Reviews of Stonehenge Aotearoa. (Museum) in Carterton (Wellington).
Stonehenge Aotearoa
51 Ahiaruhe Road, Ahiaruhe 5792, New Zealand
Description
Information of Stonehenge Aotearoa, Museum in Carterton (Wellington)
Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.
This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!
Map
Open hours of Stonehenge Aotearoa
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Thursday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Friday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Saturday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Reviews of Stonehenge Aotearoa
B. A.Awesome place. Great feel to it. Couple running it knowledgeable and friendly. Do not expect original Stonehenge but this is set up for NZ. Must do if in area. Will be looking out for events o line.
T. K.Not quite what i was expecting. To others they will probably love it . Plenty of parking for large motorhomes and the drive way was great , metal but all good.
R. M.Really interesting place. Would love to go back for a sunrise and sunset visit.
H. S.It was really educational. Must go if your kids are science buffs... It's a nice family hangout. There is a small auditorium with information on Mars and planets. Loved it.
P. P.Now there is something different to explore. The video provides an awesome explanation and the Mars display is great. The Stonehenge is awesome and the acoustics are interesting and incredible. Great for kids and adults alike. Friendly and helpful staff. Toilets on site. Cute wee souvenir shop. Recommend going there
n. g.Wasn't aware that this place exist. It's a beautiful informative place to visit. It was an an honour to get a tour of the history and the place from the guy who built it.
Would definately love to go back for a concert that happens there. 👍😊
S. F.I feel watching a detailed video that includes a large volume of information & then expect to remember/utilise/apply that information on the Henge site is totally unrealistic. If guided tours are not going to operate on a twice daily basis (especially over the summer period) at the very least a recorded device (with earplugs) with the same video information should be issued so customers can benefit from a full, informative, professional experience. The current presentation experience of a quite spectacular attraction is unprofessional & very much "behind the times".
Steve Franklin
Rotorua
A.Did the night safari, unfortunately it was cloudy, but still interesting. The henge is pretty impressive. But, it's not very accessible, as we all had to stand outside for two hours, and it was very hard to concentrate by that stage. Chairs are absolutely needed for the outside portion, especially if there is no stargazing due to the weather. The outside talks could have been much shorter, and the indoor parts much longer.
Definitely didn't need so much time, if there are no stars to see. I think it's perfectly acceptable to shorten it when it's cloudy.
It was still a very interesting talk, and worth the visit for sure.
Very big group, so the Mars exhibition (small, but interesting), was quite overcrowded.
Hari was very engaging and passionate.
A. &. R. H.A very unique attraction in New Zealand. A modern reproduction of the British Stonehenge. It will set you back $15 a head to have a look around. Do check out the audio visual presentation before heading into the magic circle.
A. G.If you’re in to astronomy, science, history, or Wicca, this place is perfect, if this doesn’t sound like something you’re into, it might not be for you. There was obviously a lot of effort put into it, but just not something I’m interested in.
I have heard the star gazing tours are great though
E. L.Very friendly and welcoming reception. Informative.
A. K.The Stonehenge Aotearoa is not a replica of Stonehenge of UK but it is ongoing construction of site to study and understand the stars and it's constellation. The couple who runs this place are the scientist who has more than 4 decades of experience of this place. Just don't go there for taking pictures and watching the short film but interact with them and you'll learn more about this. There is a entry fee of 10 dollars each though.
A. W.This was an amazing experience. If you understand anything about the ancient ways of watching and recording the stars/planets then you will be blown away by what has been created in the rolling sheep dotted hills of New Zealand. A Stonehenge is any grouping of rocks in a circle... So this is not a replica of the famous England Stonehenge but a Stonehenge in itself. This ancient technology has been crafted perfectly and is designed to track a number of happenings which modern technology still does not track. Go visit. Listen with an open mind and you'll learn a lot from the experience as well as the people.
Y. C.Even tho it was raining, we enjoyed the video presentation under cover & rain held off enough to walk around this amazing structure.
D. O.Fascinating place and subject and the weather was stunning. Richard is a great presenter. Well worth a visit ...and pay extra for the guided talk as it helps make sense of the whole structure and its purpose
M. C.Perfect to be educated in astronomy with this curious stones built in 2005. A movie comes along with a lot of explanations to help you during an autonomous visit.
Should be even better with the night safari.
