Kavan Chay, Aoraki At Night (LANDSCAPE 2023)

The Aoraki National Park in New Zealand is an internationally recognised Dark Sky Reserve, making it a haven for stargazers and astrophotographers. It's also home to the largest mountain in New Zealand, with a variety of hikes and climbs to explore in the rugged landscape. I've visited this area multiple times over the last few years, with each subsequent visit leaving me speechless every time. Sadly, the accessibility of such dark skies dwindles by the year as light pollution increases yearly, meaning that many people will never be able to see something like this in their lifetimes.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.