Total solar eclipse books out hotels two years in advance in New Zealand city | New Zealand

Hotels in Dunedin, New Zealand, are booking two years in advance as they prepare for the region’s first total solar eclipse in more than 850 years.

At 16.17 on 22 July 2028, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, creating a shadowy band approximately 100 km wide across parts of southern New Zealand. Everywhere in this band, from tourist hub Queenstown in the west to the city of Dunedin in the east, will be plunged into daylight darkness for 2 minutes and 51 seconds.

Although it’s only been two years, hotels are already receiving booking requests, including the Dunedin Leisure Lodge, which is fully booked through Thursday for its “solar eclipse package” that includes free eclipse glasses.

Astronomer and Tūhura Otago Museum director Dr. Ian Griffin said: “The last thing visible from Dunedin was in 1163, before humans reached New Zealand.

“So in Dunedin we will be the first people from this part of the world to see the solar eclipse, which is pretty exciting.”

This will also be the first total solar eclipse to be visible anywhere in New Zealand since 1965.

“Those three minutes of darkness, if it’s on, will be absolutely unforgettable for everyone who sees it,” Griffin said.

On Wednesday, the Dunedin museum started the clock for the two-year countdown to what is predicted to be a major tourism event for the city. Approximately 35,000 visitors are expected to come to the city with a population of 130,000.

Meanwhile, Griffin has been preparing for the eclipse since 2013.

“I bought my house years ago based on the fact that the eclipse would be visible,” he said.

The eclipse will occur in the middle of winter in New Zealand, just after the country celebrates Matariki (Maori new year). Matariki is the Maori name for a star cluster known elsewhere as the Pleiades. The constellation is visible from New Zealand for 11 months of the year, but disappears from the skies for a month in winter and reappears around the winter solstice.

Dunedin is planning a night sky festival starting from Matariki and running until the eclipse.

“It’s actually unique anywhere in the world,” Griffin said. “We have a cultural holiday celebrating the night sky, and we will follow that with a spectacular eclipse in about 10 days.”

Dunedin mayor Sophie Barker said anticipation of the eclipse was felt throughout the city. “This extraordinary event is now firmly on the horizon.”