Western Australia Travel Blog, Part 5

The total solar eclipse over Exmouth

Shot of totality at Exmouth

While there were a few wispy clouds at Exmouth on April 19—something the eclipse will burn through according to my experience with the July 22, 2009 total eclipse in China—the forecast was very good. And indeed, when I woke up early in the morning on April 20, the skies were spotless, an azure blue throughout.

More than a year ago, when I was planning for this eclipse, I was thinking about seeing it from it from above the canyon at Cape Range National Park near Exmouth. I had visited Western Australia back in July 1999 with my friends Peter and Michel, and I vividly remember how beautiful Cape Range National Park was—especially Charles Knife Canyon—and to see the shadow of the moon speeding over the canyon would have been perfect.

Charles Knife Canyon

Unfortunately, the authorities in Western Australia decided otherwise. They closed off Cape Range National Park during the days around the total solar eclipse, probably afraid people would go camping in the wild—they would—and then pollute the place (a loathsome minority probaly would). So only locals—one pass per household—were allowed in and I was shit out of luck.