WellingtonNZ has partnered with Hari Mogoşanu and Sam Leske, owners of the Wairarapa business Milky-Way.Kiwi. This partnership is providing local businesses with a unique opportunity to leverage the region’s night sky, a portion of which is now accredited as a Dark Sky Reserve by the International DarkSky Association.
“The Dark Skies Business Capability Course is a pilot to test demand for local businesses looking to add a dark sky element to their core business o ering,” says Jacinda Johnston, WellingtonNZ’s Programme Manager for the Wairarapa Economic Development Strategy
Aotearoa New Zealand’s second Dark Sky Reserve, spanning South Wairarapa and Carterton, covers 3,665km of pristine inky blackness now protected from unnecessary light pollution. It was the 21st such site in the world. New Zealand’s other Dark Sky Reserve is in the South Island’s Aoraki-Mackenzie district.
Meet Hari and Sam Star Safari, situated on Mark and Susannah Guscott’s Glen Eden Farm in Carterton’s Ponatahi Valley, boasts two enormous 405mm reflecting telescopes and other fantastic stargazing equipment. Stargazing tours at Star Safari are run by astrobiologist Hari and astrophysicist Sam. They o er many other night sky-related opportunities, too, under the banner of their business Milky-Way.Kiwi.
Hari (from Romania via NASA and analog astronaut training for Mars) and New Zealander Sam (a former
Airforce pilot with a master’s degree in astrophysics) are the real deal. Hari and Sam each independently chose to search the night skies in Carterton, before partnering up in both life and work.
“The stars aligned.”
The couple are following in the footsteps of a historic Wairarapian fascination with the night sky. The earliest surviving astronomical observatory in New Zealand, the Carkeek Observatory, was built in Featherston around 1867. And Charles Rooking Carter, whose legacy includes the town of Carterton itself and the notfor-profit care home Carter Court, also donated the funds to establish the Carter Observatory in Wellington.
Dark Skies Business Capability Course
The Dark Skies Business Capability course – to be o ered between July and September this year by Hari and Sam – is supported by WellingtonNZ and aligns with the Regional Economic Development Plan. It is a must for any Wairarapa business keen to leverage an opportunity from our Dark Sky Reserve status.
Wairarapa tourism already comes into its own in the summer, but stargazing is a perfect tourism opportunity for winter as well.
“People will come for the experience of gazing at and learning about the stars, but will also spend money on accommodation, eating out, retail shopping, and other experiences,” says Hari.
“We can teach businesses about how to position lighting so that it doesn’t interfere with night sky viewing, as well as where to establish the best viewing platform outside, or where to insert a glass panel in the roof for viewing from inside,” Sam says. “Some businesses may want to invest in a telescope or build a platform so that a local mobile stargazing company can visit with their own telescope. We can help with positioning and technical requirements.”
The course has three key parts. The first part involves two theory sessions to be held at the Carterton Events Centre on 18 July and 1 August, featuring guest speakers as well as Hari and Sam. The course
will look at case studies and astro-tourism business development and will provide a practical toolkit for entering this exciting industry. Attendees will hear from tourism experts at Destination Wairarapa, as well as iwi, business growth advisors, and local commercial operators.
Then, throughout August, each course participant can attend a session up at Star Safari.
“This will cover the practical considerations to do with night operations such as health and safety, identifying constellations, and how to use gear such as lasers and telescopes,” Hari says.
The third strand of the course will involve an individual business site assessment and report for developing a night sky experience for each attendee. This will be underpinned by commercialin-confidence imperatives and take place during August and September.
become a settled part of the fabric of Wairarapa.
Hari and Sam have named their business Milky-Way.Kiwi because a dark patch shaped like a kiwi lies at the heart of our galaxy made up of billions of stars.
Economic Development Potential
The Regional Economic Development Plan identifies high-impact opportunities for investment over the next 10 years. The plan is owned by all the mayors and iwi leaders across Wellington, Wairarapa and Horowhenua, and managed through WellingtonNZ. Leveraging the Dark Sky opportunity is one of five Wairarapa initiatives earmarked for support.
a stall at the event to promote the region to international buyers such as airlines and major tour operators.
“There is so much that Wairarapa has to o er the international tourist market,” Hari says.
The Dark Skies Business Capability course will help WellingtonNZ gather intelligence about local business needs and start to fill gaps in support and growth.
The registration portal and email for enquiries are included below. There are 20 seats on the course and the cost per participant is only $75, thanks to funding from WellingtonNZ. The Dark Skies Business Capability course is an opportunity to connect local potential with subject matter experts and ‘translate’ pathways for growth. Jacinda says that Hari and Sam are organically grown visionaries with extraordinary expertise.
“WellingtonNZ is excited to partner with Milky-Way.Kiwi.”
being drawn to the night sky ever since 1986 when his great uncle showed him Haley’s Comet. His great uncle could even remember the hype of the Comet’s last visit in 1910.
Other Opportunities with Hari and Sam
As well as their Star Safari stargazing tours, Hari and Sam also travel the country teaching children about the night sky.
“Over the last two and a half years, we’ve delivered our space science programme to about 30,000 teachers, students, and other interested people across 135 schools and public events,” Hari says.
And because of Hari and Sam’s links to NASA, they’re
able to take 23 very lucky Mount Maunganui College students to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in July. The school has raised funds for the trip.
“We’ll be stopping over in Hawai’i, as well, to visit the Haleakalā High Altitude Observatory site on the island of Maui,” Sam says.
The site is managed and operated by the University of Hawai’i to support high quality, high-impact research, education, and space surveillance. Sam recalls
Sam moved to Wairarapa in 1999 to run his own home observatory. Hari came to New Zealand in 2005 to see Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky and one which is used by spacecraft for navigation.
“You used to be able to see Canopus from Europe 2,000 years ago,” Hari says, “but not anymore due to the wobble of the Earth. The Southern hemisphere is the best place to be to see both Canopus and the centre of the Milky Way.”
Expecting to stay in New Zealand for maybe a year, she got a job at Carter Observatory and a space science communication career followed. Later, she met Sam and has since
“The economic potential is significant” says Jacinda. “For example, visitor spend in the Mackenzie District has tripled to $360 million per year since the area first achieved Dark Sky Reserve accreditation. We want to build pathways for Wairarapa to leverage similar success.”
Wairarapa’s tourism market is di erent to Tekapō‘s but “if we build astro-tourism opportunities in Wairarapa, then people will come,” Sam says.
Hari points out that Wairarapa’s Dark Sky Reserve is situated in a renowned wine-producing region that is only 80 kms away from an international airport – a unique point of di erence.
In May this year, WellingtonNZ hosted the TRENZ international tourism event in Wellington, attracting 600 international buyers and sellers. Alongside Destination Wairarapa, Hari and Sam held
“WellingtonNZ can help businesses navigate the complex and often intimidating landscape of support services across central government. This might include the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Callaghan Innovation, Kānoa, and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, depending on the needs of the cohort,” says Jacinda. Hari and Sam want to hear from anyone considering adding an astro-tourism element to their core business, including those in the feasibility or start-up stages. If you’re not sure, get in touch with them via the email below.
You (or your business) must be resident in the Wairarapa to apply.
GO TO www.tinyurl.com/ mydarksky and register for the Dark Sky Business Capability Course @ $75 per person. Enquiries to info@wairarapa.space
GO TO www.milky-way.kiwi/ for more information about Hari and Sam’s night sky business Milky-Way.Kiwi
