Ranfurly Total Solar Eclipse 2028

Ranfurly, in the high Maniototo basin, gets 2 minutes 17 seconds of totality at 4:17 p.m. NZST, with the Sun 9 degrees up over open country.

By Mark Mayo, who has stood in the Moon's shadow at three total solar eclipses. Published 3 November 2026. Updated 3 November 2026.

Ranfurly on 22 July 2028

Totality in central Ranfurly lasts 2 minutes, 17 seconds, at about 4:17 p.m. NZST on 22 July 2028. The partial eclipse runs from 3:08 p.m. NZST to 5:20 p.m. NZST. Totality varies by less than five seconds across the 3 Ranfurly sites measured below, so choose on sightline and access.

Ranfurly's key decision: an open horizon or longer totality further south?

The Maniototo's open basin gives Ranfurly the clearest view of the low Sun in Central Otago, but its totality is short. Middlemarch, an hour south, gets half a minute more.

The Sun is 8 degrees clear of the terrain from every measured site.
Naseby, 15 km north, gets only 1m 55s; Middlemarch 2m 48s.
Expect hard frost: dress for temperatures near zero by sunset.

Eclipse times in Ranfurly

First contact: 3:08 p.m. NZST
Maximum: 4:17 p.m. NZST
End: 5:20 p.m. NZST
Totality: 2 minutes, 17 seconds
Magnitude: 1.009

In UTC on 22 July 2028: first contact 03:08, maximum 04:17, eclipse ends 05:20. Add to calendar (.ics)

At maximum eclipse, the Sun stands about 9 degrees above the northwest horizon as seen from Ranfurly.

Ranfurly in the path of totality

Ranfurly lies about 35 km inside the northern edge of the path, so totality is short here and grows to the south. The measured sites agree within two seconds. Naseby, 15 km north, gets only about 1 minute 55 seconds, while Middlemarch, about 60 km south on State Highway 87, gets about 2 minutes 48 seconds.

What you will see in the dark sky

During totality the sky over Ranfurly darkens to deep twilight. Look for Mercury, 5 degrees up in the northwest, only 4 degrees from the eclipsed Sun; Jupiter, 41 degrees up in the north. From Ranfurly the brightest stars likely to show are Sirius (west), Canopus (southwest), Alpha Centauri (southeast), Arcturus (northeast).

Planets and bright stars above Ranfurly at maximum eclipse
Object	Height	Direction	Magnitude
Mercury	5°	northwest	-1.9
Jupiter	41°	north	-1.8
Sirius	24°	west	-1.5
Canopus	40°	southwest	-0.7
Alpha Centauri	59°	southeast	-0.3
Arcturus	16°	northeast	-0.1

Positions for Ranfurly at 04:17:26 UTC, from JPL's DE421 ephemeris, listing objects brighter than magnitude +1 and at least 5 degrees up.

What makes Ranfurly distinctive for the 2028 eclipse?

Ranfurly is an Art Deco town: after a series of fires in the 1930s, much of the main street was rebuilt in the style of the time. It is a stop on the Otago Central Rail Trail, which follows the old railway line through the Maniototo. Source.

3 Ranfurly viewing sites, measured

The Maniototo is a wide, open basin, and that is Ranfurly's advantage: from every measured site the terrain rises only about 1 degree toward the Sun, leaving it 8 degrees clear, more than in Cromwell or Wānaka. Any open paddock edge or reserve works.

Measured at each site for maximum eclipse, when the Sun is about 9° high at azimuth 311°.
Site	Totality	Terrain horizon toward Sun	Sun vs terrain	Ground
Maniototo Park Recreation Reserve	2:18	1.2°	Clear by 8°	422 m
Ranfurly town centre	2:18	1.1°	Clear by 8°	428 m
Otago Central Rail Trail south of Ranfurly	2:19	1.3°	Clear by 8°	404 m

Each chart traces Ranfurly's terrain 30° either side of azimuth 311°, where the Sun stands at maximum; it shows hills, not trees or buildings (how the sites were measured).

Maniototo Park Recreation Reserve

The town's recreation reserve, with open ground and the clearest measured margin. Facilities and access.
Ranfurly town centre

The Art Deco main street and the old railway station, a short walk from accommodation. Facilities and access.
Otago Central Rail Trail south of Ranfurly

Open trail across the basin toward Waipiata, reachable on foot or by bike, with an unbroken view to the north-west. Facilities and access.

If you want more totality: south toward Middlemarch

Driving south down State Highway 87 adds totality steadily: Middlemarch, about an hour away, gets about 2 minutes 48 seconds. The Strath Taieri around Middlemarch is also open country, but check your site's north-west horizon. Decide by lunchtime and drive in daylight.

Eclipse day in Ranfurly

First contact is at 3:08 p.m. NZST, totality runs from about 4:16 to 4:18 p.m. and the partial phase ends at 5:20 p.m., a few minutes before sunset. Dress for serious cold: the Maniototo is one of Aotearoa New Zealand's coldest places in winter.

Getting to Ranfurly

Ranfurly is about 125 km and an hour and a half from Dunedin, via State Highway 87 through Middlemarch or State Highway 85 via Palmerston, and about two and a half hours from Queenstown. Most visitors will come by car; many cycle the rail trail in summer, but it is a cold ride in July.

Who Ranfurly suits

Ranfurly suits visitors who want an open sky with little terrain in the way and a quiet country town. It is less suited to anyone chasing duration; Middlemarch and Cromwell get more than half a minute longer.

Safety in Ranfurly

Expect hard frosts and possible snow: Aotearoa New Zealand's lowest official temperature, minus 25.6 degrees, was recorded at Ranfurly in July 1903. Carry warm clothes, chains and a full tank, and do not rush home on icy roads after dark. See the eye safety guide.

Questions about Ranfurly

Where is the best place to watch the eclipse in Ranfurly?

Of the measured sites, Otago Central Rail Trail south of Ranfurly has the longest totality, 2:19. The Sun clears the terrain at every Ranfurly site measured, so trees, buildings and facilities decide the rest.

Is Ranfurly in the path of totality?

Yes, with about 2 minutes 17 seconds. Naseby, 15 km north, is closer to the edge and gets about 1 minute 55 seconds; Middlemarch, to the south, about 2 minutes 48 seconds.

Why choose Ranfurly over Queenstown or Cromwell?

For the horizon: the Maniototo basin is wide and open, so the Sun is 8 degrees clear of the terrain from the town, against 2 to 4 degrees in Cromwell. It gets less totality, but you are more likely to see it if the sky is clear.

Nearby city guides

Compare Cromwell, Dunedin, Wānaka, or browse all city guides.

Sources

Ranfurly's eclipse times are calculated from NASA GSFC Besselian elements (path table). The Ranfurly site horizons use the terrain model behind the visibility map, with coordinates from OpenStreetMap.