New Zealand is a space enthusiast’s dream. Stunning stargazing, regular rocket launches, and awe-inspiring aurora are all common sights in New Zealand, though most travelers visit for New Zealand the beautiful vistas, friendly Kiwi locals, and delicious food and wine. Seriously, if you aren’t sold on New Zealand yet, what’s stopping you? New Zealand
If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand and you’re a fan of space, you might want to plan your trip to see the Southern Lights while you’re there. In this post, you’ll find everything you need to improve your chances of seeing the aurora during your trip.
This post was originally published in April 2018, and was updated in September 2020.
What are the “Southern Lights?”
Many people have heard of the northern lights but the southern lights exist too and are equally as amazing.
The southern lights or aurora australis are only visible in the southern hemisphere. The best places to experience this New Zealand phenomenon is in the southern-most New Zealand destinations in the world, including New Zealand.
The aurora australis is created by the same forces of nature as the northern lights. Particles of plasma emitted by the sun (known as the solar wind) strike atoms and molecules in our atmosphere. This causes ionization and excitement of the atmospheric particles, emitting light similar to how neon lights work, only much cooler and grander.
The Best Time of Year to See the Southern Lights in New ZealandPhoto credit: Gordon Cheung via Flickr
While you have better chances of seeing the aurora in New Zealand during certain parts of the year, you can definitely try to see them year-round. Here’s a quick guide to each season and your chances of seeing the southern lights while visiting during each.
Winter (June to August)
As mentioned New Zealand above, winter is the ideal time to see the aurora australis in New Zealand skies, since it’s the darkest time of the year. If you love skiing or outdoor adventure sports, you can plan a trip that combines both.
Spring (September to November)
Through spring, it is still possible to see the southern lights over New Zealand, and the weather is improving (reducing the need for extra layers and trying to stay warm while you wait for the aurora to appear). Spring is also a great time to enjoy what Kiwis call ‘waterfall season,’ where New Zealand’s gorgeous mountains shed their snowy winter clothing in massive and widespread waterfalls.
Photo credit: Ben via FlickrSummer (December to February )
New Zealand is a great winter getaway for northern hemisphere travelers since it’s summer in the south. If you plan to visit New Zealand during the summer months there (December through February), you may find it harder to see the aurora but it is still technically possible in the very heart of night (12am-4am each night). In the summer, enjoy trekking or cycling in New Zealand, plus beach weather along the coast – you can even learn to surf in New Zealand in the summer!
Autumn (March to May)
Similar to spring, autumn is a great transition season where you can enjoy some of the warm-weather activities. You can also take advantage of autumn colored landscapes and better chances of seeing the aurora as the night gets longer.
The Best Places in New Zealand to See the Southern Lights
Being so far south, New Zealand is an excellent destination to see an aurora. It is best to head far from city lights to minimize light pollution that brightens the sky, fading out the stars and aurora.
Stewart Island
As the most southern populated island in New Zealand, Steward island can be reached by flying into Oban or by ferry ride from Bluff or Invercargill. 85% of the island is covered by Rakiura National Park and light pollution is not an issue due to the island’s relative isolation and sparse population.
QueenstownPhoto credit: Paul Stewart via Flickr
Queenstown is a popular adventure sports destination on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakatipu. The skies above it are also known to put on an amazing light show. The Queenstown Aurora Australis Facebook group is a good resource for localized discussion and sharing of aurora activity and photos. Look south from the shores of Lake Wakatipu or head to Lake Hayes, a 15 minutes drive from downtown Queensland, for water-side views and photo opportunities.
Lake Tekapo
Located within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the largest in the world and only one in the southern hemisphere, Lake Tekapo is well known among stargazers. Get here by bus or drive in from Christchurch (141mi/227km away) or Queenstown (160mi/256km away).
Venture to the top of Mt. John which offers some of the best views of the sky in the world on a clear, dark night. It is also the location of the Mt. John Observatory which is home to some of the largest telescopes in New Zealand. Night tours of the facility are run by are available, including the opportunity to peer at the sky through some of the telescopes.
The CatlinsPhoto credit: Ben Rominson via Flickr
This sparsely populated, forested coastal area is on the New Zealand southeastern region of the Southern Island, where you can escape from city lights. Set up on the southern-facing ocean shores or pitch a tent on one of the campgrounds and gaze at the sky to look out for aurora.
Invercargill
This southernmost city of New Zealand offers some of the chances of seeing the aurora australis from, or near an urban settlement. Head 10kms west to Oreti Beach and set up for some phenomenal photos of the aurora. Bluff and Tiwai Point are both excellent viewing locations located within a 30-minute drive south of Invercargill.
Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park
Also located within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, there is nearly no light pollution out here, making for some stellar views of the sky. While it’s an alpine environment, the park is easily accessible via State Highway 80, which leads to Aoraki/Mt. Cook Village.
On a dark night with the right conditions, viewing the aurora australis is possible from pretty much anywhere in the park as long as you stay away from light sources and allow your eyes to adjust. For a guided experience, visit Big Sky Stargazing at the foot of Aoraki/Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s tallest mountain.
If you have the time, there are plenty of other amazing things to do in Mt. Cook National Park.
Great Barrier Island
While New Zealand further north than the other locations, Great Barrier Island off the north-east coast of Auckland was designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2017. If you’re not venturing further south than Auckland, heading to this protected environment increases your chances of seeing the New Zealand aurora, away from the city lights. Reach the island by ferry from downtown Auckland or by air from Auckland, Coromandel, Northland, Tauranga, and Hamilton.
Aurora Alerts in New Zealand
As with any natural phenomenon, we try to predict the aurora australis but flexibility is the order of the day. The Aurora Service has current estimated aurora levels and forecasts. It also provides a paid subscription-based SMS alert service.
The Aurora Australis – New Zealand CURRENT ALERTS Facebook group is also excellent as group members post tip-offs on current activity with no other chatter. Their sister page Aurora Australis is great for discussion and several resources.
Even given these resources, don’t be discouraged if you don’t see the southern lights on any one night. Give yourself more than one night if possible, to up your chances.
Popular Tours & Day Trips to See the Southern LightsPhoto credit: Ben via Flickr
While there are no multi-day aurora and/or stargazing tours that we were able to find, here are a couple tours worth checking out if you’re traveling in New Zealand:
Earth & Sky offers a great stargazing and observatory tour at Tekapo/Mt. John Observatory. Prices start from $93 per person. (book here)Tekapo Stargazing combines stargazing with hot springs so that even in the dead of winter, you can enjoy the night sky. Prices start from NZD $99 ($70). (book here)
Both of these tours take place within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, so they offer the darkest skies you can find in New Zealand.
If you’re not up for a tour, you could also book a night or two at Skyscape or PurePods. Both of these accommodations are designed to maximize your chances to enjoy the night sky and possibly see aurora if it’s visible!
Have other questions? Let us know in the comments.
Featured image by Paul Stewart via Flickr.