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Where to stand
Park at the lookout above the cliff and stand well back from the edge. Look south over the sea; the aurora usually starts as a green or red glow just above the horizon. The glow of Hobart is behind you, to the north-west.
View towards the pole
Open Storm Bay to the south and east, the glow of Hobart to the north-west
Sky darkness (Bortle scale): 4
Rules and safety
The cliff is not fenced everywhere, so keep well back from the edge after dark. Nearby Clifton Beach is a conservation area, so cross the dunes only on marked tracks. Wallabies and other animals are on the roads at night, so drive slowly.
About the spot
Goats Bluff is a cliff-top lookout on the South Arm Peninsula, about 40 minutes' drive from Hobart. Tasmania lies at a geomagnetic latitude of about 50° S, so in strong storms you can see the southern lights, the aurora australis, here. The aurora appears low in the southern sky, over Storm Bay.
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