M. O.Went to an evening event to look at the stars, the weather wasn't that great it was a great chance to finally see the stones
onsite, venue to hire, toilets small shop great view
B. A.We went for a special event for the occasion of the 5 visible planets all able to be seen at the same time, and we weren't disappointed. The talk was informative, and the viewing was made enjoyable by our personable and knowledgeable hosts. A great visit.
a. a.Briliant. Absolutely amazing.
Stonehenge Aotearoa, built by members of The Phoenix Astronomy Society near Carterton, New Zealand, is a modern adaptation of the Stonehenge ruins on the Salisbury Plain of England.
The henge, built over 2 years and opened on 12 February 2005 by Nobel Laureate Professor Alan MacDiarmid, contains 24 pillars and is 30 metres (98 ft) in diameter and about 4 metres (13 ft) high. The pillars are capped with lintels, completing the circle, and a 5 metres (16 ft)-tall obelisk marks the center of the henge. The modern henge was designed to demonstrate how ancient peoples used such constructions to understand astronomy. Since Stonehenge Aotearoa is at a different latitude and longitude than the original Stonehenge, it is not an exact replica some measurements had to be changed to preserve certain astronomical properties.
Its design was inspired not only by the original Stonehenge, but also by navigational and astronomical techniques of Polynesia and of the New World. Stonehenge Aotearoa also differs from its Salisbury cousin in construction; the pillars, lintels and central obelisk are not hewn stone, but are hollow structures with concrete molding forming their exterior.
It was intended to generate revenue for The Phoenix Astronomy Society to raise money for the Matariki Research Observatory.
With regards to the seven fingers which are on the left of the golden statue in my photo above: The seven fingers on the left represent the matariki (the eyes of god for the Maoris, Althurayya for the Arabs as well as the seven sisters or the Pleiades.
In astronomy, these refer to an open star cluster located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. The cluster is dominated by hot blue and extremely luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years.
The Pleiades are a prominent sight in winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and have been known since antiquity to cultures all around the world, including the Celts, Māori, Aboriginal Australians, the Persians, the Arabs, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Maya, the Aztec, the Sioux and the Cherokee. They were utilised to identify the location by sailors and people in the dessert.
The rising of the Pleiades before dawn (usually at the beginning of June) has long been regarded as the start of the new year in Māori culture, with the star group being known as Matariki. The rising of Matariki is celebrated as a midwinter festival in New Zealand. In Hawaiian culture the cluster is known as the Makali'i and their rising shortly after sunset marks the beginning of Makahiki, a 4-month time of peace in honor of the god Lono.
Summarised from wikipedia.
J. J.Booked an evening tour of the stars and unfortunately it was very cloudly so we weren't able to see much, but our hosts still made it a fun night doing as much outside as they could before the clouds and rain kicked in, before an interesting and fun night inside. I'd be interested in coming back, fingers crossed next time we'll have clear skies!
B. S.A real gem of scientific and cultural appreciation in the heart of New Zealand. Worth the detour and the price of admission.
s. w.Nice place and really nice weather. Worth to visit. 時間石柱看日落！人生幾何😇😇By the way, we are very impressed with the talk given by Richard. It was very thought provoking and is the gem of the day. Thank you.
S. E.We went there in our campervan, so if you take your time it's easy to get there...very interesting if that's your thing.
A. B.Well worth the visit and I would definitely advise taking the guided tour as it's packed with astrological and astronomical info presented brilliantly by host Richard supported by his wife Kay. 2 hours well spent.
J.Interesting place, certainly puts a new perspective on birth date star signs ...
M. L.Wish I would have done the guided tour to get more context and history. If you are doing self guided make sure you don’t skip the video so you get some details before heading in.
A. W.Unfortunately it was cloudy, so no star gazing option. However, the main guide was very passionate and genuinely enthusiastic, particularly regarding Mars and their personal experiences which were great to hear about. Main suggestion would be that the henge part is condensed when it's too cloudy to star gaze, as I had started to crave sitting down at that point. Even if it's cloudy, still worth going for the information - but definitely pack warm clothes, even in Summer. Would love to see it on a less cloudy night.
B.Long drive from Wellington. Wasn't expecting it to be on farm. It's very clever all the astrology side of things but wasn't what I had expected. The lady running it was very friendly.
L.Very interesting and informative exhibition. Our dogs were welcome on lead which was great as we could all experience the Stonehenge.
