Stunning shots of the Aurora Australis were taken last week in the Catlins.
Last Tuesday between 9.30pm and 11pm, Papatowai resident Nicole Peake was outside with her dogs and saw the light beams across the night sky.
"I was so fortunate to see it, so of course I had to go for a drive and get some photos," Mrs Peake said.
"It was an incredible aurora."
While auroras happen all year round, the best time to see them in New Zealand is during the winter months (March to September).
Auroras are most likely to occur during periods of high solar activity.
Some say auroras may happen every couple of weeks, once a month, or several times a week.
The shots were taken in Papatowai and at Florence Hill Lookout.
A massive solar flare eruption caused a 9/9 on the aurora scale, which meant the beams of light could be seen swaying in the sky with the naked eye.
"It was easy to capture with the assistance of my iPhone and night mode," she said.
"The long exposure setting really captured the amazing light beams, vibrant greens, pinks, purples and reds."
"Although auroras are common in the Catlins dark sky, this one was truly fantastic, due to the intensity of it.
"We are very lucky not to have any light distortion in the Catlins, which meant we got to enjoy the full spectrum of light uninterrupted.
"The only other light source was the crescent moon, planets and stars.
"It was truly a magical moment and I thought it wouldbe amazing to share them."
