'Huge naked-eye beams': spectacular aurora australis lights up the southern skies

Onlookers were treated to a stellar show on Sunday when the phenomena appeared above Tasmania and New Zealand's South Island

The southern-most points of Australia and New Zealand have been treated to an extraordinary spectacle as unusually colourful aurora australis lights swept across the skies.

Images and video of the event flooded social media on Sunday night. The Aurora Australis Tasmania Facebook page, which counts more than 52,000 members, was a focal point for people to share what they captured.