K. G.Took my daughter for a day trip, loved the feel as we walked to the circle
L. Z. W.The experience is just fine for the $15 entrance fees. It'd be worth the value more if you're interested in astronomy
D. G.Will share more photos next visit. Just called in to inquire about times and tours. So more to come.
K. F.Fascinating place, great location, extremely windy today!
D. p.Tough to be negative about a place when the weather is so good...
This is one of those places that we have passed signposts for a couple of times without visiting. We decided to change that.
It's rubbish. In a charming way.
It is s bit of a spectacle - not in the same league as the actual stone henge. In a similar way to the way that stone henge makes you ask how? It makes you ask why?
The kids had fun running around in the open space, the air was clean and the views were amazing. But there isn't a lot to do other than hang out in the beautiful countryside and enjoy the company of he people running the place who were really friendly.
It needs to be seen to be believed. Although it would be more fun to see & believe if it had a cafe or a play area.
S. B.This was a wonderful night for our family. Lots of information to take in, and left me with feeling like there is so much to find out about our galaxy. My 11 year old loved it too.
J. D.Very interesting video about the solstice and equinox and the Maori stories with the stars. Walking around the stones was a bit boring. Would be great to be there at sunset or sunrise and see the stonework working.
F. L.We had a lovely time at the Star Safari experience at Stonehenge. Both Sam and Hari are experts about astronomy, the Stonehenge and its history and meaning. They were great guides for showing us around the night sky, as well as the indoor exhibitions on the planets and Mars. It was a fantastic way to spend a few hours on a lovely summer evening.
G. B.Acoustics are amazing. Very informative!
N. J.Worth a visit to tick off the bucket list
Y. W.Worth a visit if you are in the Wairarapa.
N. C.Amazing structure that is really out of this world. Lady running it was very knowledgeable about star signs and the sky. Standing in the middle of the henge and clapping or singing produced this crazy reverb sort of sound. And just learning about the henge was great. Worth a visit even if your not interested in this sort of stuff.
l.Way more impressive than I suspected. Super interesting and really well done
E. T. B.Amazing place to stay for a while!
R. S.Fascinating and intriguing labour of love that deserves your visit; far from being a simple replica of the UK site, this is a 'working henge' set up for its location and grounded in a detailed knowledge of astronomy from many cultures. The acoustics alone are worth experiencing!
L. R.I was very excited to visit this place since it was built with the same specifications as the Stonehenge in the UK (not as a replica). It is in a sort of remote country location with pastoral fields and sheep surrounding the site, so the scenery is serene and fantastic!
You pay your entrance fee when you get there and view an informational video about the origins of Stonehenge, the site in England, and this site. The trailer serves as the visitor center and gift shop and there are neat informational posters all around it.
You do a self-guided tour of the henge and depending on how in-depth you want to nerd out your visit could be 10mins to an hour. I spent over half an hour, but to be honest, because I had the site to myself (I went in the late afternoon just as the storms had begun to clear), I sat in the middle of the henge for a 10 of those 30+mins.
There are various astrological features that are dependent upon the equinoxes, solstices, and the sun, so those are obviously not going to be on every visit. But, it was cool to kind of “investigate” all the different features with the highlight being sitting at the base of the obelisk and clapping and hearing the very cool acoustic echoes. I was like a kid that had discovered a new toy! I am sure I would have looked insane to anyone who would have walked up to me clapping, listening, and giggling contentedly!
It was also great talking w/one of the owners and getting astrological info and learning why our “traditional” astro signs are no longer correct. Fascinating place and well worth the $10NZ Admission!
B. W.This isn't normally somewhere that I would have picked to go... but in saying that, I am really glad I did. The woman running it had so much interesting information about the history of it, and explained it all so clearly. I got out there and walked all around and found it really fascinating. Well worth going to see...
T. Y.Great day, great views and a very interesting place, well worth a visit
B. T.Was surprised we were charged price of a guided tour according to brochure. Thought it was only $5.00 for self guided. But all good extremely spiritual place and very good energy. Would like to do guided tour in the future
H. C.Loved this place, took us around an hour to reach greytown. After a quick icecream we headed towards Stonehenge Aotearoa.This is fantastic place to enjoy landscape and its a plus if you're into astronomy.
M. G.A good place to stop by and learn about stars! Very informative owner operator and a very quirky celestial surprise is found here!
Expect to meet some very passionate and creative owners who have created a unique landmark pitstop with actual astronomy and working star guides for the keen star gazers or passers by alike.
There is a very good replica of Stonehenge with good factual and inquisitive material to compliment the hobby turned landmark with some local, national and international star navigation, it's uses and meanings over time.
