FAQ:
Astro-Tours
General:
How do I book?
You can book online at www.omakaobservatory.co.nz, in person at the Blenheim, Picton and Havelock i-Sites (tourist Information offices) or by phone on 03 929 3417.
How do I pay?
A guide will meet you at the bus and will take payment by mobile EFTPOS (EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard accepted).
Is there an age limit?
We recommend it for 5 years and upwards to get the best out of the tour (we have had guests as young as 2 attend). The site is on a working farm and involves walking on a gravel path, let us know before you book if you have any accessibility issues.
What not to bring.
You don’t need to bring torches as our paths are lit (with custom made red path lighting) and our guides have torches. Whilst looking at the nights sky you won’t need any torches. Also if your kid has light up shoes, please leave those at home.
How do I know about the weather?
We have included a weather app ‘clear outside’ on our website front page www.omakaobservatory.co.nz . This is a special app for astronomy purposes and shows the expected cloud cover. We will contact you on the day (or sometimes before) to update you on weather and on-site temperature.
What happens if my tour is cancelled due to weather?
You can change the booking to another time that works or cancel.
What happens if I have COVID and can’t make my tour?
Again, you can change the booking to another time or cancel. Just let us know as soon in advance as you can.
What COVID precautions do you take?
You will need to wear a mask on the bus and we recommend wearing one in the VR suite. We have hand sanitiser available at various locations on-site and disinfect the VR headsets after use.
Can I take photos / videos?
You are free to take as many photos as you like (just make sure the flash is turned off first). Please do not video or sound record our tour guides without asking permission first.
How do I find out about new booking dates?
We are steadily adding dates to our booking system. As we are run by volunteers and we are dependent on the weather these may only be released a week or two in advance. If you are after any specific dates please email us at info@omakaobservatory.co.nz and we will try our hardest to accommodate you. If all the booking slots for a day are full, contact us and we may be able to add additional ones.
Can I book a private tour?
Yes, please email us at info@omakaobservatory.co.nz and let us know your requirements.
Can you come to us?
Yes we are able to offer one of our guides to visit you and do an hours private tour (depending on staff availability). Perfect for sleep over parties. Prices start at $240 for an hour, please email us at info@omakaobservatory.co.nz and let us know your requirements.
Travel:
Where do I get the bus from?
The bus will pick you up from the Blenheim Railway Station car park (Sinclair Street) at the time stated on your booking. We are currently working on adding some more bus pick-up points.
When will I get dropped back to the Railway Station?
The total tour takes around 2 hours. So if your pick-up time is 6:30 you would expect to be back at the railway station around 8:30
Can we drive to the Observatory?
Unfortunately not for two reasons. One our resource consent won’t allow it, and secondly we want to limit the amount of light pollution around the Observatory. The bus trip is 15-20 minutes and gives our guides a chance to give you some information about the site before arriving.
I require disabled transport what do I do?
Please contact us and let us know your requirements and we will try and organize a solution for you.
At the Observatory:
What does a tour involve?
The tour involves a welcome hot chocolate and an introduction to the site. You then get a tour of the nights sky, followed by use of our telescopes and a 10 minute sessions on one of our VR experiences. Total tour time is 60 minutes.
How many people will be on our tour?
We limit our standard tours to a maximum of 18 people. We can accommodate more for special groups. Please contact us for more information if you want to bring a larger group to site.
What do I need to wear?
Please wrap up very warm. Temperatures on site can get to around 1C (we will advise on the day the forecast temperature). So layer up. Footwear wise, the site is on a working farm, so sensible shoes are essential.
How do I connect to your telescopes to take photos?
We will usually have our eVscope available which you can connect to wirelessly and capture photos. To do this download the Unistellar App from Apple or Google Stores. It is best to do this before you visit site, as being a rural location 3G/4G is patchy.
What Telescopes will I be able to use?
This will vary depending on the night sky. Usually we will have our main scope the Pelorus Trust 14” Celestron Edge-HD, the Mazda Foundation 9.25” Celestron NexStar Evolution and the Marlborough Lines eVscope. We also have a 6” Celestron Nexstar scope for viewing the moon. Sometimes equipment may be out of action for repair or servicing. We aim to have three scopes available for each tour.
What VR Experiences do you have?
At the moment we have three different ones operating. Asteroids (a short VR Movie), Adventures in Space and a Virtual Tour of the International Space Station. We can’t guarantee which will be in operation.
Do I have to do the VR experience?
No, if you don’t fancy a VR experience you can spend more time with the telescopes.
Is there a toilet on-site?
Yes we have a port-a-loo on-site.