Southern lights forecast tonight in Australia

The Pinnacle stands at 1,271 m with a sealed road to the top and a stone shelter to get out of the wind. Storm Bay and the Derwent open to the south, well below you, with the city glow off to the east.

Sand on Frederick Henry Bay, twenty-five kilometres east of the city, with open water to the south toward the Tasman Peninsula. Hobart's glow sits low on the western horizon from here, out of the half of the sky that matters.

A headland on the South Arm peninsula with South Arm Road along the top and Storm Bay open to the south. Nothing but water and unlit coast in that direction, which is where the aurora australis appears.

The classic run: about 90 minutes down the Mornington Peninsula to the lighthouse car park, then it's cliffs and nothing but Bass Strait to the south. If the beam shows up on camera here, you're in the right place - Flinders and its blowhole are 15 minutes back up the road if you want a second angle. Check the cloud over the Strait before you commit to the drive.

The Bellarine option, about 90 minutes via Geelong: the lighthouse sits over the Rip with open ocean to the south and Queenscliff's lights safely behind you. Park near the foreshore and walk out toward the pier or up by the lighthouse. Handy if the cloud is sitting over the Mornington side - the two peninsulas often get different weather.

Phillip Island's south coast faces straight into Bass Strait, and the Woolamai surf beach car park is the easy access point - local photographers also rate Pyramid Rock, 15 minutes west. Under two hours from town over the bridge at San Remo, no ferry needed. Follow the Aurora Hunters Victoria Facebook group; when it goes off, this coast is where the photos come from.