Best places to see Southern Lights in Australia

Australia's closest point to the pole, and its most frequent and reliable aurora sightings by a clear margin.

Check tonight’s live verdict for Tasmania →

• Hobart (kunanyi / Mount Wellington)

  Elevated, wide-open southern horizon right above the city.

• Bruny Island

  A short ferry from Hobart, with genuinely dark skies and clear water views south.

• Satellite Island

  Remote and pristine, one of the darkest spots in the state.

• Cradle Mountain

  Inland high country with minimal light pollution and dramatic foregrounds.

• South Arm Peninsula

  Low, dark horizon over Storm Bay, a favourite among local chasers.

• Taroona

  Close to Hobart but still dark enough for a strong display.

The South Island sits further south than any Australian state, and Stewart Island further still, roughly matching Tasmania for the best and most consistent free viewing.

Check tonight’s live verdict for New Zealand →

• Otago Peninsula, Dunedin

  Dark, south-facing coastline close to the city.

• The Catlins

  Remote, minimal light pollution, wide open horizon.

• Stewart Island / Rakiura

  New Zealand's best and most consistent aurora viewing.

• Sandy Point, Invercargill

  Open southern horizon, easy access.

Victoria needs a stronger storm than Tasmania to put on a show, but a clear night on the coast away from Melbourne's glow can still deliver.

Check tonight’s live verdict for Victoria →

• Melbourne Surrounds (Mornington Peninsula, Cape Schanck, Flinders)

  About an hour from the city, with open water to the south.

• Wilsons Promontory National Park

  Victoria's southernmost point, and one of its darkest skies.

• Great Ocean Road (Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Lorne)

  Remote coastal stretches with wide ocean horizons.

• Phillip Island

  Away from the penguin-parade lights, a solid open-coast option.

SA's aurora nights are rarer than Tasmania's, but the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island give a clean run of dark, south-facing coastline when a storm arrives.

Check tonight’s live verdict for South Australia →

• Adelaide Surrounds (Fleurieu Peninsula, Victor Harbor, Port Elliot)

  South-facing beaches within easy reach of the city.

• Kangaroo Island

  A ferry away, but about as dark as SA gets.

• Limestone Coast (Mount Gambier, Robe)

  Remote, minimal light pollution, open southern horizon.

• Eyre Peninsula (Port Lincoln)

  Isolated and dark, though a long drive from Adelaide.

Perth itself rarely sees anything but the strongest storms, but the south coast holds WA's best and most consistent chance.

Check tonight’s live verdict for Western Australia →

• Albany

  WA's best and most consistent chance, three hundred kilometres south of Perth.

• Esperance

  Remote south coast with genuinely dark skies.

• Perth (outer dark beaches)

  Only during extreme G4/G5 storms, and only well away from the city's glow.

NSW sits far enough north that only the strongest storms push the aurora oval this far, but its far south coast is the state's best shot when one does.

• Sapphire Coast (Eden, Merimbula, Bermagui)

  NSW's southernmost dark coastline, and the state's best shot.

• Kiama

  Closer to Sydney, only visible during a major storm.

• Jervis Bay

  Dark, protected coastline, still needs an extreme event to show anything.