Astro Café atop Mount John japanese_flag_text


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As described in the
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Lonely Planet Guide as "possibly the best place on the planet for a coffee". Drive or hike up to join the friendly team in Mt John's Astro Café for fine fresh high country fare and great coffee. Currently open 10 am to 5 pm.

Experience the stunning ethereal view for yourself from this unique glass walled and roofed establishment that sits 300m above the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo. It comes highly recommended as a must-do on your travels through the Mackenzie District.

Click here to download our current menu (24KB PDF)

Click here for current weather conditions

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If lunch is on your mind, we can prepare a jumbo sandwich with a variety of fillings using fresh Mackenzie High Country bread garnished with gourmet mustards and relishes. Also try our selection of homemade baking. If you prefer a sweet, we have something for every taste. Our coffees and hot chocolate are famous in the region and our iced chocolate and berry smoothies are guaranteed to sooth the heat of summer, while in winter we can offer you a hearty homemade soup!

If you missed the link above, please download our current menu (24KB PDF) by clicking here.

We offer Day Tours of the Observatory that can be requested from the Café. You will be escorted by a knowledgeable guide who on clear days will assist you to use a solar telescope to view our nearest turbulent star, the Sun, in addition to using a powerful telescope to find a star in the blue skies overhead — yes, you can see them in the daytime if you know where to look! You will also visit the exciting MOA2 (Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics) project which uses the largest telescope in New Zealand.

You are welcome to drive up the mountain road and see us at the Astro Café any day (15 minutes from Lake Tekapo township). Currently open from 10 am to 5 pm during winter (9am to 6pm in summer), please note that the kitchen closes at 3:30pm, but continues to offer cakes and other homemade delicacies from the display cabinet until 5 pm.

Please note: the Mt John access road will occasionally be closed due to extreme weather conditions and no vehicles over 23 seat capacity or vehicles towing are permitted due to tight bends. Commercial tourist operators are asked to contact the Earth & Sky office prior to ascending Mt John by ‘phoning us on 03 680 6960.

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We'll be delighted to see you there!

You may be interested to know that we also open the Café at night for those guests attending our Mt John Star Tours. We offer you a complimentary hot chocolate by candlelight whilst you contemplate the stunning night sky that Tekapo is famous for, revealed to you outside by our experienced guides.

The Café's underfloor heating makes the experience all the more enjoyable on chilly nights!
Earth & Sky Ltd., P.O. Box 112, Lake Tekapo 7945, New Zealand.
E-mail: info@earthandsky.co.nz
Phone: +64 (0)3 6806960   Fax: +64 (0)3 6806950

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