Western Australia’s East Kimberley has boosted funding in preparation for a once-in-a-century total solar eclipse taking place in July 2028.
Comprising the far northeastern corner of Western Australia, the East Kimberley region is tipped to be the world’s best location for witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse that will sweep over Australia on 22 July 2028.
With up to five minutes and ten seconds of totality, the region will experience the longest duration of total darkness in Australia – and in the world this century – as the Moon perfectly aligns with the Sun. The effect? A surreal midday twilight, along with a ‘diamond ring’ halo around the Moon as the Sun’s outer corona is revealed.
Add to this the East Kimberley’s exceptionally clear dry-season skies, minimal light pollution and stunning natural backdrops layered with cultural significance, and it’s clear why astronomers far and wide are already readying their telescopes.
Cockburn Range in the East Kimberley is one of the country’s best spots for skygazing. (Credit: Tourism WA)
The rare solar eclipse is expected to attract thousands of Aussie and international visitors to the East Kimberley region.
In preparation, the Cook Labour Government is providing $24.6 million to ensure crucial infrastructure and public safety services are set up. Key actions include upgrading camping sites and water facilities in Kununurra and improving regional telecommunications.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon and Sun align. (Credit: Unsplash/Jongsun Lee)
The funding also includes a proposed public viewing site along the Great Northern Highway within the line of totality.
“The East Kimberley is the best place in the world to see this rare astrological phenomenon, with the longest period of totality, clearest skies and dramatic landscapes," says Regional Development and Kimberley Minister Stephen Dawson.
“The event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for residents and visitors, as well as providing an economic boost to local communities and businesses."
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AI Prompt
What is a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely concealing the Sun. This casts a shadow over Earth, creating a few minutes of total darkness in the path of totality and allowing the Sun’s corona (the outermost part of its atmosphere) to be witnessed. The effect is a halo-like ring around the moon.
Where will the 2028 solar eclipse occur?
The 2028 solar eclipse will see many visitors embarking on a WA road trip. (Credit: Sean Scott)
The 2028 solar eclipse will begin over the Indian Ocean, before crossing over Australia’s Cocos Keeling Islands and Christmas Islands. Then, it will pass Western Australia’s northern Kimberley coast and make landfall in the Kimberley region before travelling across central Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales.
For visitors travelling to the East Kimberley to witness the rare phenomenon, some of the best viewing spots include around Kununurra, Wyndham and Purnululu National Park, along with parts of the Great Northern Highway.
When will the 2028 solar eclipse occur?
The total solar eclipse will occur on Saturday 22 July, 2028, with maximum totality expected to be visible around 11am. A partial eclipse will also be visible for around one and a half hours before and after the totality period.
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or testing her friends’ patience with increasingly obscure vocabulary.
Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.
Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.
In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.
Day 1
Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.
There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.
Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.
Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.
Day 2
After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.
Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.
Day 3
Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.
With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.
Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.
Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay. Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.
For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up, courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.
Day 4
Elevate your dining experiences at Pair’d X Range Rover Beach Club.
Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.
Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines. Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.
If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering, where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.
Day 5
Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)
Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.
Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines. Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.
Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.
Day 6
Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)
After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.
Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.
Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.
Day 7
Farewell the Margaret River.
Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.
