Do north and south swap in the Southern Hemisphere?
In India the midday sun is to the south. In Australia it is to the north. Classical Vastu was written north of the equator, and there is no single agreed answer on what that means here. Practitioners take three views:
Directions are directions; a north-east kitchen means the same in Sydney as in Delhi.
The midday sun is in the north in Australia, so the roles of north and south should swap.
Keep the directions but read light and warmth from the local sun.
What VastuIQ does: the score follows the classical directions. Beside any room where the flipped view would change the reading by 25 points or more, the report shows that reading too. For example, a kitchen in the north-east scores 5 classically; in the flipped view it would read as south-east, which scores 100. You see both and decide.
Does Vastu work in Australia?
Vastu can be applied to an Australian home, with one honest caveat: the classical texts were written north of the equator, and practitioners disagree on whether north and south should swap in the Southern Hemisphere. VastuIQ scores the classical directions, corrects your compass for your city (about 13° east in Sydney), and shows the flipped reading beside any room where it would change the result a lot.
North-facing living, Vastu and Australian design
The Australian Government's Your Home guide recommends locating living areas on the north side of the home to take advantage of winter sun, in most climates except the hot humid tropics. Classical Vastu also asks for an open, light north and north-east. So for living areas the two usually agree, even though they start from different reasons.
Compass vs true north in Australia
A compass in most of eastern Australia points 11–13° east of true north; in Perth it is close to true north. Your score uses the exact figure for your own city.
| City | Compass vs true north | Daylight, mid-winter to mid-summer |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney, NSW | 12.8° east | 9.9 – 14.4 h |
| Parramatta, NSW | 12.7° east | 9.9 – 14.4 h |
| Melbourne, VIC | 12.0° east | 9.5 – 14.8 h |
| Brisbane, QLD | 11.1° east | 10.4 – 13.9 h |
| Gold Coast, QLD | 11.4° east | 10.4 – 13.9 h |
| Canberra, ACT | 12.6° east | 9.8 – 14.5 h |
| Adelaide, SA | 8.1° east | 9.8 – 14.5 h |
| Perth, WA | 1.5° west | 10.1 – 14.2 h |
| Hobart, TAS | 15.6° east | 9.0 – 15.4 h |
| Cairns, QLD | 6.5° east | 11.1 – 13.1 h |
| Darwin, NT | 2.1° east | 11.4 – 12.9 h |
Calculated for 2026 with the World Magnetic Model WMM-2025 (NOAA / British Geological Survey) and NOAA solar equations. "East" means a compass points to the east of true north.
Tropical homes: Darwin, Cairns and the north
In the tropics the sun swings to both sides of the sky. In Darwin the midday sun is on the south side for about 114 days a year, and in Cairns for about 86 days. The report notes this for tropical homes, and measures the sun for your exact location.
Australian homes, read correctly
The report uses the names on your plan and reads them the way a home here is built:
Room sizes printed in metres are read as they are.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
Read as a pantry or storage. Traditionally best: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Read as a bathroom or toilet; the north-east and the centre are the places tradition avoids.
A separate dwelling. Check it on its own, with its own outline and front door.
Mark the outline of your own unit; its front door is your unit door.
Check one home, or compare your shortlist
- Score out of 100 and its band
- Your top three issues
- True north correction for your city
- Every room scored, with no-cost and low-cost fixes
- Your floor plans with the zones at true north
- Centre, front door and pada
- Action plan, 90-day plan and checklist
- Two or three homes side by side
- Which home fits Vastu best, and why
- Plus the full report for the home you choose
One-time prices. No subscription, and no remedies or products to buy from us. Every report corrects the compass to true north for your city.
Prices are charged in US dollars and your bank converts them; local amounts are a guide.
Vastu in Australia: questions people ask
Does Vastu work in Australia?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, and they exist in Australia as everywhere, so its guidance can be applied to an Australian home. The open question is the Southern Hemisphere: the classical texts give no separate southern rules and practitioners disagree. VastuIQ follows the classical directions and shows the flipped reading where it changes a room a lot. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Do north and south swap for Vastu in Australia?
Practitioners disagree: some keep the classical directions, some flip north and south because the midday sun is in the north, and some adjust only for the sun. VastuIQ scores the classical directions and, beside any room where the flipped view changes the reading by 25 points or more, shows that reading too.
Is a south-facing house bad in Australia?
No. Tradition favours north- and east-facing entrances, but where the front door sits on its wall and how the rooms are placed matter more. In Australia a south-facing front often means a north-facing backyard and living area, which Australian design guidance favours for winter sun.
How far off is a compass in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth?
About 13° east in Sydney, 12° east in Melbourne and 1° west in Perth (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ corrects every compass reading for your city.
What about Darwin and tropical Queensland?
In the tropics the midday sun is on the south side for part of the year: about 114 days in Darwin. The report notes this for tropical homes and measures the sun for your exact location.
Can I check a granny flat or a unit?
Yes. Check a granny flat as its own home, with its own outline and front door. For a unit or apartment, mark the outline of your own unit; its front door is your unit door.
Can I compare homes before buying in Australia?
Yes. Use Compare 2–3 homes: the side-by-side comparison is free, and Home Buyer Compare (US$79) adds a PDF that ranks the homes and includes the full report for the one you choose.
Vastu for homes in other countries
Written by Manoj Jangra, founder of VastuIQ. Last updated 20 October 2026.
Vastu Shastra is a traditional and cultural practice. VastuIQ reports are not engineering, legal, financial or medical advice and do not promise any outcome.