Passengers in awe of Aurora Australis on first charter flight to see southern lights

'We've travelled two-thirds of the way to the south pole, seen an incredible display and were home for breakfast,' says organiser

The first commercial flight to view the Aurora Australis landed in New Zealand early on Friday, with 130 star-struck passengers sharing the experience on social media.

The eight-hour charter flight took off from the South Island on Thursday and flew to a latitude of 62 degrees south, where organisers said passengers were guaranteed a view of the aurora.