Situated at approximately 35 degrees latitude from our South Pole, the Aurora Australis, or 'southern lights', are certainly more elusive to photograph compared to its better known counterpart Aurora Borealis in the northern hemisphere. To give you an idea of just how far away we are from the South Pole, consider that the European equivalent of our distance to the pole would be the Mediterranean Sea; and well, this region is not exactly known for spotting aurora!
Many hours of sleep have been lost in my attempts to photograph the aurora, and more often than not, conditions do not eventuate. In South Australia, we are incredibly fortunate to have very little light pollution though, and even have recognised dark sky reserves. This means that a mere hour out of Adelaide, we too are able to witness these stunning events at times.
So every now and then, those efforts to chase the Aurora pay off; and when they do, there is only one word that seems to encapsulate what it feels like to witness it:
