Just two days after witnessing one of the greatest bioluminescence shows of my life, Mother Nature decided to raise the stakes. A massive coronal mass ejection was heading our way, promising a huge aurora storm. I frantically checked the weather models to find clear skies, but they were a long way from home…right at the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island, in an area called The Catlins. Completely on a whim, I booked a flight to Dunedin.
Upon landing, I picked up a rental car and drove south, racing the sunset. I knew exactly where I was headed: a remote location I had discovered during a coastal bash on a previous trip. I was banking on it being empty. After a two-hour drive, I arrived at the beach and was pleasantly surprised to find not another soul there. It was a weekday, after all. I packed my gear and began the 45-minute hike to my secret spot.
When I finally arrived, everything seemed to fall into place. The sky was mostly clear, the wind had died down, and the sun was just starting to set. Now, I just needed the aurora to dance.
As darkness fully set in, my camera picked up nothing. I began to worry. Was this trip going to be a total bust? But then, I noticed a faint hue of red, followed by green. Suddenly, all hell broke loose.
Absolutely colossal beams stretched as high as the sky would allow. They started as vivid pinks and pale greens before morphing into a full rainbow of color. The lights danced with an intensity I have never seen before in New Zealand, and it was incredibly vivid even to the naked eye.
At times, the beams would subside, replaced by great washes of green and red. Other times, the sky glowed a brilliant, solid green. Then, to make things even more impressive, the sky began to pulse. It flashed so rapidly with pink and green strobe lights that I couldn’t even timelapse it. I had to switch to video just to capture the speed. I have never seen that phenomenon in New Zealand before.
I stayed up most of the night capturing the show. Enjoy the photos!
