Omarama

Omarama is a small township (population

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It is known as a world-class gliding area, gaining fame among sailplane pilots around the world after hosting the 1995 Gliding World Cup. Omarama is Maori for "Place of Light", a reference to its extraordinarily pure and clear sky, which also makes it of great interest to astronomers.

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• Omarama Gliding Club website
• World Altitude Record Attempt webpage
• Omarama Weather Station webpage

Mackenzie Basin: The Mackenzie Basin, popularly and traditionally known as the Mackenzie Country, is a roughly elliptical and elevated area (700m/3000 ft above sea level) near the centre of the South Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) north-south, and 40 kilometers (25 miles) e...

South Island: The South Island forms one of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the North Island. The Maori name for the South Island is Te Wai Pounamu which means "The Greenstone Water" (greenstone being jade)....

Gliding: Gliding (or soaring) is a recreational activity and competitive sport where individuals fly un-powered aeroplanes known as gliders or sailplanes. Properly, the term gliding refers to descending flight of a heavier-than-air craft when gravity (its own weight) is its sole motive force; soaring is the...