Always have had an interest in doing Astrophotography and came across an article about a town in New Zealand going dark for this purpose, clip from article below:

When we city dwellers gaze up at the night sky, unfortunately, an almost empty like darkness is often times returned due to the overbearing pollution of the urban lights around us. One town near Lake Tekapo, New Zealand looks to reverse that by going dark to allow the nearby Mt. John Observatory, located 1,029 meters above sea level, a chance to offer stargazers some of the most spectacular celestial views ever seen.

And here is the link to article along with additional photos.

http://dashburst.com/lights-out-new-zealand-astrophotography/

Maybe one day I will have my opportunity…..