With travel back on the cards for the first time in over two years, many Aussies are jumping at the chance to tick the world’s most breathtaking destinations off their bucket lists.
For many, this includes seeing the famous Northern Lights. However, Australians can spend a small fortune to venture to the Arctic to experience these dramatic light transformations, and that’s assuming you’re lucky enough to not have bad weather or light pollution obstruct the natural show.
But now, there is a revolutionary way for Aussies to experience the Southern Hemisphere’s equivalent, the Aurora Australis, without having to travel too far from home, thanks to the Southern Lights scenic flights with Chimu Adventures. The incredible Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, dance across the sky in amazing colours and formations, one of nature’s most unique scenes, but are best visible from the air, away from light pollution.
The Southern Lights occur naturally in the earth’s sky around the magnetic north and south poles, producing an ethereal and dynamic exhibition of colours that are most visible in high latitude areas.
When we observe this electrical phenomenon, we are witnessing billions of individual collisions of energy lighting up the magnetic lines of our planet.
The Aurora Australis has received much less attention than the Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, due to its accessibility.
While the Northern Lights are most visible from Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Sweden and Iceland, the Southern Lights shine brightest in one of the world’s most remote regions: the Antarctic Circle.
While Aurora enthusiasts have been capturing rare glimpses of the Aurora Australis from Australia and New Zealand at a distance, they have been at a disadvantage due to their inaccessibility.
But how much could we learn, and how much more could we see if we could get closer?
Australians can now experience the Aurora Australis like never before with Chimu Adventures, with lucky travellers getting a front row seat to the Southern Lights.
After boarding a private Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner with a team of expert astronomers, you will head over the Southern Ocean towards Antarctica.
Leaving mid-evening to avoid light pollution and unpredictable weather systems, you will travel above the clouds to chase the Southern Aurora Zone.
With flights leaving from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, you will witness the beauty of stars, constellations and planets unlike you’ve ever seen before.
With Chimu Adventures being the only company to offer this extraordinary experience, the 12-14 hour flights are truly a one-of-a-kind travel adventure.
Passengers will enjoy Qantas inflight services in both business and economy classes, as astronomers will provide expert information during the flight about how an Aurora is created.
During the flight, travellers will witness the majestic curtains of light dancing across the sky, as the kaleidoscope of colours ignite the senses like never before.
The colours of the Aurora differ depending on your altitude, with green the most common colour we see in both the Southern and Northern lights.
The green in an aurora is caused by ions colliding with oxygen at lower altitudes, where reds are the result of collisions occurring at much higher altitudes, making them less common to see.
Blue and purple lights also make an appearance in the Auroras, however our eyes are largely incapable of picking these up.
What can help capture the wide range of colours in the natural Aurora shows is the invaluable lens of a camera.
A modern, sophisticated camera is far more sensitive than the human eye and better at capturing the complexities of colours on display within an Aurora.
The astrophotographers onboard will offer valuable commentary on how to photograph the Aurora, as well as capturing a series of images for your personal collection, allowing you to watch the natural light show first-hand rather than through a lens.
With different booking classes and a seat swapping structure in place to share the best view of this amazing natural display from the large Dreamliner windows, there is an option for everyone to experience the Southern Lights in all their natural glory.
To experience the Aurora Australis natural light show in stunning luxury, with a front-row view of the wonder of the Southern Lights, you can book your seat here.
With Chimu Adventures offering rare and uninterrupted views of the Aurora Australis with the invaluable guidance of astronomy and astrophotography experts, an unforgettable trip to the Southern Lights should be on everyone’s travel bucket list.
This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Chimu Adventures.
Image credits: Supplied