Aurora watching from Wellington's south-facing hills

A page on aurora and Wellington has been on this site since 2005. This version is a fresh, practical guide to watching for the southern lights from around Pōneke, with a short note on the art the aurora has inspired.

Why Wellington gets a look

Wellington sits further north than the classic aurora country of Southland and Otago, so it needs a stronger geomagnetic storm. When one arrives, the capital has a real advantage: much of the city and its coast face straight across Cook Strait to the south, with open water and the hills of the upper South Island well below the horizon line. The red upper part of a display, and on good nights the green below it, can show up low over the strait.

For what aurora is and how to tell it from town glow, see the aurora basics page.

Places to try

South coast bays. The bays from Island Bay through Ōwhiro Bay give a flat sea horizon to the south. The road and houses mean some local lighting, so find a stretch where street lights are behind you.

Red Rocks and the Ōwhiro Bay coast. Walking west from the end of Ōwhiro Bay towards Red Rocks quickly leaves the street lights behind. The track is rough, tidal in places and exposed, so go in daylight first and take a good torch.

Wright's Hill. The high ground above Karori gives a wide view south over the hills to the strait. Height helps lift you over local obstructions.

Mt Victoria lookout area. The easiest city option with a broad view, but you are surrounded by the lights of the city and harbour. It can work for a strong display or for a camera, but expect a washed-out sky.

Makara. The coast and hills out past Makara are noticeably darker than the city side and face the strait. Roads are narrow and winding at night.

Wairarapa. For the darkest skies within reach, head over the hill to the Wairarapa International Dark Sky Reserve. The southern Wairarapa coast near Cape Palliser and the country around Martinborough give dark, open southern horizons, though it is a longer drive and you need to plan around the weather.

Wind and safety

Wellington's exposed points are windy, and a calm evening in town can be a gale on a ridgetop or the south coast. Take more warm and windproof layers than you think you need. Keep away from wave-washed rocks at night, watch the tide, and stay on formed tracks. Wind also shakes tripods, so weigh yours down or keep it low.

Cook Strait cloud

The strait has its own weather. A clear city sky can still have a bank of cloud sitting over the water, or low cloud hugging the South Island ranges, right where the aurora would appear. Check the satellite picture before heading out, and if the south is blocked, a higher spot sometimes clears it. Southerly changes often bring clear, very transparent air behind them, which is worth watching for when a storm is forecast.

Aurora in painting and photography

The southern lights have long drawn artists as well as scientists. Painters working in New Zealand and other southern places have tried to catch the glow and curtains in oil and watercolour, often with the colours softened to what the eye sees. Photography changed the picture: long exposures revealed vivid greens, reds and purples that observers rarely saw directly. Today, digital and phone cameras mean many people's first sight of an aurora is on a screen, and that has inspired its own style of night landscape photography, pairing the sky with Wellington's coast, hills and lighthouses.

If you are new to it, our step-by-step guide on how to see and photograph the aurora australis covers alerts and camera settings.