$1.45 a second fee for WA total eclipse of the sun

The WA government will charge people wanting to see the total solar eclipse in the remote town of Exmouth later this year up to $90 a head to witness the spectacle.

A total solar eclipse. Picture: Martin George

The West Australian government will charge people wanting to see the total solar eclipse in the remote town of Exmouth later this year up to $90 a head to witness the spectacle.

Those who wish to watch from a special family-friendly viewing area complete with “free drinking water and marquees for shade” will pay $50 a head for a basic package or $90 if they want to ride a shuttle bus to the site.

The top package works out at $1.45 a second of the eclipse’s 62-second totality, scheduled to occur at 11.29am on April 20.

Those who take up the offer will receive a pre-boxed lunch of smoked chicken waldorf salad, prosciutto and salami, potato salad, biscuit and a dinner roll.

Accommodation in Exmouth at the time of the eclipse has been in astronomical demand for years, with an estimated 18,000 eclipse-chasers from around Australia and the world set to converge on the town.

There have long been anxieties about how the town, with a population of 2800 – will cope with such an ­influx. It has struggled in recent years to manage the huge number of domestic tourists visiting it and the nearby Ningaloo Reef during the pandemic, which put a strain on accommodation and waste infrastructure.

The state government has pumped $22m into helping get the town ready for the eclipse, including upgrading roads, telecommunications networks and local facilities.

WA State Development Minister Roger Cook said the dedicated viewing site was an opportunity to experience the maximum amount of darkness during the eclipse.