Eclipse Whisperer
Sydney or the outback for the 2028 eclipse?
Sydney lies inside the path and gets 3 min 48 s of totality, but in past years the sky at eclipse time was clear only 50% of the time. Driving a few hours inland does not fix that, so the best odds are in the outback of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, where totality is shorter but the sky is far more often clear.
Towns compared
| Place | Population | Totality | Starts (local) | Sun height | Clear-sky chance | Expected totality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 5,600,000 | 3 min 48 s | 14:00 AEST | 29° | 50% | 1 min 54 s |
| Dubbo | 44,000 | 3 min 51 s | 13:55 AEST | 32° | 38% | 1 min 28 s |
| Bourke | 2,000 | 4 min 05 s | 13:50 AEST | 35° | 58% | 2 min 22 s |
| Tennant Creek | 3,100 | 3 min 21 s | 12:48 ACST | 50° | 83% | 2 min 47 s |
| Kununurra | 4,500 | 2 min 50 s | 11:00 AWST | 53° | 74% | 2 min 06 s |
| Queenstown | 10,000 | 2 min 55 s | 16:15 NZST | 10° | 7% | 0 min 12 s |
Expected totality is the length of totality multiplied by the clear-sky chance, which gives a rough idea of how much totality you can expect to actually see.
Sydney: long totality, uncertain weather
In Sydney totality starts at 14:00 on a winter afternoon, with the Sun 29° up in the north-northwest. That is high enough to clear most buildings from a park or a beach. July weather in Sydney is often fine, but cloud from coastal showers and passing fronts is common enough that our records show a clear sky only about half the time.
Inland New South Wales is not much of an escape
It is tempting to drive west over the Great Dividing Range for drier air, but the records don't support that for this date and hour. Dubbo was clear only 38% of the time, which is worse than Sydney, and Bourke, far out on the plains, only 58%. Bourke does have the longest totality in Australia (4 min 05 s), so it is a good choice on a day the forecast favours it, but not a reliable bet months ahead. Independent satellite cloud studies by eclipse meteorologist Jay Anderson show the same pattern, with winter cloud over inland New South Wales about as frequent as on the coast.
The outback: shorter totality, clearer skies
Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, on the Stuart Highway about 500 km north of Alice Springs, was clear 83% of the time, with the Sun 50° up. Its totality is 3 min 21 s, which gives it the best expected totality of any town in Australia. Kununurra in Western Australia is another good outback choice at 74%. Accommodation in these small towns is limited, so expect organised camps and book early.
New Zealand: a very low Sun
In New Zealand the eclipse happens close to sunset, with the Sun only 10° up in Queenstown, and the winter skies of the South Island were rarely clear at that hour (7% in Queenstown, while the best expected totality in New Zealand is 0 min 44 s in Mosgiel). It is a dramatic setting if the weather cooperates, but the odds are against you.
A practical plan
- If you are in Sydney anyway: stay, pick a viewing spot with a clear view to the north-northwest, and watch the forecast. Have a backup site a few hours' drive in either direction in case a band of cloud is forecast to sit over the city.
- If you are travelling for the eclipse: the outback gives the best odds. Fly to Alice Springs, Darwin or Kununurra and drive into the path.
- Either way: book refundable rooms, and decide on the final spot a few days out using the forecast.
You can see every Australian town in the path on our Australia page and the full ranking by length of totality.