Fodor's Expert Review Whakatane Observatory

If you've a hankering to see the stars from an antipodean perspective, check out the Whakatane Observatory, up on a hill above the town. With no city lights to obscure the view, the skies here rate among the clearest in the country. Showings are obviously weather dependent; however, on a good night you will see in stark clarity sights such as the "jewel box," a cluster of multicolor stars near the Southern Cross. Nighttime presentations are informal and informative, led by local astrologer Norm Izett.