The southern lights, or aurora australis, are the southern hemisphere's version of the northern lights. The best inhabited places to see them are southern Tasmania and the south of New Zealand's South Island, especially Stewart Island/Rakiura, during the long nights from about March to September. Unlike the Arctic, these places sit well away from the auroral oval, so the aurora usually appears as a glow low on the southern horizon and only when geomagnetic activity is raised.
Below: how the southern lights differ from the northern lights, when and where to go, the alerts that work, and what to expect. Live odds are on Tasmania tonight and Lake Tekapo tonight.
Aurora borealis vs aurora australis
They are the same phenomenon. Energy from the solar wind is funnelled along Earth's magnetic field into the upper atmosphere near both magnetic poles at once, where it makes oxygen and nitrogen glow (what is the aurora). The northern display is the aurora borealis, the southern one the aurora australis.
The difference is geography. In the north, the auroral oval passes over land: Scandinavia, Iceland, Alaska and Canada. In the south it lies mostly over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, with no towns underneath. To see the southern lights from where people live, you have to look poleward from the oval's edge, which is why the view is usually low on the horizon and why a storm is needed.
When to go
- Season: Tourism New Zealand gives March to September as the best period, with long, dark nights. Travel sources for Tasmania point to roughly May to August and the September equinox.
- Time of night: Air New Zealand's guide suggests 22:00–02:00 on moonless nights.
- Equinoxes: the March and September equinoxes have a small geomagnetic advantage, as in the north.
- The Moon: with the aurora low on the horizon, moonlight matters more than in the Arctic. For the southern winter of 2027, new moon falls around 6 May, 4 June, 4 July, 2 August, 31 August and 30 September (UTC).
Aurora happens all year, so a strong storm during the southern summer can still be seen; the nights are just short.
How strong does a storm need to be?
There is no published probability for Tasmania or New Zealand, and you should be wary of anyone who gives one. What we can say:
- Hobart's geomagnetic latitude is about 49.5° south and Lake Tekapo's about 47.5° (our dipole calculation), far from the oval's usual position around 65–70°.
- Local tour operators say Kp 4–5 or higher is typically needed in Tasmania for a camera view. Stronger storms (Kp 6–7 and up) bring visible pillars and colour; during the extreme storm of May 2024 the southern lights were seen and photographed widely across Australia and New Zealand.
- Tourism New Zealand describes the southern lights as "sporadic and unpredictable". That is honest.
The cloud climate is relatively kind. In our 2017–2025 model data, about 39–42% of the night sky is clear on an average winter night in Tasmania and 32–42% at Lake Tekapo, among the highest figures of the 21 places we cover (ranking). The constraint is activity, not weather.
Where to watch in Tasmania
Look for a dark, open southern horizon:
- kunanyi / Mount Wellington: about 30 minutes from Hobart; altitude helps, but the road can close for ice and snow in winter.
- South Arm Peninsula: about 40 minutes from Hobart, with south-facing beaches.
- Bruny Island (The Neck): by ferry from Kettering; climb the stairs and face south. Check the return ferry times.
- Cockle Creek: one of the southernmost points reachable by road in Australia, and very dark.
- Cradle Mountain and the Central Highlands: low light pollution in the north-west.
The Beaumaris webcam on the east coast faces south and posts aurora time-lapses. See our Tasmania guide for more.
Where to watch in New Zealand
- Lake Tekapo: inside the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, with the University of Canterbury observatory on Mount John. Exceptional stargazing; the aurora is a bonus on active nights. The Mt John webcam shows the sky.
- Church of the Good Shepherd and the lakeshore: a classic foreground, often crowded.
- Stewart Island/Rakiura: further south and generally considered one of the best places in New Zealand for the aurora, with a dark sky sanctuary.
- Southland and the Catlins: south-facing coast with little light, closer to the oval than Tekapo.
- Queenstown and Central Otago: dark sites a short drive out of town; the Queenstown Roundshot camera is a quick check for cloud.
See our Lake Tekapo guide for the details.
The alerts that work
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology Space Weather Services (BoM SWS) issues three tiers of aurora notice, free by email:
- Outlooks 3–7 days ahead, when activity is expected.
- Watches up to 48 hours ahead.
- Alerts when activity is happening now.
Combine them with a cloud forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology or New Zealand's MetService, our live map, and the solar wind on the expert panel. When Bz turns strongly south during a watch, go. Our forecast guide explains each tool; the logic is identical in the south.
What you will see, and how to photograph it
From Tasmania or New Zealand the aurora usually looks like a grey-white or faintly coloured glow low in the south, sometimes with vertical pillars. The camera sees much more: green near the horizon and red or magenta above it, from oxygen 200 km or more up. Point your phone south, put it on something solid and use night mode for 5–10 seconds. Our phone photography guide has full settings.
Should you plan a trip around it?
For aurora alone, no: the southern lights are too irregular. As part of a flexible winter trip to Tasmania or the South Island, yes. Book a stargazing tour for one night (Lake Tekapo's dark sky is a guaranteed experience even without aurora), subscribe to BoM alerts, and stay ready to drive to a dark southern horizon when a watch is issued.
If you want aurora on most clear nights, the answer is to travel to the oval in the north; our ranking of 21 places compares the options. The solar cycle is also slowly declining; see what 2026–2028 means.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between aurora borealis and aurora australis?
Only the hemisphere. Aurora borealis is the northern lights and aurora australis the southern lights. Both are produced by the same process at the same time, around the north and south magnetic poles; the southern oval simply lies mostly over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, so fewer people live under it.
When is the best time to see the southern lights?
Tourism New Zealand gives March to September, when nights are long. In practice the southern winter, roughly May to August, offers the most darkness. Aurora happens year-round, so a strong storm can also be seen on a short summer night.
Where is the best place to see the southern lights?
Among inhabited places, southern Tasmania and the south of New Zealand's South Island, especially Stewart Island/Rakiura. Lake Tekapo has exceptionally dark skies but sits further from the oval. In all of them the aurora usually appears low on the southern horizon during raised activity.
Can you see the southern lights from mainland Australia?
During strong storms, yes, from dark places in Victoria and other southern states, low on the southern horizon and often clearer on camera than by eye. Tasmania has much better odds.