Wānaka Total Solar Eclipse 2028

Wānaka gets 2 minutes 29 seconds of totality at 4:17 p.m. NZST, with the Sun 10 degrees above the north-western mountains and the sunniest winter skies on the Aotearoa New Zealand track.

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

Wānaka on 22 July 2028

Totality in central Wānaka lasts 2 minutes, 29 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 4 Wānaka sites measured below, so choose on sightline and access.

Wānaka's key decision: lakefront in town or south for more time?

Wānaka has the sunniest July record on the Aotearoa New Zealand track but sits closer to the northern edge than Cromwell. Stay on the lakefront for the lowest horizon, or move south if the forecast favours it.

Roys Bay lakefront has the lowest measured horizon; the Sun is 7.9 degrees clear.
Cromwell, 50 minutes south, gets about 20 seconds more.
The Crown Range road can ice over: do not plan a dash to Queenstown.

Eclipse times in Wānaka

First contact: 3:08 p.m. NZST
Maximum: 4:17 p.m. NZST
End: 5:20 p.m. NZST
Totality: 2 minutes, 29 seconds
Magnitude: 1.011

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 10 degrees above the northwest horizon as seen from Wānaka.

Wānaka in the path of totality

Wānaka lies about 43 km inside the northern edge of the path, so totality grows to the south. The four measured sites vary by four seconds, from 2 minutes 26 seconds on Mount Iron to 2 minutes 30 seconds at Wānaka Station Park. Cromwell, 55 km south, gets about 2 minutes 51 seconds, and Lake Hāwea, to the north, only about 2 minutes 6.

What you will see in the dark sky

During totality the sky over Wānaka darkens to deep twilight. Look for Mercury, 6 degrees up in the northwest, only 4 degrees from the eclipsed Sun; Jupiter, 42 degrees up in the north. From Wānaka the brightest stars likely to show are Sirius (west), Canopus (southwest), Alpha Centauri (southeast), Arcturus (northeast).

Planets and bright stars above Wānaka at maximum eclipse
Object	Height	Direction	Magnitude
Mercury	6°	northwest	-1.9
Jupiter	42°	north	-1.8
Sirius	24°	west	-1.5
Canopus	41°	southwest	-0.7
Alpha Centauri	58°	southeast	-0.3
Arcturus	16°	northeast	-0.1

Positions for Wānaka at 04:17:03 UTC, from JPL's DE421 ephemeris, listing objects brighter than magnitude +1 and at least 5 degrees up.

What makes Wānaka distinctive for the 2028 eclipse?

Satellite records of July cloud along the Aotearoa New Zealand part of the path put the sunniest conditions near Wānaka and the cloudiest at the southern edge near Te Anau. Even so, average cloud across Otago in July is between 45 and 80 per cent, so a clear afternoon is far from certain. Source.

4 Wānaka viewing sites, measured

With the Sun only 10 degrees up, the mountains decide everything. From the measured sites the terrain rises 2 to 3 degrees toward the Sun, leaving it 7 to 8 degrees clear; the lakefront at Roys Bay has the lowest horizon. Mount Iron gives a wider view of the light fading across the basin but has a lower Sun margin and a steep walk.

Measured at each site for maximum eclipse, when the Sun is about 10° high at azimuth 312°.
Site	Totality	Terrain horizon toward Sun	Sun vs terrain	Ground
Mount Iron summit	2:26	3.1°	Clear by 7°	479 m
Roys Bay lakefront	2:29	2.0°	Clear by 8°	282 m
Eely Point	2:28	2.6°	Clear by 7°	287 m
Wānaka Station Park	2:30	2.8°	Clear by 7°	302 m

Each chart traces Wānaka's terrain 30° either side of azimuth 312°, where the Sun stands at maximum; it shows hills, not trees or buildings (how the sites were measured).

Mount Iron summit

A popular 4.5 km loop walk climbing about 250 m above the town, with 360-degree views. Allow 45 minutes to the top and a headtorch for the way down. Facilities and access.
Roys Bay lakefront

The lake edge in front of the town centre, with the lowest measured horizon toward the Sun and open water to the north-west. Facilities and access.
Eely Point

A lakeside reserve north of the town centre with open lawns and lake views to the north-west. Facilities and access.
Wānaka Station Park

The former homestead park behind the lakefront, with mature trees and lawns, near the Waterfall Creek track. Facilities and access.

If cloud sits on the lake: south to Cromwell, decided after lunch

Winter cloud in the Upper Clutha often hangs on the ranges while the basins clear, and the reverse happens on inversion days. Cromwell, 50 minutes south on State Highway 6, gains about 20 seconds and may sit under different cloud. Decide from satellite imagery after lunch; the eclipse is not until 4:16 p.m. Do not plan to cross the Crown Range toward Queenstown in a hurry: it is the highest sealed main road in the country and can ice over in July.

Eclipse day in Wānaka

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., just before sunset behind the mountains. Rehearse your exact spot on a clear afternoon in the week before at 4:15 p.m.; the Sun will be in almost the same place.

Getting to Wānaka

Wānaka is about an hour from Queenstown Airport via the Crown Range or about 1 hour 15 minutes via Cromwell, and about five hours from Christchurch via Lindis Pass. July is ski season, with Cardrona and Treble Cone nearby, and the eclipse falls in the Aotearoa New Zealand school holidays, so accommodation will be tight.

Who Wānaka suits

Wānaka suits visitors who want a lake and mountain setting, the best cloud odds in Aotearoa New Zealand and a ski holiday around the eclipse. It is less suited to anyone who wants the longest totality in Otago: Cromwell and Alexandra get about 20 seconds more.

Safety in Wānaka

Winter driving is the main hazard: carry chains, check NZTA road conditions for the Crown Range and Lindis Pass, and avoid rushing after the eclipse, when everyone leaves in the dark. On Mount Iron, carry a torch and warm layers. See the eye safety guide.

Questions about Wānaka

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

Of the measured sites, Wānaka Station Park has the longest totality, 2:30. The Sun clears the terrain at every Wānaka site measured, so trees, buildings and facilities decide the rest.

Is Wānaka a good place to see the 2028 eclipse?

Yes, if the sky cooperates. It has the sunniest July record on the Aotearoa New Zealand track and a lakefront with an open north-west view, but its totality, about 2 minutes 29 seconds, is shorter than Cromwell's because Wānaka is closer to the northern edge.

Does the Sun set before the eclipse ends in Wānaka?

No, but it is close. The partial phase ends at about 5:20 p.m. and the Sun sets behind the mountains soon after, so the last minutes will be very low.

Nearby city guides

Compare Cromwell, Queenstown, Ranfurly, or browse all city guides.

Sources

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