Starstruck in Dunedin
Dunedin is one of the best places to see the stars and southern lights.
Southern star gazing with Horizon Tours
On a clear night out on a farm near Hooper’s Inlet on the Otago Peninsula, the sky is an astrologer’s dream. Lying back in a zero-gravity chair I feel weightless, as if I am floating in space. I’m also cosy and comfortable thanks to Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana of Horizon Tours who has tucked me up in a blanket and sleeping bag.
A hot cup of kawakawa tea also warms my hands and insides with each sip. I’m feeling virtuous for saying no to a hot chocolate or coffee, until I dip my hand into a cup of popcorn and lollies. Later Ruwhiu-Karawana presents a cheese board and crackers with grapes. In winter Horizon Tours also serve soup and hot garlic bread! It’s akin to a VIP movie experience though here the stars are the stars.
The tour begins with a karakia. Ruwhiu-Karawana sings about Earth’s creation and the story of Ranginui and
Papatūānuku. Her voice is beautiful, spine-tingling, and sets the scene for a magical evening.
She knows her astronomy, too, and can name any star – including each individual star of the Pleiades/Matariki group – and explain the science behind the aurora.
The best time to see the aurora in Dunedin is midwinter because New Zealand is further away from the sun, which results in a longer period of true darkness, and while there is an aurora alert service tracking geometric activity, it is not something you can guarantee to book in to see.
“Nothing we do, or that occurs naturally here on Earth will initiate an aurora,” Ruwhiu-Karawana explains. “It is all at the whim of te ra, our sun, and the fusion that is constantly taking place within it. Solar plasma emitted through solar flares, winds, or storms hitting our Earth’s magnetic field, engaging the oxygen and nitrogen atoms
beneath it. Energy is released by both at different wavelengths resulting in the different colours. Some Māori attribute these stunning light displays as nga kahukura o Hine-nui-te-po, or the rainbows of Hine-nui-te-po. Others viewed them as signs from adventuring whanau who travelled south to explore, that all was well.”
From the sky to the forest
At Orokonui Ecosanctuary, 20km north of Dunedin city, Japanese yoga teacher and certified forest bather Hagino Baker leads forest-bathing tours.
Orokonui provides the perfect setting for the methodology developed in Japan in response to modern technology and stress. I’m encouraged to leave my phone behind, so that I can truly be in the moment.
We begin along the Takahe Walk where Baker instructs us “to walk like a takahe”, taking slow, considered steps. Later, we do a “caterpillar walk”, placing our hands on the shoulders of the person in front, eyes closed. Baker leads us slowly along a path for several minutes. Along the way I notice the hum of insects, birdsong and the rustle of leaves in the wind. We stop in a grassy clearing and are invited to find a spot to sit or lie down and close our eyes. “I’ll let you know when it is time to get up by playing a flute,” she explains.
I relax as the sounds of nature envelop my senses, and I feel the breeze caress my skin.
The experience is deeply relaxing so after being roused I’m grateful Baker has brought along a thermos of hot water to make some fresh kānuka tea.
As we sit quietly drinking our tea a bellbird flies so close its wings almost brush my head. “If you slow down, and just sit there, the birds will come to you,” she says.
I share that I have that floaty feeling, similar to after a deeply relaxing massage. She explains it’s the goodness of the forest soaking into my whole body. “When I have something stressful happening in my life I just go outside and breathe in nature or just look at the trees and the birds and it makes me realise my worries are so small.”g