Gareth is a passionate observer of the night skies and is currently the Director of the Waiheke Island Observatory and delivers regular monthly astronomical outreach sessions to the public in the Observatory grounds at the Waiheke Resources Trust Centre as well as at various other locations around New Zealand. He is a founder member of the Dark Sky Waiheke Island group dedicated to the preservation of the Island’s starry skies and provision of support for the development of its astro-tourism sector. Gareth is a member of the Auckland Astronomical Society, the Royal Astronomical Society of NZ and the International Dark Sky Association. He has contributed numerous articles on astronomy in various periodicals and delivered talks and interviews on radio. He has provided advice on dark sky protection and astro-tourism development to individuals, groups and local government entities throughout New Zealand.

Gareth has a degree from the London School of Economics and is an international marketing executive, who has worked in more than 35 countries with an award-winning economic advisory consultancy which he co-founded, Gareth has particular expertise in the areas of new business development and the non-traditional export sector. He has also maintained a career in arts in parallel as a playwright and has his plays performed throughout New Zealand and in the United Kingdom.