There is also an astronomy club with active members for the star enthusiast and amateurs who would like to learn more about stars in general,get a feel f how to plot accurately the stars in the sky,learn more about Stonehenge, Maori navigation of the stars and what the stars mean in history to different cultures.
There are very reasonable prices available at the information kiosk depending on information, guides and memorabilia you would like to take away with or participate in tours privately or in a group!
I may try the tour with friends or check out the astronomy club next time we go out of curiosity!
Might be a suggestion to provide a chill out area with a little eatery at this good tourist unless this was missed at the time?
I. L.Interesting, but certainly not worth 15$ for a "self guided tour" (pamphlet and an 8 min video). Go see it if you are in the area but don't make a special trip in.
A. K.Finally achieved my ambition of visiting Stonehenge- Aotearoa, after reading about it several years ago. In fact we built our North Island trip around visiting the site, and it exceeded all our expectations. You have to see this if you have an interest in learning about how ancient peoples, including Maori, viewed the stars and measured the passage of the seasons. It is not an exact replica of Stonehenge UK but a working adaptation to show how a henge functions from New Zealand's geographical position. We hope to make it back here for another visit sometime. Thanks for a very enlightening visit, Anne and David
E. T.Lovely one of a kind place and it’s pet friendly too!
A. B.Magical! A must see!!! Hugely informative. Well done.
J. S.Friendly staff and a great back story to the structure. I liked how it incorporated Maori legend. Don't plan to stay more than an hour...that's about as long as you can stretch it
V. B.I was with a group touring with Kea Tours in early May and one of our stops was at Stonehenge Aotearoa. What a fascinating place. Apart from a basic idea that the place had something to do with the stars, I was open to any tuition given. Richard Hall gave us a 'guided' tour and was so interesting actually none of us wanted to leave. We had a lovely autumn day to see the stones and we all learnt a lot more than we expected I think. Even some of our own Maori legends have an explanation here. If you plan to visit give yourself plenty of time and take the guided tour. Absolutely worth it.
D. G.What a brilliant place. Richard and Kay are great hosts, and Richard's tours of the henge, together with the talks on astronomy and starlore, are a treasure. Highly recommended.
D. M.Had a wonderful time here today. Definitely worth getting the guided tour, Richard was full of information -facts and anecdotes that will keep my mind occupied for a while to come- truly fascinating.
D.Definitely worth a visit giving you a greater understanding of what this is about.
D. H. N.When I planned my trip through the North Island of New Zealand. I knew we would start out by driving from Auckland all the way to Wellington before flying home. There was a lot of land in between that drive so I wanted to add on interesting things to see (besides the landscape).
This was one of the stops that I thought was cool. It is a man made stonehenge (for astronomy). After seeing the ancient stongehenge in England, when I saw this pop up, figured it might be cool to see what a perfectly shaped one might look like. It was an ok pit stop, but a bit pricey at $10 per person.
g.A must see in the Wairarapa. The story of Stonehenge Aotearoa is beautifully told in the a.v. presentation before setting foot on the stunning site. This is not a Stonehenge 'knock off'. It's a genuine and unique astrological and astronomical device on a large scale. Dont miss it!
R. M.Partial reconstruction of Stonehenge, won't substitute for the real thin in UK. If you are an astronomy buff, you should visit, and take the guided tour. The non-astronomy buffs in my group didn't think it was worth the side trip, though.
J. K.Love love love 💕 this place. A connection to the universe right in our own back yard.
This is a proper working stonehenge with knowledgeable hosts.
Excellent and must visit
J.Very good monument, the couple running are lovely as well, we’ll worth popping by if you’re in the area.
J. B.Excellent value for money. Learnt plenty and an amazing experience. If you're a start gazer it's a must?
K. K.Lovely place. Very cute how they tried to make it similar to original Stonehenge though. But yes, should pop in there if in that area.
J. K.was good to watch the video first then visit the Stonehenge wish we went later in the day to see the sun affect otherwise great to see and no there is a place in nz like this
M. S.Thoroughly enjoyed our stroll around Stonehenge. We also found short video very enlighting + informative before our tour
L. R.At first, all you see is a concrete circle, but when the owner explains what the purpose of the various stone circles around the world is and how this one fits in, it takes on a whole new meaning, in relation to the obelisk, its other features and the stars
C. J.Very good. Worth a visit. Children can run around, make lots of noise that adds to the whole experience. Staff very knowledgeable and friendy.
