Next stop, Australia: Chase the ethereal Southern Lights in Tasmania
From Goat Bluff Lookout, around 30 minutes from Hobart, you can catch stunning views of the natural light phenomenon. PHOTO: LUKE TSCHARKE
Thanks to longer nights during winter in Tasmania, there is a higher chance of catching the aurora australis, also known as the Southern Lights.
Between May and August, the Australian island-state not only gets colder – with temperatures ranging from 3 to 14 deg C – but also darker earlier, as the sun sets at around 5pm.
Similar to the aurora borealis in the north, the Southern Lights are created when charged solar particles interact with Earth's magnetic field. The result? Ethereal waves of pink, green, yellow and blue dancing across the night sky.
Tasmania's southern location makes it one of the few places in the world where this spectacle can be spotted with some regularity.
'The aurora has this amazing movement and I always say it's like seeing music,' says 71-year-old artist and author Margaret Sonnemann. Originally from the United States, she has been living in Australia for about 40 years.
In 2012, she founded the Facebook group Aurora Australis Tasmania to create a channel for community alerts about upcoming light displays, after realising that there were hardly any such online groups.
Today, the 359,200 -member group is a noteworthy source for regular updates and aurora sightings.
As sightings depend on factors such as solar activity, weather and light pollution, Ms Sonnemann suggests checking the group for updates or using the Glendale App – a free web-based app for aurora alerts – before heading out to chase the lights.
While it is possible to catch the aurora from almost anywhere in Tasmania, tracking and photographing it often require patience and skill. For a smoother experience, travellers can join guided tours led by locals.
Longer nights in winter often bring about higher probabilities of catching the aurora australis.
PHOTO: LUKE TSCHARKE
Tourism Tasmania recommends local tour company Ossa Tours, which offers a three-hour aurora experience from A$60 (S$50) a person. The package includes transportation and photography assistance, making it ideal for beginners and enthusiasts alike.
Ms Sonnemann says guided tours for chasing the aurora are few and far between due to the unpredictability of its appearance.
Experienced photographers and guides offering aurora- or night sky-viewing tours from A$50 an hour can also be found on her other Facebook group, Aurora Australis Noticeboard.
Alternatively, book a stay at accommodation like Cambridge House Breakfast and Bed in Geeveston, one of the most southerly towns in Tasmania, where the aurora can be seen from your room window.
Some of the most popular spots to catch the display are just a 30- to 40-minute drive from Hobart, the state's capital city. These include Goat Bluff Lookout on South Arm Peninsula (about 35km south-east of Hobart), Carlton Beach (40km east of Hobart) and Tinderbox (20km south of Hobart), according to Tourism Tasmania's official website.
But Ms Sonnemann says even without an aurora sighting, Tasmania's glittering night sky is a sight to behold.
She adds: 'It's not disappointing even if there's no aurora, because the stars and the Milky Way are really quite stunning.'
Brought to you by Tourism Australia
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