Silver River Stargazing & Astrophotography Tours Terms and Conditions:
Full payment is required at time of booking, whether in person, online or with an agent or third party. Upon payment you agree to and accept our: Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and Cancellation Policy as outlined:
Silver River™ Stargazing & Astrophotography Tours asks you to consider the following statement: Tour participants must accept that we are unable to guarantee 100% clarity, perfect skies, or visibility of certain objects. Our stargazing tours operate in a high-altitude alpine environment where the weather can change rapidly, and weather forecasts are often incorrect.
Sometimes, tours may be subject to partial or full cloud cover for some of the tour’s duration. In this event, we will continue the tour using the sky that is visible and/or available. If weather conditions deteriorate so badly and are not suitable for viewing the night sky and prevent the full tour. We will try to move you to another departure time with more favourable conditions. (This will be subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed)
It is very important to arrive on time for check-in (15 minutes before your departure time) If you do not check-in 15 mins before your tours scheduled departure time, you will be deemed a ‘no-show’ and you will not be eligible for a refund. Late arrivals will not be catered for, and you will not be allowed to join a later departure. We then reserve the right to on-sell your ticket/s. If you are running late for any reason then please contact us ASAP.
All tours operated are non-drinking and non-smoking. We reserve the right to refuse those who present as intoxicated at the time of checking in. If you arrive intoxicated for check-in you will be turned away and will not be eligible for a refund.
Whilst we endeavor to make warm jackets available for all stargazing participants, we strongly encourage you to dress to the conditions prior to checking in for your tour. We recommend that you wear sturdy enclosed warm footwear, a warm windproof jacket and highly advise in winter conditions a warm hat and gloves. Please ensure you do not wear light-up / flashing shoes, as these are not permitted on the tour, and you will be refused entry and not eligible for a refund.
Failure to comply with the clothing recommendations may result in you being refused access to the tour and/or forfeiting the fares paid.
Mobility requirements must be advised at the time of booking. Special arrangements may be accommodated (where possible) if we have over 48 hours’ notice prior to the tour commencement time.
We exercise a strict non-translating policy. As we operate small group tours, talking over the guide is seen as rude and disruptive and will slow down the tour content.
The age for child tickets is 3-15 years. All children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible adult who is at least 16 years old. We do allow infants (children under 3 years old) on our earlier tour departure times; they do not have to pay for a ticket, but the following conditions will apply:
- Please be aware that all our stargazing tours run quite late in the evening. It is the responsibility of the parent/s or guardian/s to ensure that their infant is not disruptive to the rest of the group.
- We do NOT have child seats in our van. Under New Zealand transport law if a safety restraint (seat belt) is available then they must be worn. It is the responsibility of the child’s responsible adult to ensure that the child is restrained appropriately.
- If you wish to follow us in your own vehicle to our stargazing site, then we MAY be able to accommodate this if we are given sufficient notice. Please be aware that the road to our site is unsealed and gravel and we will not be held accountable for any damage to your vehicle. (Some hire cars are not insured to drive unsealed roads, please check with your rental company)
Gift Vouchers are valid for 12 months and Prize Certificates are valid for 6 months; they are not redeemable for cash, are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Weather & Tour Cancellation Policy
All Stargazing & Astrophotography Tours are weather dependent.
In the event of adverse weather conditions (not limited to snow, ice, rain, cloud, or other extreme weather conditions) tours may be cancelled. If this is the case, we will issue a full refund or accommodate you on another scheduled tour departure.
Silver River™ Resort Ltd reserves the right to cancel any tour at the discretion of staff and company management. In these instances, a full refund will be issued.
If the weather on the day of your tour is looking poor, then your guide may choose to contact you throughout the day via email. The earliest that a tour will be cancelled is one hour before check-in. We recommend checking your email inbox, promotional & spam folder before leaving your accommodation.
If the weather is partially clear the tour will still go ahead.
If the weather is poor but our staff believe it has the potential to clear later in the night, we will offer you the chance to move onto a later departure time on the same date or to a following date. This is subject to Availability.
Please understand that our tours are not subject to partial refunds or discounts for
any reason, including the weather.
If you made your reservation via a travel agent, booking agent or any third party. The cancellation policy will follow that agent’s regulations. It will be your responsibility to contact them for a refund. You are welcome to contact us if your travel agent requires evidence that the tour was cancelled.
Refunds can take up to 10 working to days to complete and all payments will be refunded onto the same payment card that was used to make the booking.
Stargazing & Astrophotography Tour Refund Policy
- You may cancel your booking up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time of your tour and receive a full refund, this will go back onto the same payment card used at the time of purchase.
- Any cancellations made within 24 hours of your tours scheduled departure time will not be eligible for a refund.
- Bookings can be rescheduled any time up until 24 hours before the scheduled departure time of your tour.
