North-west
Best long-range signal
ASA's cloud climatology guidance favors the north-western Australian portion of the track.
☀ July 22, 2028 · Australia + New Zealand
Build a 2028 eclipse trip with more than one way to win.
The path runs from the Kimberley across inland Australia and Greater Sydney, then crosses New Zealand's South Island. Compare duration, Sun altitude, long-range cloud signal, trip complexity and forecast mobility before you book.
5m 10s global maximum~5m 05s Mitchell Falls benchmark3m 44s Sydney benchmark2m 49s Queenstown benchmark
Local values on this cluster are planning benchmarks from AAQ/Terry Cuttle. Exact contact times and duration depend on the final coordinate.
Decision, not just map
The 2028 path contains very different trips.
A five-minute remote eclipse in the Kimberley, a mobile inland road trip, totality over Sydney and a low-Sun winter eclipse in New Zealand are not interchangeable travel products.
5:05
Mitchell Falls
AAQ benchmark combines near-five-minute duration with a 53° Sun, but access is demanding.
3:44
Sydney
Exceptional logistics and iconic setting, with a more variable coastal weather profile.
8–10°
New Zealand Sun
Queenstown and Dunedin get totality late in the winter afternoon, making horizon selection critical.
2028 source policy: global eclipse type and maximum-duration context are checked against NASA GSFC. Local planning benchmarks on this 2028 cluster use the AAQ/Terry Cuttle circumstances table. Path and qualitative weather guidance use the Astronomical Society of Australia. Exact circumstances vary with coordinates; this site is not an official eclipse service.
Start with a strategy
Choose the kind of eclipse trip you actually want.
The planner creates three alternatives from a curated dataset; its score is a transparent planning index, never a clear-sky probability.
Clear-sky first
Favor north-west and inland Australia, then keep enough mobility to react to the short-range forecast.
Run clear-sky planner →Easy logistics
Favor strong transport, accommodation and medical/service infrastructure without leaving totality.
Run logistics planner →Iconic experience
Compare Sydney Harbour, Karlu Karlu and South Island scenery while keeping weather risk visible.
Run iconic-trip planner →Shortlist
Three very different anchors.
Use these as trip-base ideas, not guaranteed observing coordinates. The final point should be chosen inside totality after checking access and weather.
Best long-range signal
Mitchell Falls
Western Australia · Kimberley
5:05totality
10:49:05 AWSTstart of totality benchmark
53°Sun altitude
Best long-range signallong-range planning context
Demandingtrip logistics
A near-centerline Kimberley benchmark with about five minutes of totality and one of the strongest long-range weather signals on the Australian track.
Open guide →Good
Bourke
New South Wales · Outback NSW
4:00totality
13:50:06 AESTstart of totality benchmark
35°Sun altitude
Goodlong-range planning context
Moderatetrip logistics
A strong inland New South Wales balance point: four minutes of totality, better long-range weather logic than the coast, and useful road-mobility options.
Open guide →Coastal / more variable
Sydney
New South Wales · Greater Sydney
3:44totality
13:59:30 AESTstart of totality benchmark
29°Sun altitude
Coastal / more variablelong-range planning context
Easytrip logistics
The iconic easy-access choice: Greater Sydney lies in the path of totality, with an AAQ benchmark of about 3 minutes 44 seconds, but coastal weather is the key trade-off.
Open guide →Long-tail planning library
Research the trade-off before the forecast exists.
These pages separate what can be planned now — geometry, Sun altitude, access and climatology — from the weather decision that belongs in the final days.
2028 travel planning
When to book, what to keep flexible and why the exact viewing coordinate comes later.
Read guide →2028 weather strategy
Why north-west Australia has a long-range advantage and why no climatology is a day-specific forecast.
Read guide →Australia road-trip strategy
Fuel, range, road constraints and how to preserve Plan B without creating an impossible eclipse-morning drive.
Read guide →Eye safety: use proper solar viewing protection during all partial phases. Direct viewing is safe only during the brief total phase and only from inside the path of totality. See our eye-safety guide.