Aurora australis Invercargill tonight

A 30 km stretch of beach on the Invercargill Estuary facing west-southwest toward Foveaux Strait and the Southern Ocean. At night the beach is dark and exposed, with the Invercargill light dome to the east and open ocean to the west and south. Bortle Class 2-3 conditions on the beach itself. At 58°S magnetic latitude, Kp 2-3 is sufficient for aurora australis to appear above the southern and southwestern horizon. The beach faces directly toward the auroral oval during moderate geomagnetic activity. The long sand makes vehicle access possible to reach positions away from the township end, though soft sand off the access track is a risk. The beach is open all hours and well-known to local aurora photographers.

Bluff is New Zealand's southernmost permanent town and the ferry terminal for Stewart Island. Stirling Point at the south end gives the most southerly road-accessible position on the South Island mainland. The foreshore south of Bluff faces directly south over Foveaux Strait toward Stewart Island and beyond. Light pollution from Bluff township is minimal - the town is small and the south-facing shore is away from the main settlement. At Kp 2-3, aurora australis appears on the southern horizon from Stirling Point, reflecting in the strait. The distance advantage over Invercargill is modest (27 km), but the proximity to Foveaux Strait gives a true ocean southern horizon with no land obstructions.

An exposed bay on the southeastern tip of Southland, south of the Catlins highway. The bay faces south-southeast over open Foveaux Strait. Bortle Class 2 conditions - no towns within 20 km to the south or east. The bay is reached via Waikawa Road from Fortrose. At night the area is completely dark and the southern horizon is unobstructed ocean. At Kp 2-3, aurora australis appears to the south and south-southeast from the shoreline. The combination of southern latitude (46.6°S geographic) and open ocean horizon makes this one of the more productive aurora positions in accessible Southland. The road is unsealed in sections - check conditions before driving at night.