Regional guides to the 2028 eclipse
Before it reaches New South Wales, the 2028 shadow crosses three remote regions of Australia, and afterwards one of Aotearoa New Zealand. Each regional guide lists the towns inside and just outside the path, with calculated totality for each.
The path of totality is about 230 km wide and runs for roughly 4,000 km across Australia before reaching Aotearoa New Zealand. Most of that distance is outback, where the difference between a five-minute eclipse and none at all can be a 50 km drive, and where the nearest fuel, food and phone signal may be further away than that.
These guides cover the parts of the path the town guides alone cannot: where the centre line runs between towns, which well-known places fall just outside the edge, and what it takes to get there in July.
Kimberley total solar eclipse guide
Totality reaches the Kimberley coast at 10:47 a.m. AWST on 22 July 2028 and crosses the region in about 15 minutes. The longest totality on land in Australia, about 5 minutes, is on the Gibb River Road around Ellenbrae and Drysdale River stations. The two towns, Kununurra and Wyndham, sit near the northern edge and get about 3 minutes. Halls Creek and Broome are outside the path.
Best for: the clearest skies and the longest totality on land, on the Gibb River Road stations. Towns with full guides: Kununurra and Wyndham.
Northern Territory total solar eclipse guide
Totality crosses the Northern Territory between about 12:38 and 12:55 p.m. ACST on 22 July 2028. Tennant Creek is the main town in the path, with about 3 minutes 25 seconds. Karlu Karlu (the Devils Marbles), 100 km south on the Stuart Highway, is close to the centre line and gets about 4 minutes 55 seconds. Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin are outside the path.
Best for: a reliable sky on a sealed highway. Karlu Karlu and the Wauchope roadhouse get almost five minutes; Tennant Creek has a full guide.
Outback Queensland total solar eclipse guide
Totality crosses south-west Queensland between about 1:34 and 1:50 p.m. AEST on 22 July 2028. Bedourie gets about 4 minutes 27 seconds and Thargomindah about 4 minutes 16 seconds. Birdsville, famous as it is, sits about 7 km outside the southern edge and sees a 99.97% partial eclipse, so drive a few kilometres north.
Best for: experienced outback travellers. Bedourie and Betoota get about four and a half minutes; Birdsville is just outside the path.
South Island total solar eclipse guide
Totality crosses the South Island between about 4:15 and 4:18 p.m. NZST on 22 July 2028, about an hour before sunset, with the Sun 8 to 11 degrees above the north-west horizon. Milford Sound, Glenorchy and Queenstown get about 2 minutes 55 seconds; Dunedin about 2 minutes 51. Te Anau misses the path by about 2 km, and Christchurch sees only a partial eclipse.
Best for: a low-Sun eclipse over lakes and mountains, an hour before sunset. Towns with full guides: Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell, Ranfurly and Dunedin.
New South Wales has no separate regional guide because its towns are covered one by one: Bourke, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Katoomba, Penrith, Sydney, Gosford and Wollongong. The inland NSW road trip links them up.
Every time on these pages comes from the same calculation: NASA's Besselian elements solved for each place's coordinates. To check a spot that is not listed, use the interactive map or download the table of more than 100 towns.