This 10,000-square-mile natural wonder is home to legendary trails like the Routeburn, Greenstone-Caples, and Rees-Dart tracks.

Instead, it involved a five-year grassroots effort by theTahuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Group.

Tahuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary

Starry night sky over the Glenorchy Wharf Shed in the Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary, New Zealand.Credit:Corrine Davis/Courtesy of Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Sky Sanctuary

Milky way over Glenorchy, New Zealand

The Milky Way over the mountains at Glenorchy.Steve Daggar Photography/Getty Images