Tour Guide | Dark Sky Project

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu; Lake Tekapo; On-site; NZD 68,541,000 - 71,062,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discounts

Training

Job summary

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu's Dark Sky Project in Tekapo invites a Tour Guide to join our team. This permanent full-time role (min 32 hours per week) combines guiding and driving, welcoming visitors and delivering memorable night-sky experiences at our Astronomy Centre on the Takapō lakefront.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years in astronomy-based guiding or interpretation, a NZ driver licence (and endorsements), and a passion for reo Māori and hospitality.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in astronomy-based guiding, science communication, visitor interpretation, or tour guiding (required if the above qualification isn’t held)
• Public speaking experience
• NZ Driver’s Licence and current P endorsement (or ability to obtain)
• Class 2 Driver’s Licence (or ability to obtain)
• First Aid Certificate (or ability to obtain)
• Strong commitment to health and safety

Responsibilities

• Guide and drive visitors during night-sky experiences at Dark Sky Project
• Welcomed manuhiri and delivered memorable experiences
• Complete routine vehicle inspections and maintain driver logbooks as required

Skills

Public speaking

Tour guiding

Astronomy knowledge

Visitor interpretation

Health and safety

Education

NZ Certificate/Diploma in astronomy/science communication

Job description

Permanent / Full-Time (Min 32 hours per week)

Hourly rate: $29.90 – $31.00

Does the opportunity to be part of a world‑class tourism development excite you?

Are you looking for an opportunity to work for Ngāi Tahu Tourism, one of the largest tourism operators in Aotearoa?

We have a newly created opportunity for a Tour Guide to join our talented team at Dark Sky Project. This role offers a unique combination of guiding and driving, welcoming manuhiri (visitors) and delivering unforgettable night‑sky experiences.

Located on the Takapō lakefront, our world‑class Astronomy Centre brings to life the science of the stars and Tātai Aroraki (Māori astronomy) through immersive and engaging experiences. These experiences are a world‑first and complement the outdoor experiences we deliver to domestic and international visitors to the region.

Our purpose is to make the connection – with our customers, through our people, to our place and to Ngāi Tahu.

We take great pride in warmly welcoming manuhiri to our experiences. Manaakitanga (hospitality) is one of the core values that drives the way we do business. As hosts, we care for our manuhiri and our team as our own whānau.

A little bit about you

• At least 3 years relevant experience in astronomy‑based guiding, science communication, visitor interpretation, or tour guiding (required if the qualification below is not held)
• Proven experience in public speaking and/or tour guiding
• Previous experience working in the tourism industry (desirable)
• A New Zealand Certificate or Diploma (Level 4 or above) in astronomy, science communication, visitor interpretation, or an equivalent overseas qualification (required if the above experience is not met)
• A valid New Zealand Driver’s Licence, or the ability to obtain one
• A current P endorsement, or the ability to obtain one
• A Class 2 Driver’s Licence, or the ability to obtain one
• A First Aid Certificate, or the ability to obtain one
• A strong commitment to health and safety
• Care and attention when completing routine vehicle inspections and maintaining accurate driver logbooks
• A genuine interest in learning and correctly pronouncing reo Māori names and terms
• Availability to work shift work, including nights, weekends and public holidays
• Additional language skills, including Japanese, Mandarine are advantageous in supporting our international customer base.

Aside from being a great place to work, we offer competitive remuneration, excellent training, staff discounts across Ngāi Tahu Tourism, and a supportive, values‑based environment. Dark Sky Project is a fun, unique and safe place to work, and we are committed to keeping it that way.

Before starting with us, you will go through a range of pre‑employment checks, including drug and alcohol testing. Health and safety is extremely important to us and is key to protecting our people and our manuhiri.