀
•	No fun parks and adrenaline rides - Make your own fun in the waves, the bush and on the beach. ⠀
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Does all this sound like too much of a challenge? Then Great Barrier Island is not for you. ⠀
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We'd love to take you stargazing, but accepting the island and its inhabitants with their quirks is a prerequisite. It's what makes this place so special and it's what we love. 😁⠀
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If you need help with your visit to the island, the visitor information centre at the airport in Claris is a great place to start #greatbarrierislandofficial⠀
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#greatbarrierisland⠀
#otherexperiences⠀
#nostreetlights⠀
#notaxis⠀
#nobuses⠀
#nomalls⠀
#nopower⠀
#nowater⠀
#nozoo⠀
#nofunpark⠀
#funconservationpark⠀
#motubikes⠀
#specialplace⠀
#sustainabledestination⠀
#offgridcommunity⠀
@bekiwi
Great Barrier Island's full of surprises, on land, Great Barrier Island's full of surprises, on land, in our super Dark Sky, and often also out to sea. Keep your eyes 👀 peeled for natural and other wonders!
This image was taken by Josh, after a stargazing e This image was taken by Josh, after a stargazing experience the other night, through his iphone12. ⠀
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We were a bit impressed with the phone's ability to take dark sky images. Have any of you had similar results with either an iphone or an android? Has anyone been using the new dark sky photo apps?⠀
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And yes, that's me, shining the laser pointer just beyond Orion's sword. Matariki in the bottom left corner. Thanks so much for the photo, Josh.⠀
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#iphone12⠀
#darkskyphotography⠀
#darkskyexperiences⠀
#stargazing⠀
#greatbarrierisland⠀
#orion⠀
#matariki⠀
#sevensisters⠀
#pleiades⠀
#subaru⠀
#photoapps
Deb testing binoculars. Every stargazer gets to us Deb testing binoculars. Every stargazer gets to use a pair during our stargazing experience. It's amazing how much more you can see, beyond what's visible with the naked eye.

We specifically use them to look at open star clusters... ✨
Aotea - Great Barrier Island is a Dark Sky Sanctua Aotea - Great Barrier Island is a Dark Sky Sanctuary, among the darkest places in the world in a fragile natural environment.⠀
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Our island is one of the few sanctuaries in the world, that are not only within easy reach, but also within city boundaries of a major city (Auckland) and at only half an hour's flight time from an international airport. ⠀
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Aotea is also one of very few places in the world where you have a choice of many comfortable lodgings to lay your head to rest after you've been stargazing.⠀
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A quote from the International Dark Sky Association's website: ⠀
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"An IDA Dark Sky Sanctuary is public or private land that has an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is protected for its scientific, natural, or educational value, its cultural heritage and/or public enjoyment.⠀
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A sanctuary differs from a Dark Sky Park or Reserve - [like for instance Tekapo] - in that it is typically situated in a very remote location with few (if any) nearby threats to the quality of its dark night skies......"⠀
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In addition, and despite or perhaps thanks to its isolated location in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf, the island has lots to offer - wonderful walks in and out of the biggest conservation park in the Auckland area, solitary beaches, several taonga - endangered natural treasures - and a vibrant creative artistic community, providing several galleries with excellent art and crafts. There are even two micro-breweries and a distillery plus several island made beauty product ranges. Sounds to good to be true?⠀
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In this perfect environment, Good Heavens would be delighted to introduce you to the delights of a comfortable, informed and entertaining stargazing experience.⠀
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Thanks for the photo #carolcomerphotography⠀
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#darkskyexperiences⠀
#greatbarrierisland⠀
#nzmustdo⠀
#stargazingnz⠀
#stargazing⠀
#nicelyisolated⠀
#somuchtodo⠀
#discover⠀
#island⠀
#galleries⠀
#microbrewery⠀
@islandgin⠀
@bekiwi
@darkskytravels
Today's new moon marks the start of the lunar New Today's new moon marks the start of the lunar New Year, the year of the Ox. Happy New Year,  everyone!⠀
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And 2021 is the Year of the Metal Ox. People born in this year are supposed to be diligent, honest, reliable, stable, persevering and stubborn. Sounds good to us.⠀
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Tonight, on this night of the new moon, we'll be enjoying a super dark sky and as the recent rain will have washed the dust out of the sky, we're expecting it to be super clear.⠀
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We do still have availability on our 1115pm Stargazing Experience, so book in now if you are keen.⠀
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Look out for oxes along your way, as similar beasts do live on Great Barrier Island and they are sometimes seen wandering along the road, in their rugged fluffiness.⠀
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#yearoftheox⠀
#happynewyear⠀
#metalox⠀
#newmoon⠀
#darkskyexperiences⠀
#diligent⠀
#honest⠀
#reliable⠀
#superdarksky⠀
#goodheavensgbi
Congrats New Zealanders! with new official public Congrats New Zealanders! with new official public holiday Matariki, first to be celebrated as a national holiday on Friday 24 June 2022! ⠀
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A true New Zealand holiday... which is "a time for reflection and celebration, and our first public holiday that recognises Te Ao Māori," Jacinda Ardern said.⠀
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"This will be a day to acknowledge our nation's unique, shared identity, and the importance of tikanga Māori. It's going to be something very special, and something uniquely New Zealand."⠀
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It is also, of course, a great opportunity to celebrate New Zealand's beautiful southern hemisphere sky, and the spectacular open star cluster of Matariki. ⠀
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Good Heavens are happy to show you Matariki in the evening sky throughout the warmer months, from October through to March/April. ⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️⠀
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Photo credit: NASA picture of the day: https://buff.ly/2GJChTR⠀
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#nzholiday⠀
#matariki⠀
#celebration⠀
#starcluster
#holiday 
#celebrate 
#stargazing 
#stargazingnz
#darkskyexperiences
Feed your soul and feast your eyes on #greatbarrie Feed your soul and feast your eyes on #greatbarrierisland
Great Barrier Island is such a picturesque place. Great Barrier Island is such a picturesque place. If you are visual person, and which stargazer isn't? then you will love this island.⠀
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Bring a camera, photo opps galore.⠀
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If you would like guidance with your #darkskyphotography in the #darkskysanctuary, and get better results than in this photo, 😁 consider booking in a workshop with #carolcomerphotography⠀
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#darkskyexperiences⠀
#greatbarrierisland⠀
#nzmustdo⠀
#photooppsgalore⠀
#sopicuresque⠀
#prettyasapicture⠀
#nightscapewithyachts
Too much cloud for stargazing tonight, but a beaut Too much cloud for stargazing tonight, but a beautiful view of our closest star as we spin away from her on our blue and green marble 🌏

