The Southern Lights are often cast (metaphorically) in the shade by her older sister, the Northern Lights, but still ready to steal the show when the skies are right. Formally named the Aurora Australis, this natural phenomenon lights up the southern skies with whirls of pink, green and purple when the conditions are just right.

Whether you're gazing upwards from a Tasmanian beach or the edge of Antarctica, spotting them is pure wonder that is worth every late-night wait.

Tasmania is your best bet for spotting the Southern Lights in Australia. When your aurora watch apps are showing a spike of activity is on the horizon, head to the South Arm Peninsula, Mount Wellington, or Bruny Island, which all have particularly dark skies and minimal light pollution.

Winter offers the clearest views, so rug up, keep one eye on that sky, and be ready to chase a glow. Night tours and stargazing packages are often available around Hobart.

Victoria isn’t as reliable as Tasmania when it comes to spotting the Southern Lights — but they do happen (just rarely), so the emphasis is on occasionally. For your Aurora Australis moment near Melbourne, Cape Schanck is the closest location, followed by Point Lonsdale and Wilsons Promontory.

So yes, you can catch the Southern Lights near Melbourne — but you’ll need a strong solar forecast and a bit of luck. Your best chance? Clear winter nights paired with strong geomagnetic activity. And if the lights don’t show? No stress. You’re still in for a pretty sweet weekend down at the beach.

We’re not going to lie to you — catching the Aurora Australis from Perth is a pretty long shot. But it’s not entirely impossible. On very rare occasions, strong geomagnetic storms light up the southern horizon enough to be seen from parts of Western Australia’s south coast.

If you're keen, head out of the city (after ticking a few things off the to-do list, of course) and make your way to Albany or Esperance. The skies are darker, the southern view is wide open, and the odds — while still slim — are just a little better.

Like Perth and Melbourne, seeing the Southern Lights from Adelaide isn’t something you can count on (the excellent wine and food, however, is). But every now and then, during strong solar activity, aurora sightings have been reported from spots south of the city. For your best chance, head down toward the Fleurieu Peninsula or even further along the Coorong. Just don’t get your hopes up — and prepare to console yourself with an amazing tour along its turquoise coastline or an indulgent winery tour.

Kia ora - welcome to New Zealand! Down this way, you’re much closer to the magnetic pole than most of Australia, which means better odds of spotting the Southern Lights. To amp these chances to maximum, head to its south, where the skies get darker, the crowds thin out, and the aurora action kicks in.

Stewart Island — or Rakiura, which means “glowing skies” in Māori — is about as far south as you can get without hitting smack bang Antarctica. It’s remote, quiet, super dark, and has those wide-open views of the southern horizon that make it perfect spotting territory - not just in New Zealand, but worldwide. Head up to Observation Rock, and wait for the show. (And book that Stewart Island tour while you’re at it.)

Another solid chance to spot the Southern Lights, Kiwi-style. Tucked away on the southeastern edge of the South Island, The Catlins is all coastal cliffs, remote beaches, and dense forest that opens up to big, dark skies. It’s a must-stop on any DIY dark-sky road trip along the Southern Scenic Route. Want to be in on a local secret? Nugget Point lighthouse is the place to be for star-studded skies and, if the timing’s right, a whole lot of Aurora Australis. Find somewhere to crash out for the night.

Want to keep things simple but still catch the lights? Dunedin’s pretty easy to get to (by New Zealand standards, anyway), and it just might be your in. The Otago Peninsula sits far enough south and has open views toward the southern seas: a definite bonus for peak aesthetics when spotting the Aurora Australis. Hoopers Inlet and Sandfly Bay are favourite picks when conditions line up. Get on the University of Otago’s aurora forecast (locals know best!), then settle in for a night splashed in colour. You can check out what else to get up to in Otago here.

You can’t just jet over to South Georgia when the whim takes you. This South Atlantic island is only accessible by sea — so yep, it’s time to book that expedition cruise you’ve always dreamed of. If you’re heading that far south, it’s closer to Antarctica than anywhere else we’ve mentioned, with a real shot at spectacular Southern Lights. And are you going to pass up the chance to combine glaciers, King Penguins, and aurora in a single glance? We didn’t think so.

This is it. The big one with no filter: the Southern Lights in Antarctica. This vast continent is where you’ll see the clearest, most immersive view of the aurora anywhere on Earth, often stretching across the whole sky in full 360°. Unsurprisingly, you’ll need to come by specialist cruise or research trip to see her in full glory. The best time is during the polar winter, from March to September.

Timing’s everything when it comes to chasing the aurora. Your best shot is broadly during the winter months — March to September in the Southern Hemisphere — when the nights are long and dark.

The sweet spot is usually between 10pm and 2am, but the Southern Lights play by their own rules. Definitely download an aurora app and keep an eye on those solar forecasts to maximise your chances.

The Southern Lights often look a bit hazy to the naked eye — but your camera can pick up way more detail. Use a tripod if you’ve got one, and switching to night mode or long exposure (if your phone or camera allows it) will go down a treat. The darker and clearer the night, the better your photo or video will turn out.

To help save you the time and energy of staying up late in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Southern Lights, there’s a few apps and sites that can help.

While you’re downloading apps, check out the Traveloka app, too! It can help you save up to $80 on your first booking to a destination where you can see the Southern Lights.

The Southern Lights or Aurora Australis is a natural light phenomenon that occurs in the southern sky. Just like the Aurora Borealis in the northern hemisphere, the Aurora Australis occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with the earth's atmosphere, producing a beautiful and colourful light. The colour depends on the energy of the incoming solar particles and the type of atmospheric gases they interact with. Usually, the most common color is green because in general, solar particles collide more often with the atmosphere at altitudes of 90 to 130 km. At this altitude, the oxygen concentration is very high so that the resulting aurora has a green colour gradation.

The Southern Lights is a mesmerising natural phenomenon that attracts many astronomy enthusiasts and photographers around the world. Southern Lights are more commonly seen during the winter months in the southern hemisphere, from April to September. However, they can be seen at any time of the year depending on solar activity. The best time to see the brightest Southern Lights is during the middle of the night because at that time the sun is on the other side of the planet. The aurora will usually last about 15-30 minutes, but can sometimes last for several hours.

The Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis, happen when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere near the South Pole. That’s what causes those light displays across the southern sky.

But Southern Lights vs Northern Lights — what’s the difference, we hear you cry? The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) occur in the Northern Hemisphere, near the North Pole. Same reason, it’s just the opposite side of the planet.

Yes — and the closer it gets to showtime, the more accurate those forecasts become. That said, they’re far from perfect (annoying, we know), but still better than nothing. Local aurora watch apps are your best bet, offering geomagnetic activity alerts and live aurora maps to help you plan.

What kind of question is that? Of course they are! Even if you only catch a faint shimmer on the horizon, it’s the kind of thing that sticks with you. Add a wild coastline, a snowy peak or a diving penguin into the mix, and it’s pure magic.