The Church for the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo is bathed in the light of the aurora australis. The township is now part of the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve.

To celebrate the creation of the southern hemisphere's first International Dark Sky Reserve, the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve Board and the University of Canterbury are hosting the Aoraki Mackenzie Starlight Festival, from October 9-11.

An International Dark Sky Reserve must possess an exceptional quality of starry nights to qualify to be protected. They are formed through a partnership of multiple land managers who have recognised the value of the natural night time environment.

The festival, which will also showcase the International Year of Light 2015 (IYL2015), will comprise of a mix of scientific, educational and cultural events. Organiser Sharlene Mullen said they hope to attract school students, family groups and members of the public who are interested in learning more about the stars, night sky, and the problems of light pollution. The event will include stargazing, lectures, a concert, and essay and poetry competition, documentaries on the night sky, a photographic exhibition and more.

The main festival venue will be the Twizel Event Centre, with the Hillary Alpine Centre at Mt Cook Village and the Mt John University Observatory at Tekapo also hosting events. Keynote invited speakers are Dame Anne Salmond, Professor of Maori Studies and Anthropology at the University of Auckland; Professor Chris Lintott, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford; and Dr Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, California.

Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve takes in Aoraki/Mt.Cook National Park and the Mackenzie Basin, which has the clearest, darkest and most spectacular night sky in New Zealand. It is the largest such reserve in the world, at 4367 square kilometres and the first to be declared gold tier status, the highest that can be accorded. Its formation is a recognition of the pristine skies of the Mackenzie which are essentially free of light pollution.The goals of the reserve are to promote star-gazing and astro-tourism, and protect the astronomical research at Mt John University Observatory.

Tickets are available on Eventfinda.