When there is too much cloud, we cancel our experiences and clients are given a full refund unless they are available the next night. 

Sometimes we take the gamble, and a dark night with 50% cloud can be amazing, as celestial marvels are slowly revealed throughout the night. ✨

When there is a big moon, like tonight, and a lot of high cloud, the sky is like a paper lamp, beautifully lit, but not suitable for looking at stars that are further away than our Sun. 🌅
What could be more romantic than a night under the What could be more romantic than a night under the stars with your loved one?⠀
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Exactly! 😍 Love is in the air!⠀
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Good Heavens do the prep, all you need to do is show up! 😎⠀
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💖 Vouchers also available ✨
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#darkskyexperiences⠀
#greatbarrierisland⠀
#stargazing⠀
#stargazingnz⠀
#romantic⠀
#honeymoon⠀
#proposal⠀
#surpriseher⠀
#surpirisehim⠀
#beherenow⠀
#💖⠀
#😍
#valentines 
#14feb
#valentinespanic
#valentinespanicover
#❤️
The two nights after the full moon, you can observ The two nights after the full moon, you can observe the moon rising out of the sea over the east coast beaches. ⠀
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Quite a sight, seeing this red ball come over the horizon, as it's light is refracted through the atmosphere, while it slowly changes to white as it gets higher up in the sky. ⠀
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Enjoy by yourself, or with a Good Heavens Moon Walk, to get an unforgettable close up look through our telescope as well as lots of starry stories to boot. ⠀
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If you love the moon and would love to know more about it, this is the tour for you. If you are keen to see the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds, book in for a Look Up and Get Lost stargazing experience. ⠀
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Moon Walks are available when the moon is larger than 50% in the evening sky, whereas Look Up and Get Lost experiences are available the rest of the month. ⠀
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Check out the booking calendar for either the Moon Walk or Look Up and Get Lost to see what's available when. ⠀
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#darkskyexperiences⠀
#greatbarrierisland⠀
#moonwalk⠀
#starlight⠀
#milkyway⠀
#booking⠀
#bookingcalendar⠀
#booknow⠀
#nzmustdo⠀
#stargazing⠀
#beachsidestargazing⠀
#stars
Ready for tonight's stargazers. Guess what we'll b Ready for tonight's stargazers. Guess what we'll be gazing at first?

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#stargazing 
#darkskyexperiences 
#greatbarrierisland 
#greatbarrierislandofficial 
#moon
#crescent
#worthalook 
#throughbinoculars 
#andatelescope
#lotsawows
#nzmustdo
#yupthemoon
Admiring our closest star ☀️ as our planet spi Admiring our closest star ☀️ as our planet spins away from her light. ❤️

Time for some stellar delights🤩 in the dark sky sanctuary. ✨

The Good Heavens team is enjoying the balmy summer nights with our feet in the sand.🌴

Why don't you join us and learn more about the stars, close and far.🌌
Here's Deb, setting up a stargazing experience alo Here's Deb, setting up a stargazing experience along the beach the other night.⠀
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We set up our tours so that you can get the most out of your stargazing experience.⠀
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Moon chairs mean you can lean back in comfort, looking up at the stars, dreaming away or listening attentively to your guide. ⠀
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A blanket keeps you toasty, summer and winter, so that you can concentrate on the stars, rather than on being cold.⠀
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Binoculars for each participant show the incredible depth and quantity of stars visible in our super dark sky, and give a nice overview of open star clusters, such as the northern and southern Pleiades.⠀
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And to get a close-up of planets, (binary) stars, nebula and deep sky objects, you'll be looking through our 8" telescope, which we will point in the right direction for you.⠀
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Or follow the laser pointer as your guide draws constellations in the sky and tells you interesting facts and fascinating stories that have captivated our ancestors throughout the ages.⠀
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#darkskyexperiences⠀
#greatbarrierisland⠀
#comfortable⠀
#ecotourism⠀
#sustainabletourism⠀
#tinyfootprint⠀
#nzstargazing⠀
#mustdonz⠀
#dosomethingnewNZ⠀
#hellholenz⠀
#stars⠀
#comfortablestargazing
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+64 274 290 877

PO Box 76, Tryphena Great Barrier Island (Aotea), Auckland 0991 New Zealand
Great Barrier Island International Dark Sky Sanctuary

© 2021 Good Heavens. Image Credits: Carmen Bird, Mark Russell, Carol Comer & Hilde Hoven. Website: Little Biz Online.