Bevan Newlands is one of many Kiwis tapping into astrotourism with his glass house SkyScape.

Perched in the South Island's rugged back country, the barren brown hills are dotted with tussock, and not much else.

But, glass houses are popping up.

Not the kind you grow food in, but a house with glass walls and a glass roof, that tourists hire so they can lie in bed and gaze up at the night sky.

Supplied The view from the bedroom of Bevan and Bridget Newlands' glass house SkyScape.

That is astrotourism.

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Astrotourism is people that travel the world stargazing, aurora hunting, constellation spotting, and anything involving the night sky's phenomena.

GARETH HUTTON/SUPPLIED Elina Hutton takes photos of auroras in the Nordic.

Bevan Newlands is one of many Kiwis tapping into astrotourism. He owns SkyScape - the aforementioned glass houses - on the outskirts of lake side settlement, Twizel. He and his wife were inspired to jump in on the astrotourism bandwagon when they kept hearing stories of people climbing Mt John, in neighbouring town Tekapo, to lie in the tussock underneath the stars.

"In New Zealand we are very lucky to have this area and you do see wonderful stars. For the town that wasn't meant to be, Twizel's got a real future," Newlands said.

In the Mackenzie Country there is dark sky reserve, above Great Barrier Island is a dark sky sanctuary, and soon Stewart Island is hoping to also have the title of dark sky reserve.

DOUG FIELD/STUFF Aurora hunters Gareth and Elina Hutton look at photos they have taken living in Finland.

The unique factor for the area's night sky was Mackenzie's 1981 District Plan, which restricted light pollution. Light pollution in other parts of the world caused the stars to appear clouded and distorted.

There is money to be made.

Within the first couple months of SkyScape opening in May 2017, the $600 per night bookings exploded. Some even three years ahead, to 2020. Two more glass roofed buildings are being built to keep up with demand.

"We were confident that it would do well and was a goer, but we didn't expect it to be as successful as it has been."

Adventure by Design co-creator Gareth Hutton, conducts custom aurora tours in Finland.

"There's something really magical about it. Only about one per cent of the world's population will get to see them," Hutton said.

The pinnacle of astrotourism was seeing an aurora - but people could go years without seeing one in New Zealand, as conditions needed to be much more specific than in Nordic countries.

"It's harder to plan tourism around it in New Zealand because it's so rare."

His business had grown about five to 10 per cent each year, he said. Hutton, who is back holidaying in his homeland at the moment, thinks there is massive growth potential for the industry in New Zealand.

And social media would drive it.

People want "bragging rights" of the things they have done and seen, and put the best snaps on Facebook and Instagram.

"There's lots of places in New Zealand that are getting more people because of Instagram photos and people wanting to take photos in the same places."