Kia ora, I’m Daniel.

Originally from England, I moved to New Zealand nearly a decade ago in search of something the city lights could never offer: a truly dark sky. Growing up, I studied astronomy and planetary sciences in the UK — but the stars themselves remained hidden behind a veil of light pollution. I dreamed of seeing the night sky as it truly is, and that dream brought me here, beneath some of the clearest and darkest skies in the world.

Since arriving, New Zealand hasn’t just given me the Milky Way in all its splendour — it’s also become my home.

Over the years, i’ve had the privilege to guide under these southern stars for some of the country’s leading stargazing companies, including the renowned Dark Sky Project in Lake Tekapo. I accumulated a lot of time under the sky and I saw many amazing sights, including eclipses on Jupiter and the rings of Saturn in all their glory, huge shooting stars and mesmerising auroras.

A highlight of my career was working atop the University of Canterbury's Mount John Observatory, assisting with research on the largest telescope in New Zealand, MOA, where we hunted for distant planets orbiting faraway stars.

But my connection with the night sky goes far beyond my work. Astronomy became a passion that followed me into my own backyard, where countless nights spent observing led me to astrophotography. Photographing the sky became a love of mine ever since, and I have captured images I once only dreamed of.

I recently took it a step further by learning to track asteroids as they fly past Earth and derive their position in space. This data can be uploaded to NASA’s Minor Planet Centre to contribute to the Near-Earth Objects (NEO) database.

I have deepened both my skill and my wonder.

For me, astronomy has never been just about stars and planets. It’s about perspective. About standing under a vast, ancient sky and realising that we are part of something far greater than ourselves. Every time I guide a tour, my goal is to share that feeling — that quiet sense of awe — with others.

I invite you to join me, to look up, and to see the universe not just with your eyes, but with your imagination and your wonder.

Clear skies,
Daniel
Founder & Guide — Stargaze Mackenzie