The stronger the emmisions from the sun that cause the aurora, the further south they tend to move, forming a ring around the pole. That explains why they sometimes appear to be to the south.
As has been pointed out, we are at the peak of the suns activity at the moment, so the frequency and strength should be good. It is visable more often than you think whilst flying, although it is usually just a faint glow to the north. The best I have seen around the UK was on the ground last spring. Multi-coloured streaks met at a point to the south, producing a red cloud overhead. The light was bright enough to wake birds, which began singing - very spooky!