Best month to see the southern lights (aurora australis) in Lake Tekapo

Month-by-month viewing quality

Why these months?

Two things decide your odds in Lake Tekapo: darkness and activity. You need real darkness — so the bright summer months are out no matter how strong the aurora is. On top of that, geomagnetic storms run statistically stronger around the spring and autumn equinoxes (the Russell–McPherron effect), which is why June and July and May tend to edge out the dead of winter. Lake Tekapo's season runs southern winter — march to september.

Lake Tekapo sits inside the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, some of the most protected night sky on Earth. Be clear about what that does and does not buy you: the darkness is world-class, but Tekapo is further from the southern oval than Queenstown, so it takes a major storm.

Where to stand in Lake Tekapo

The lake shore by the Church of the Good Shepherd, or Mount John, both with an open southern view across the water. Dark skies mean you will see a faint display here that would be invisible from a city.

Tours & stays to book