Where and When to See the Southern Lights in NZ

30 MAY 2025

Here's how to experience the aurora in New Zealand without needing to be a space scientist.
Catching the aurora in New Zealand—aka the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis—is such an incredible experince and we have been lucky enough to see it when it's both quite dull in colours and super colourful.

But it’s not just about being in the right place at the right time… it’s also about knowing how to look for it.
Here’s a super simple guide to give yourself the best shot at seeing the lights dance across our skies and one that has helped us

In this guide

Understand What Makes an Aurora Happen
Quick science-y bit (promise it's painless!):

The aurora happens when charged particles from the sun hit Earth’s atmosphere and create glowing light shows in the sky. We’re talking pinks, greens, purples… it’s wild.
These particles come from solar wind or bigger solar events like CMEs (coronal mass ejections). When they’re heading our way, we’ve got a shot at seeing the aurora down here in NZ.

Be in the Right Spot

You’ll need dark skies and minimal light pollution. Best spots in NZ include:

Stewart Island / Rakiura – probably the best chance of a strong display.
The Catlins
Otago Peninsula
Lake Tekapo / Aoraki Mackenzie
Invercargill or Bluff
Even Dunedin if it’s a strong event!

The further south and the less city glow, the better.

In May 2024 when the world experienced the huge geomagnetic storm, we experienced it in Nelson at the top of the South Island. It was seen in the top of the North Island which is a very rate occurance. We also had big city lights straight to the south but we were new to exploreing Nelson and only heard of the uarora at the last minute so we quickly had to find somewhere on a map that we thought would be good!

Check the Weather & Moon

Clouds = no aurora. So always check the forecast for clear skies.
Also avoid full moons if you can—moonlight can wash out faint displays.

Know When to Look

Aurora season in NZ is usually strongest around the equinoxes--March to May and August to October—but they can happen anytime if the conditions line up.
Most auroras happen between 10pm and 2am, but it varies depending on the strength of the storm.

Use the Right Tools

Forget just checking a Kp number. Here’s what actually helps:

Aurora Service NZ – for real-time alerts
Magnetometers – especially the one in Invercargill. When it goes wiggly, things are happening.
Solar wind speed + Bz direction – green lights like a high wind speed and a southward Bz.
Facebook Groups & Twitter/X – people post real-time sightings.
Aurora forecast websites – but take them as a rough guide.

Pro tip: apps like My Aurora Forecast are great, but don’t rely on them alone.

Know What to Look For

Sometimes it’ll be obvious—bright streaks of colour dancing across the sky. But other times, it just looks like a pale glow or faint curtains on the horizon. Your eyes may not catch it, but a long exposure photo on your phone or camera will.
So, if you see a strange glow in the south... snap a pic. You might’ve caught it. Make sure you're looking to the south!!

How to capture the aurora

You don't need fancy gear but of course that always helps. I have experienced seeing the aurora with my eyes, through my phone and through my camera. The camera has always picked up colours that I wasn't able to see with the naked eye.

I'm definitely no pro at photographing the aurora as I've only had 2 chances to capture it and I am still a complete beginner when it comes to night photography but here is what I have learnt photographing the aurora in New Zealand.

Best Camera Settings for Aurora Photos in New Zealand

To capture the stunning Southern Lights, here are the key camera settings you should use:

Use a DSLR or Mirrorless Camera with manual mode — phone cameras usually can’t handle the low light well.
Lens: A wide-angle lens (14-24mm) with a wide aperture (f/2.8 or lower) is ideal.
Aperture (f-stop): Set to the widest your lens allows (like f/2.8 or lower) to let in as much light as possible.
ISO: Start around 1600-3200 — this helps brighten the shot but don’t go too high or the photo gets grainy.
Shutter Speed: Between 5 and 25 seconds — longer exposures catch more light but too long can blur the aurora’s movement.
Focus: Manually focus to infinity — autofocus struggles in the dark.
Use a Tripod: To keep your camera steady during long exposures.
Remote Shutter or Timer: Use a remote shutter or set a 2-second timer to avoid camera shake when pressing the button.

In conclusion. Aurora hunting is part luck, part prep, and 100% worth it. You might spend a few nights chasing and not see anything—but when you finally do, it's pure magic.
So rug up, make a thermos, grab a camera, and enjoy the stars while you wait.

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