L. A.Very educative, amazingly beautiful.
M. M.Best place to go near Carterton!
W. E.Awesome place, Richard is an extremely knowledgeable and personable host. Highly recommend paying for the guided tour.
K. C.Interesting place if you like astrology and learning about this. Beautiful views and the acoustics are amazing.
D. R.Really interesting story. Beautiful farm views. Must come back at night on one of their open evenings
C. S.Didn't manage to go. Closed at 4pm which is a little bit sad.
Hope it will open till late so we can go for sunset and stargazing.
E.If you have time.
K. M.Planning is essential unfortunately it's a waste of time when the sun's not shining. So cloudy day is a no go.
R.This is a unique place. A replica of the actual stonehenge and equally beautiful. A quick visit away if on the way to Masterton from Welly.
D.This Wairarapa-based attraction is truly unique location and insight into history, astronomy, legend and more. Recommended.
J. R.Very interesting. Not like the real thing in the uk but still worth a visit.
T. K.Fascinating place! Do the audiovisual presentation first to get the best appreciation of the facility.
B.Very cool site. Working Replica of the stonehenge in the uk. Has some really cool features. Defo worth a visit.
T. N.Lovely views. Very nice people. Fascinating about our true zodiac signs
R. T.Awesome and educational.
G.Enjoyed hearing how our star signs are out of alignment. Recommend the guided tour.
J.Excellent place for families to visit. Great for school groups too
E. M.Would have been a great experience if the sun was shining to give the appropriate shadows
S. O.A moderately interesting place. Watch the video, without it its a collection of moss covered concrete with a great view.
T.Great place to visit staff are well informed and passionate about the place.
Its not original and purposeful attraction
E.Awesome experience
T. T.So worth visiting, take the guided tour to add to the experience.
J.Amazingly and precisely built stonehenge and people interested in astronomy would love it
m.Certainly different great if you have a special interest. great views.
J.Beautiful place! Certainly worth the ticket price.
D.Fun side trip, doesn't take long and some lovely views
M.Fabulous place 👌
A. M. J.It's must visit place, your journey must be paid off when you visiting this place, great place for atronamy .
G. H.Very friendly and informative! I am not a Virgo I am a Leo! Yeah!
S. B.Great place to visit. Really informative interesting host. Thankyou!!
A.Amazing structure. People there are really nice.
Y. B.Awesome way to learn about the stars and planets
S. B. C.Worth a visit!!
G. I.Great place to visit. Only 11k out of Carterton
L. J.Very interesting place. A bit expensive though.
G.Very interesting and now have some idea as to why the original was constructed
B.Great place to visit for peace of mind and peacefulness.
G.Very informative
Stones artificial but done with accuracy
A. D.Very interesting. Definitely worth a visit.
M. B.Not my thing but I can see some people would find this interesting.
P. M.I didn't see any stars but even so it was fun :)
M.Just so so...may b interesting if u r too scientist minded
B. F.Interesting enough for the $10 entry fee
P. N.Nice view but nothing spectacular.
V. C.Was first time there very interesting
G. S.Dont go if u know nothing about observatory..
T. W.Great coffee at a great wharf area
K. H.Very very interesting, well done,very informative
R.$15 self guided tour, friendly staff
M. J.Interesting!
p.Nice place, but not historical
B. F.Interesting and informative site to visit.
H. R.Interesting site, worth a visit, quirky
C.Was a place my traveling companion wanted to visit .
A.Interesting background not to be confused with UK version
G. L.Loved this New Zealand experience.
E.Interesting place even on a rainy day
W.It's a wonderful place
A.Lovely hosts, Richard & Kay.
A.Serene eerie acoustics
N. M.Interesting place place to visit
A.Interesting for a short visit
V.5/5
A.Very interesting
a.Beautiful setting
A.Lovely attraction
S. T.Very cool!
L. R.Highly recommend
l. v. a. o.Small
M. J. U.Interesting to know
M.Very different
W. L.Very interesting
A. 4.An educational and immersing experience. Was able to learn about the origin and importance of Stonehenge together with the Zodiac signs. The building itself is quite mystical. Good thing we visited when it was not busy as I am not much of a sociable person and I dislike the crowd.
А.(Translated) Very interesting place ,,,, and for development, and for walking
(Original)
Очень интересное место,,,, и для развития, и для прогулок
T.
e.(Translated) For original I would pay, but here? Geldmacherei
(Original)
Für original würde ich bezahlen, aber hier? Geldmacherei
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