Northern lights in Fiordland tonight
Southland, South Island, New Zealand · 58° magnetic latitude · Kp 3 threshold
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 3 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Fiordland.
7-day outlook for Fiordland
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Fiordland sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 58°S. The Kp index - a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours - needs to reach Kp 3 before the auroral oval expands far enough north to be visible from here.
At Kp 3, visibility is possible from Fiordland but skies need to be clear and dark. Cloud cover and light pollution remain the main obstacles even when Kp is high enough.
Best dark sky sites near Fiordland
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark southern horizon within reach.
Te Anau lakefront
Get directions ↗Te Anau is the gateway town for Fiordland and sits on the eastern shore of Lake Te Anau. The western shore faces a wilderness of uninhabited fiordland - no roads or settlements exist on the far side for 100 km. The lakefront south of the town gives a south-facing position across dark water. The Te Anau basin is significantly drier than Milford Sound, making it more likely to have clear skies on a given night. A practical base for Fiordland aurora watching.
Milford Sound fiord
Get directions ↗Milford Sound is a 16 km-long fjord with sheer walls rising 1,200 m above the water. At night the sound is completely dark - even the small lodge at Piopiotahi has minimal lighting. The water faces south-southwest between the cliff walls. Aurora australis visible between the walls of Mitre Peak and the opposite bluff offers one of the most dramatic enclosed landscapes for aurora in the southern hemisphere. Accessible by the Milford Road (SH94) or by overnight cruise.
Doubtful Sound
Get directions ↗Deeper and more remote than Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound is a 40 km fjord system accessible only via a boat from Manapouri and a coach over Wilmot Pass. Three times the length of Milford Sound with no overnight lodge on the fiord itself. Complete darkness from the water. Aurora australis from a boat anchored in the sound, surrounded by 1,000 m walls with no artificial light visible, is an extraordinary experience. Overnight cruises operate year-round.
Best time to see the aurora australis in Fiordland
Fiordland's aurora australis season runs from April through August, centred on the southern winter when nights are longest and darkest. The equinox months of March and September bring a boost in geomagnetic activity. Summer months bring too much twilight for aurora to show at this latitude.
Activity peaks around the March and September equinoxes, when Earth's magnetic field geometry is most favourable for coupling with the solar wind. These windows produce the strongest aurora australis events of the year for observers at this latitude.
October through February brings persistent twilight that washes out the aurora australis. Strong events during these months remain invisible because the sky never gets dark enough.
Other New Zealand aurora forecasts
Up to 8 locations
How often does the aurora appear in Fiordland?
Average nights per month the Kp reached Fiordland's threshold of 3+, from 15 years of geomagnetic data (2010–2024).
Counts the Kp 3+ threshold only - cloud cover and local darkness are not included.
Kp data: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, CC BY 4.0
Plan your trip to Fiordland
Best window
The August to October window averages 38 aurora nights - the strongest consecutive stretch of the year.
How long to stay
For your best chance in March, plan at least 3 nights.
Aurora activity peaks at the March and September equinoxes in both hemispheres. This is driven by the angle of Earth's magnetic field relative to the solar wind, not by local seasons. Winter months at this latitude offer longer dark nights for observing, but March and September average the highest number of aurora nights in the historical data.
Related pages
Aurora Australis New Zealand
New Zealand aurora hub.
Read →Aurora Australis Stewart Island Tonight
Stewart Island - NZ's lowest Kp threshold at 59°S.
Read →Aurora Australis Queenstown Tonight
Queenstown - Remarkables dark sky, 2 hours northeast.
Read →Aurora Australis Wānaka Tonight
Wānaka - Lake Wānaka and the lone willow foreground.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
How Kp 3 produces aurora australis at 58°S.
Read →Aurora photographs from Fiordland
Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
Aurora over Fiordland
Aurora over Fiordland
Aurora over Fiordland
Aurora over Fiordland
Aurora over Fiordland
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