Lake Macquarie total solar eclipse, 22 July 2028

Which suburbs get totality?

Inside: Wyee (about 2 min 06 s), Mannering Park (1 min 45 s), Morisset (1 min 40 to 44 s), Cooranbong (1 min 36 s), Bonnells Bay (1 min 26 s), Catherine Hill Bay (1 min 13 s), Murrays Beach (about 48 s). Right on the edge: Caves Beach, Swansea, Wangi Wangi. Outside: Toronto, Belmont, Warners Bay, Charlestown.

Suburb by suburb

The northern edge crosses the lake on a diagonal from Caves Beach through Swansea and Wangi Wangi to Toronto. South and west of that line you're in. Morisset, Cooranbong, Wyee, Bonnells Bay, Mannering Park, Catherine Hill Bay and Murrays Beach all get totality, from under a minute near Murrays Beach to about 2 minutes at Wyee. Belmont, Warners Bay, Charlestown and Toronto get about 99 to 99.99% of the Sun covered.

Edge-chasing for the brave

Close to the edge, totality is short but the start and finish are spectacular. Baily's beads, the diamond ring and the pink chromosphere can last longer than they do in the middle of the path. Experienced eclipse chasers sometimes choose the edge on purpose. If it's your first eclipse, go a few kilometres further south and enjoy a solid minute or two of totality.

Getting there

Morisset and Wyee stations are on the Central Coast & Newcastle Line, which is handy for Newcastle residents heading south. The Pacific Highway through Swansea will be busy all morning. Catherine Hill Bay has very limited parking, so leave early or walk in from the national park.

What you'll see in Lake Macquarie, minute by minute

Times are AEST for Morisset.

1. 12:40:52 pmfirst contact. In Morisset the Moon begins to edge onto the right-hand side of the Sun. Put glasses on and keep them on for the whole eclipse, including totality.
2. About 1:30 pmabout 54% covered. The light on the lake turns flat with a faint metallic tint, and the shade under trees fills with small crescent-shaped spots.
3. About 1:45 pmabout 78% covered. Mid-afternoon starts to look like late afternoon. July at Williamtown averages 16.2°C at 3 pm, and as the light fades the air cools; birds may go quiet.
4. About 1:55 pmabout 94% covered. Look north-west, past Cooranbong: the sky there darkens as the Moon's shadow heads for the lake at more than 4,000 km/h.
5. 2:00:55 pmthe diamond ring flashes and totality begins over Morisset. Glasses stay on. The sky goes dark, and all around the lake the horizon takes on a sunset glow.
6. 2:02:36 pmthe second diamond ring, on the opposite edge of the Moon, ends 1 min 40 s of totality. Glasses are still on.
7. 3:14:58 pmlast contact. The Moon leaves the Sun's edge and the eclipse at Morisset is over.

Where the edge is

The northern edge cuts across Lake Macquarie on a diagonal, from Caves Beach and Swansea past Wangi Wangi and Toronto. From there it carries on north-west under Cessnock, through Pokolbin, between Broke and Singleton and past Denman and Merriwa. The north side here takes in Toronto, Belmont, Warners Bay and Charlestown, where the eclipse peaks at about 99 to 99.99%. On the south side totality builds quickly near the line and then levels off, at about 50 s 2 km inside, 75 s at 5 km, 1 min 40 s at 10 km and about 2½ min at 22 km. Murrays Beach, about 2 km in, gets 48 s.

Where to look

At totality the Sun is about 29° up in the north-north-west, bearing 327° true, roughly a third of the way up the sky. A lake or sea view is not required, just a clear line in that direction. The Mannering Park foreshore looks north over the lake, so the eclipsed Sun sits over open water or the low far shore. At Murrays Beach it is up to your right over the lake, and at Catherine Hill Bay, where the beach faces east, it is behind you over the village hill. The real risk is something close: anything on your NNW side hides the Sun if you are nearer to it than about 1.8 times its height. Stand at least 18 m from a 10 m tree, or 110 m from a 60 m, 20-storey tower.

On the showground or a lakeside reserve, keep further from any tree or building on your NNW side than about 1.8× its own height: 18 m for a 10 m tree, 110 m for a 20-storey tower.

Where to watch in Lake Macquarie

Watching safely in Lake Macquarie

Take Morisset as the example. ISO 12312-2 certified glasses go on at 12:40:52 pm and stay on for the whole eclipse, until last contact at 3:14:58 pm, including totality from 2:00:55 pm to 2:02:36 pm. Every suburb follows the same rule, inside the path or not: glasses on from first contact to last contact. In Belmont, Warners Bay, Charlestown and Toronto there is no totality, and Swansea, Caves Beach and Wangi Wangi are on the edge, but the glasses rule does not change. Sunglasses, smoked glass and homemade filters are not safe, and a camera, binoculars or telescope needs a proper solar filter on the front before you look through it.

Times across the area

Times AEST, computed from JPL DE421 lunar ephemeris and cross-checked against NASA/Espenak Besselian elements. Swansea, Caves Beach and Wangi Wangi sit on the edge, and at Murrays Beach, about 2 km inside it, durations can be out by 10 s or more.

Cloud, cold and crowds

Williamtown averages 11.3 clear and 9.1 cloudy July days; Nobbys 9.7 clear. (Mean 3 pm temperature in July: 16.2°C.)

Most of the city's population lives north of the edge, so expect a large movement south on the day. Southern-shore reserves are small, so spread out and go deeper into the path (Wyee, Mannering Park, Central Coast) for both duration and space.

Eclipse questions for Lake Macquarie

Buying for a group in Lake Macquarie

Wherever a school sits relative to the line, the eclipse is on a Saturday, so glasses and safety lessons in Lake Macquarie need to happen on Friday 21 July 2028 or earlier. Councils, clubs, venues and accommodation hosts running viewing events, from Morisset to Warners Bay, should allow one certified pair for each person. Lake Macquarie has 213,845 people and most of them live north of the edge, so expect a rush for glasses in the final weeks as well as on the roads. We supply bulk cartons, fundraising boxes of 20 to 250 pairs for schools and clubs, and custom-branded glasses from 500 units with an artwork proof before printing. Events north of the line, in Belmont, Warners Bay or Charlestown, need glasses on for the whole eclipse.

• Bulk & wholesale
• Custom-branded glasses
• School & club fundraising
• Eclipse safety plan for schools

Other places on the path

• Newcastle eclipse guide
• Central Coast eclipse guide
• Cessnock eclipse guide
• Maitland eclipse guide
• 2028 eclipse times across Australia
• Interactive eclipse map

← Back to the 2028 eclipse guide