Total solar eclipse leads to hotels being fully booked two years early in New Zealand city

Hotels in the New Zealand city of Dunedin are becoming fully booked two years before the date, as the city gets ready for its first total solar eclipse in over 850 years.

At exactly 4:17pm on July 22, 2028, the moon will move in front of the sun. This will create a shadow band, about 100km wide, across parts of southern New Zealand. Everywhere within this band, including the popular tourist spot Queenstown in the west and Dunedin city in the east, will experience about 2 minutes and 51 seconds of darkness during the day.

Even though there are still two years until the event, hotels are already receiving booking requests. For example, the Dunedin Leisure Lodge is completely booked for its special eclipse package, which even includes free eclipse glasses.

Dr Ian Griffin, an astronomer and the director of Tūhura Otago Museum, explained that the last eclipse visible from Dunedin happened in 1163. He added that this was before people had even arrived in New Zealand. He stated that this makes the upcoming event very special, as the current residents will be the first people in Dunedin’s history to witness a solar eclipse from this region.

This will also be the first total solar eclipse seen anywhere in New Zealand since 1965. Griffin believes that the approximately three minutes of darkness, if the sky is clear, will be an unforgettable experience for anyone who witnesses it.

On Wednesday, Dunedin’s museum marked the two-year countdown. This event is expected to be a significant boost for tourism in the city. It is estimated that around 35,000 visitors will come to Dunedin, which currently has a population of 130,000.

Dr Griffin has been preparing for this eclipse since 2013. He even mentioned that he bought his house years ago specifically because it would offer a good view of the eclipse. The eclipse is scheduled to occur in mid-winter, shortly after New Zealand celebrates Matariki, the Māori new year. Matariki refers to a star cluster also known as the Pleiades. While this constellation is usually visible in New Zealand for most of the year, it disappears for about a month in winter before becoming visible again around the winter solstice.

Dunedin is planning a festival focused on the night sky. This festival will start with Matariki celebrations and continue until the eclipse. Dr Griffin commented that this combination is unique globally, linking a cultural holiday celebrating the night sky with a spectacular eclipse occurring about ten days later.

The mayor of Dunedin, Sophie Barker, has said that excitement for the eclipse is growing throughout the city. She described the upcoming event as a remarkable occasion that is now clearly on the horizon.