Hey Traveller,

I witnessed my first total solar eclipse when I was 15, during the August 1999 eclipse that traversed most of Europe. I lived in England at the time, but we travelled to the small part of northern France that was in the narrow path of totality. I considered myself so fortunate at the time, to be able to witness such a rare cosmic event, even though I knew this would be one of the most viewed TSEs in human history (due to the high population densities of areas in the path of totality).

I made sure we went to the countryside, I wanted to avoid the crowds and other urban distractions – and I was glad I did. We walked up a hill, laid down our picnic blanket on the soft summer grass, took out our solar glasses and eclipse projector, and prepared for the moon’s arrival. It took longer than I expected, the moon slowly creeping across the sun’s disc, but as it covered it more and more my excitement and anticipation grew and grew, and things seemed to be happening faster.

Then, from the hilltop, as the moon was just about to reach and cover the last sliver of the sun’s disc, I took of my glasses and looked around. Although it had been getting progressively darker, I’d hardly noticed - it was little different from an overcast day or at dusk. Then, for the blink of an eye, I saw this distinct boundary line of darkness hurtling toward me so fast that I was lucky to even spot it. Suddenly, as soon as the moon’s dark shadow had enveloped the entire area, everything went still and silent. It’s easy to tune out all the noises, the chirping, the buzzing, the singing and general moving around of the nearby wildlife, but you can’t help noticing the contrast when everything just stops – even the leaves seemed to be rustling less. Surrounded by this eery silence, I finally looked up and marvelled at the spectacular sight that is the corona of the sun during a total solar eclipse! WOW… I was filled with awe.

I say this often, and I stand by it religiously, but it cannot be more true than with regard to this cosmic event – no words nor pictures nor video footage can do justice, not even come close, to experiencing, to beholding, to witnessing a solar eclipse in its totality, live and in person! This experience had a profound effect on me, and I could instantly understand why cultures around the world and throughout history had attributed considerable significance to such an event - which most could only possibly hope to witness once in a lifetime, if at all.

For years after, I stayed on the lookout for another eclipse like this one, but total solar eclipses only happen about once every 18 months and are scattered around the globe. Though I was able to catch a couple of partial solar eclipses, these now seemed even less interesting to me than the bi-annual lunar eclipses that I found to be fun, but not particularly breathtaking. I eventually just hit pause on my pursuit to experience the different ways of observing different types of solar eclipses – total, annular, or hybrid; from land, from the sea, or from the air; in the morning, the afternoon, or the evening; at the equator, the polar regions, or in between; so many different experiences to be had.

Fast forward to now and I’ve hit play again on this quest. Motivated by the hybrid eclipse that will be visible from Australia next April, I’ve decided that it’s time for me to share this amazing experience with you so that you too can witness this wonderful cosmic event. There’s not much opportunity left for April 2023 as most cruise ships advertising it are booked out and it’ll only be visible from the tip of WA around Exmouth, and a couple of spots in Indonesia, so not a lot of accommodation – but that shouldn’t stop the truly determined.

It'll then be several years before there’s another one visible from Australia, but the next few years will see some in various interesting spots around the world, so please let me know if you would like to start planning a total solar eclipse trip – or rather, a trip that coincides with a TSE visible from that location. Call or email me now to get started ^^

It is said that a picture paints a thousand words. Following that premise, I would say that a video clip shows a thousand pictures. But neither words nor pictures nor even a thousand videos will ever come close to the first-hand experience of being there, in person, to Witness the Wonders of Our World - while we still can, and because we still can!

Have a wonderful day,
Best regards

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P.P.S. If you are ready to start planning your next WOW trip, please reach out to me or schedule an appointment by clicking on the link below.