On Tuesday night, I was casually scrolling through my Facebook feed (as you do) and there was suddenly an explosion of Queenstonians commenting on the auroras.
I was hopeful, when planning on travelling to New Zealand, that we might be able to catch a glimpse of the Southern Lights, but I did think that they were a rare sight and my expectations were not high. So we were both pretty excited to think that we might be able to see them from our new home.
We left it a bit late thinking that we had missed it already, so didn't get to Skippers Lookout (on the way up Coronet) until about 9. It was difficult to see anything with the naked eye, and absolutely freezing- glad I wore my ski gear! However, it was a beautiful night anyway- the Milky Way clear above us- and so we hung around for about an hour. The camera was luckily able to capture a lot more than we could see and we ended up with a few good shots for a first attempt!
We left it a bit late thinking that we had missed it already, so didn't get to Skippers Lookout (on the way up Coronet) until about 9. It was difficult to see anything with the naked eye, and absolutely freezing- glad I wore my ski gear! However, it was a beautiful night anyway- the Milky Way clear above us- and so we hung around for about an hour. The camera was luckily able to capture a lot more than we could see and we ended up with a few good shots for a first attempt!
Looking South-ish. The pinks are bouncing off The Remarkables. Queenstown itself is hidden from view.
I wish I wasn't in this one, I'm over exposed, but it is the best shot of the green stripes appearing behind my head.
Messin' about with the long exposure. The group in the background was doing the same I think!
Apparently you need it quite cold and obviously quite clear. There are websites out there to help you judge the best times and places for viewing, however the auroras are notoriously unpredictable and I found it easiest to just wait and see if the locals have spotted them, and follow their advice!
Apparently you need it quite cold and obviously quite clear. There are websites out there to help you judge the best times and places for viewing, however the auroras are notoriously unpredictable and I found it easiest to just wait and see if the locals have spotted them, and follow their advice!