Town run off its feet as 50,000 visitors descend on Exmouth for rare solar eclipse
A tiny Aussie town is rolling in cash after massive crowds flocked to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event. See the photos.
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Social media is overflowing with footage of people witnessing a rare phenomenon unfold in Exmouth, a remote town in Western Australia’s north west.
The photographs show how the moon passed in front of the sun, eventually covering it completely – turning the region dark for 62 seconds, despite it being the middle of the day.
And it wasn’t just the tourists who were buoyed by the experience, the town has won big too, drawing benefits from the cash splashed in the region.
It wasn’t just Exmouth where people could see the eclipse - it was visible from other parts of country.
Students from the University of Queensland at St Lucia, Brisbane, stopped to take in the event.
Solar eclipse chasers from around the world descended on Exmouth to witness the once-in-a lifetime event. And local business is loving every moment of it.
Exmouth deserves a “pat on the back” according to local resort director, David Gillespie, who said the town’s businesses had come together to provide a quality service to the influx of guests.
“I haven’t seen it this busy since Covid,” said Mr Gillespie, director of Exmouth Escape Resort, which has been completely booked out.
According to the WA Visitor’s Centre, more than 50,000 visitors were expected to come through Exmouth for the occasion.
The #NingalooEclipse has begun!!!!!
— Perth Observatory (@perthobs) April 20, 2023
You can watch the #livestream we're doing here: https://t.co/I2lwECVISG#Perth#WA#westernaustralia#perthnews#wanews#communitynews#Eclipse#SolarEclipse2023#SolarEclipse#perthlife#perthevents#ExmouthEclipse#Exmouthpic.twitter.com/a6aVIYWGhS
Mr Gillespie said he hired extra staff to cope with the huge influx of guests, along with the mass exodus expected after the eclipse.
While the resort planned well in advance for the event, Mr Gillespie said the sheer number of guests would push resort resources to its limit.
“If you didn’t plan, it would have been a disaster.”
Camp sites are also reportedly fully booked, including a purpose-built site developed by the state government, with peppered coffee and food trucks run off their feet.
Taylor Hughes, Office Manager of Ningaloo Caravan and Holiday Resort, said the site was at full capacity, but that hadn’t stopped people trying to squeeze in.
“Yesterday we had at least 50 people walk in off the street trying to find somewhere to stay,” Ms Hughes said.
One man, who had flown in from China and walked from the airport, arrived with nowhere to stay, no car, and no tent, Ms Hughes said.
“He spoke no English. We felt so bad, one of the local camp stores found us a tent and we set it up for him,” she said.
Though she’s had to turn others away, Ms Hughes said the entire town was in good spirits.
“It’s like the night before Christmas.”
Cafes are also flat out, with “cues running out the door and everywhere”, according to a server at Ningaloo Basehouse Cafe.
“It’s crazy. A bit of a delayed reaction with everything, but today, it’s crazy,” she said.
A flustered server from Early Bird Cafe’ said staff hadn’t stopped serving all morning, while the Social Society said advanced planning meant the increased patronage was being managed well by her team.
“It’s busy, that’s for sure, but it’s flowing nicely,” Jana said.
She said the entire menu was selling fast, but coffee was the number one item being ordered this morning.
The Reef Convenience Store extended its hours to cater for the influx, and introduced a range of eclipse merchandise, including stubbie holders, magnets and car air fresheners.
Patronage has been “non-stop” according to a shop assistant, who said food and souvenirs had been flying off shelves, with a steady stream of cars filling up with petrol.
At the Whalebone Brewing Company, things were a little calmer, despite the “real buzz around town”.
General Manager Peta Walker said the venue had been busy, but not significantly busier than school holidays usually get.
Ms Walker said they’d extended their opening hours and were “prepared every day to get smashed”.
“From what I hear there’s a lot of people coming into town for the day,” she said.
Ms Gillespie said the vibe of Exmouth was at an all-time high.
“The community needs a pat on the back along with the entire shire, they’ve done a great job.”
In addition to the money tens of thousands of tourists have brought to the region this week, the WA government invested almost $22 million on infrastructure and updates to the region, as well as services just as traffic management for the event.
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