The Milky Way over Memory Park

We've been having some wonderfully starry nights lately and the diminishing moonlight has added to the shininess off the stars. The night of January 1st was 0.0% moonlight so no light pollution from the moon at all. I've been hankering to get down to the beach with my camera - and with some connivance from my daughter-in-law last night, we had an hour down there. It was well worth the effort.

This image has a foreground of the island that is called Memory Park, which is hardly ever an island any more, while the backdrop is the stunning sky of the Milky Way, including the Southern Cross.

Intriguingly enough, in the lower right hand corner of the sky is what I think must be part of the Aurora Australia - maybe never before captured as far north as Great Barrier Island! I've talked to one of the long-time locals, he's seen the image and says that there is no light source south of here that would give that colour in the sky!

P. got cold and I coughed a fair bit - and it was worth every second, for both of us.
Maybe again tonight???