General terms and conditions of entry for Australian Traveller Media competitions and giveaways.
Instructions on how to enter and prize information forms part of these Terms and Conditions. Participation in any competition is deemed as acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
The promoter is Australian Traveller Media Pty Ltd (A.B.N. 29 113 975 438). of Suite 101, 15 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills NSW 2011 (Promoter).
Competitions are games of skill and as such, winning entries are selected based on the creativity or accuracy of entries submitted.
Entry is open to residents of Australia aged eighteen years or over only. Employees of the Promoter and their immediate families, suppliers, associated companies and agencies are ineligible to enter. Persons under the age of 18 years are not considered adults and therefore are not able to enter. If a winner is discovered to be under 18, they will automatically be disqualified.
Promotion commences and closes on the dates shown. Only the winner(s) will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours or the prize may be reallocated. Reallocation will be based on remaining competition entrants.
Australian Traveller Media reserves the right to share entry data with the prize promoter. On the occasion that this occurs, Australian Traveller Media will clearly specify this for privacy reasons.
To enter, entrants must follow the entry instructions and answer all competition questions. Entries must be received by 11.59pm on the closing date. Incomplete or automated entries will be disqualified. Multiple entries from the same IP address, same email address or from automated competition entry services are invalid.
One entry per person and per household. Multiple entries from the same person or same household will be disqualified.
The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Prize is not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash. No responsibility is accepted for any variation in the value of the prize. If the prize includes travel and accommodation it is the responsibility of the winner to liaise with the prize provider if cancellations or changes are made by the provider. The Promoter cannot take responsibility for cancellations to bookings. Transport to and from an event and all other ancillary costs are the responsibility of the winner.
All competition entrants must reside in Australia. Winners entering from outside Australia will be disqualified.
The Promoter reserves the right to, at any time, verify an entry or entrant and disqualify an entrant the Promoter has reason to believe has submitted an entry not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
All entries in the competition become the property of the Promoter. The Promoter collects personal information from entrants to conduct the competition and may, in the course of business, disclose the personal information to third parties, as required. Entry in this competition is conditional on provision of the personal information requested. Entries may be entered into a database and the Promoter may use the entrants’ names and addresses for future promotional, marketing and publicity in various forms by the Promoter, and the entrant consents to such use. Entrants may direct any request to access their personal information to the Promoter. Additionally, all literary works submitted as part of an entry become the property of the Promoter and it is a condition of entry that those literary works may be used by the Promoter for their own promotional, marketing and publicity purposes without restriction. The promoter may share the entry details with the prize provider.
The Promoter reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the competition without notice.
The Promoter is not liable for any loss (including loss of opportunity) or damage (including, but not limited to, direct, indirect or inconsequential loss) or personal injury in relation to this competition or the use of, or participation in, the prize.
Terms and conditions of any prize tickets must be adhered to. Some events have age restrictions and these must also be adhered to.
Prizes can only be sent to addresses in Australia and any tickets are only valid in or from Australia.
These Terms & Conditions will bind this and any future entry by you into a competition on an Australian Traveller Media site and may be updated from time to time.
The most severe solar storm of the year is underway.
A powerful solar storm is happening right now, and if you’re in southern Australia, tonight might be your chance to see the colourful display.
According to the Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC) at the Bureau of Meteorology, a severe geomagnetic storm is underway. They have issued an Aurora Alert, meaning space weather activity is favourable for viewing the spectacle: “Severe geomagnetic storm in progress. Aurora may be observed during local nighttime hours in good observing conditions at regions as far equatorward as middle latitudes.”
According to the ASWFC’s website, Aurora Alerts are issued “when space weather activity favourable for viewing aurora is in progress. When an alert is current, the alert information indicates the latitudinal range in terms of high, middle, low and equatorial regions where aurora may be visible under good observing conditions.”
What is the Aurora Australis?
Tasmania is the best place in Australia to see the spectacle. (Image: Tourism Tasmania)
The Aurora Australis – also known as the Southern Lights – is one of the most dazzling natural displays visible to the human eye. Put simply, the phenomenon occurs when the sun releases a massive burst of charged particles and magnetic fields into space. These particles are captured and funnelled toward the southern poles by Earth’s magnetic field, colliding with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. The collisions result in light being emitted and a spectacular natural dancing rainbow ensuing.
The past two years have been particularly good years for viewing the phenomenon.
How to see the Aurora Australis
A Southern Lights display can last minutes to hours. (Image: Unsplash/Graham Holtshausen)
Tasmania has historically been the best spot to see the Aurora Australis due to low light pollution and its position closer to the South Pole than mainland Australia. South Arm Peninsula, Bruny Island and Cockle Creek are popular viewing locations on the island.
But the good news is the ASWFC has shared that it’s possible the Aurora Australis could be seen further north, in mid to southern parts of Australia.
In Victoria, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Point Lonsdale and Phillip Island are favourable locations; in New South Wales, Jervis Bay, Kiama or the Blue Mountains might offer you the glowing display; and in South Australia, the Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and Eyre Peninsula offer excellent southern exposure.
A Southern Lights display can last minutes to hours, with the best active window typically being between 10pm and 2am.
