Alpha CruX - Stargazing & Astrophotography

14/03/2026

Tonight's stargazers were fortunate enough to see something truly extraordinary in the night sky.
A surprise display of the Aurora Australis.
Having the opportunity to witness this natural wonder is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most.
Many bucket-list boxes were certainly checked off tonight!
✅️🤩

26/01/2026

A lucky coincidence of an unexpectedly clear night, with what turned out to be one of the strongest solar storms in over 20 years.

On January 21st 2026, earth experienced Aurora activity reaching KP8 magnitude, after being struck by the intense radiation from what has been described as the most severe solar storm since 2003.

This 23 frame panorama, was captured during a brief spike in the Aurora activity at around 1:20 AM on January 21st 2026.

Camera: Sony A7iii
Lens: Sony 14mm F1.8 GM.
EXIF Sky: 15 sec, ISO 1600, F/3.5 Foreground: 30 sec, ISO 1600, F/3.5

Shot near Lake Tekapo, Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, New Zealand.

20/01/2026

A small slice of last night's action.🤩
More to come, but for now, bed...😴

12/12/2025

A few unexpected beams appeared in the southern sky tonight.

You just never know when you'll be lucky enough to see the Aurora.

Keep looking up! 🤩

13/11/2025

This is definitely worth a fist pump!

I’m thrilled to share that this week, Alpha CruX has been awarded Qualmark Silver, under Tourism New Zealand’s Sustainable Tourism Business criteria.

As an owner-operator, this recognition means a great deal!
It reflects the care, commitment, and many long days and nights I’ve poured into this business over the past 4+ years — always with the goal of offering authentic, meaningful, and awe-inspiring night sky experiences.

Thank you to every guest who’s joined me under the stars — and to those still to come.

A big shout-out also goes to my incredibly passionate and talented contract guides, affiliated accommodation providers and travel industry partners, all of whom help turn these once-in-a-lifetime experiences into a reality for visitors from all over the world.

Watch this space. This journey has only just begun!
Next year, GOLD!✨

20/06/2025

Mānawatia a Matariki — Happy Māori New Year 2025!

The Pleiades cluster ( Matariki )

M45, The Seven Sisters, The Pleiades, Subaru, Matariki. Just a few of the many names given to this beautiful, open cluster of stars with its dusty reflection nebula, diffusing the blue light from the extremely hot, bight, stars belonging to the cluster.
The Pleiades cluster is located in the constellation of Ta**us and is around 440 light years away from earth.

These stars have been used historically to represent the beginning of the astronomical year for some Maori tribes in New Zealand.
Currently, it can be seen above the the north east horizon, just before dawn.

This image was captured using a William Optics 81mm refractor & a dedicated, colour astronomy camera.
The image is the result of around 6 hours of total exposure integration.

Have a great long weekend, everyone!😁

16/05/2025

A recap of last year's historic Geomagnetic storm of May 11th 2024!

01/04/2025

With Eta Carina Nebula high in our night sky at the moment, it's a perfect time of year to be capturing this beautiful object.

🔭 Eta Carina Nebula
A massive star-forming region ~7,500 light-years away in the Carina constellation.
It is home to Eta Carinae, a highly unstable stellar system expected to go supernova at any moment. Rich in ionized gas and dust, the nebula is an active star forming region.

The image was captured with a client during my Ultimate Deep Sky Experience and is an integration of only 30 minutes of exposure time using a cooled color astronomy camera.

To find out more or to book a private experience for yourself, message me or visit the link below.
www.alphacrux.co.nz

13/01/2025

What better way to kick off 2025 than with a G4 geomagnetic storm on January 1st!
I was fortunate to be under perfectly clear skies, hosting an Astrophotography tour for a couple of clients when the aurora arrived.
This video is a a timelapse compiled from a sequence of 5 second exposures, captured using a Sony A7iii & Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM lens.

Enjoy!

What better way to kick off 2025 than with a G4 geomagnetic storm on January 1st!I was fortunate to be under perfectly clear skies, hosting an Astrophotograp...

04/01/2025

What better way to kick off the year than with a G4 geomagnetic storm on January 1st!

I was fortunate to be under perfectly clear skies, hosting an Astrophotography tour for a couple of clients at The Lindis Lodge when the aurora arrived.

This image is a 5 second exposure which is one of over 600 frames captured in a timelapse sequence.
At times the brighter areas were over exposing in camera.

The colours were vivid enough to be seen with the naked eye, a striking testament to the incredible intensity of the aurora.

Stay tuned for the final timelapse video!🤩

14/12/2024

Mackenzie Region, New Zealand.
Best place in the world to see the stars!🤩

Follow the link below to receive a 10% discount on your Stargazing tour when you book between May & September.

For Tekapo use the following link.
https://alphacrux.co.nz/discount/GFAZA4VGNCM6?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fstargazing-tour-lake-tekapo-off-peak

For Twizel / Ben Ohau use the following link.
https://alphacrux.co.nz/discount/1DTBNMX0VVJ1?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fstargazing-tour-twizel-ben-ohau-off-peak

Enjoy!

A short time lapse video taken from Matuka Lodge in Twizel, during a private stargazing experience with AlphaCruX.co.nz November 2024Camera was positioned t...

07/12/2024

Here is a recent piece of time lapse footage taken during a private Stargazing tour held at High Country Cabin, Luxury accommodation, in Ben Ohau.

What a gorgeous location to view the night sky!😍✨

Use the links below to get an additional 10% off the price of your experience when you book between May & September 2025.

For Tekapo use the following link.
https://alphacrux.co.nz/discount/GFAZA4VGNCM6?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fstargazing-tour-lake-tekapo-off-peak

For Twizel / Ben Ohau use the following link.
https://alphacrux.co.nz/discount/1DTBNMX0VVJ1?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fstargazing-tour-twizel-ben-ohau-off-peak

Enjoy!

A Short Time lapse of the southern night sky Taken from Ben Ohau, Twizel, New Zealand.Music by: The Mountain (Pixabay) https://pixabay.com/users/the_mountain...