Aotearoa Astrotourism Academy

The primary goal of AAA is to offer educational courses for current or aspiring astro-tourism night-sky guides, or for anyone interested in navigating the dark night sky.

AAA has assembled a small team of dedicated and expert instructors, and the plan is to offer short courses on all aspects of night-sky guiding. AAA hopes to impart some of the basic skills and knowledge considered essential for those working in the fast-growing astro-tourism industry.

This intensive course comprises lectures, practical sessions (weather permitting for evening observing) and plenty of interactions between instructors and participants.

The next course will run from the afternoon of Friday July 8 to the early evening of Sunday July 10. The venue will be the Wellington Conference Room in the Martinborough Hotel, Memorial Square, Martinborough. Places at the course are limited to 30. (The event was originally scheduled for Mar 25-27, but the covid pandemic has forced us to postpone until early July.)

The AAA school will include:
- an immersive programme of lectures, talks, workshops and night-time observing (weather permitting),

- an optional visit to John Whitby’s Star Field Observatory on the Friday afternoon

- an evening reception on Friday July 8

- practical workshops on astrophotography and establishing an astro-tourism business

- morning and afternoon teas and lunch on both Saturday and Sunday.

We welcome those in the NZ astrotourism industry, or aspiring to work in astrotourism or stargazing, or anyone interested in astronomy and the night sky.