Waihopai Station

The station sits in a quiet valley surrounded by green hills, where large white domes cover satellite dishes that point toward the sky and create a striking contrast with the natural landscape around them.

Built in the late 1980s and officially opened in September 1989, this facility was created to help New Zealand participate in a global network for monitoring satellite communications as part of international security cooperation.

Local residents often see the domes from a distance and sometimes talk about the station's secretive work, while some activists have protested its role in surveillance, arguing about privacy and the ethics of global intelligence gathering.

The station is located in a remote rural area near Blenheim, and while the site itself is not open for casual visits, travelers driving through the region can sometimes spot the white domes from nearby roads.

In 2008, protesters broke into the facility and deflated one of the satellite domes to draw attention to their concerns about government surveillance, making headlines and sparking debate about the station's activities and its role in international spying.

Location: Marlborough District

Inception: September 8, 1989

Part of: ECHELON

Address: Waihopai Valley 7276, New Zealand

Website: https://gcsb.govt.nz

GPS coordinates: -41.57639,173.73889

Latest update: December 3, 2025 13:38