Solar Eclipse Port Douglas 14th of November 2012

• Wangetti Beach: Open. A large parking area will be available opposite Wangetti College for a gold coin donation to the school. The beach is accessible from this parking area along a 400m road. The beach access road will be closed to vehicle traffic from 4pm Tuesday 13 November to 12pm Wednesday 14 November. There will be reduced speed zones of 40km/hr in the area of Wangetti and strictly enforced.
  
• Rex Range Lookout: Closed, with no parking in the vicinity of these lookouts.
• Oak Beach: Open to vehicular traffic, however parking is limited. Once capacity is reached the area will be closed. There will be reduced speed zones of 60km/h in the area of Oak Beach and will be strictly enforced.
• Port Douglas:
  • Esplanade at Four Mile Beach: Closed between Macrossan and Mowbray from 8pm November 13 to 8am November 14. Residential traffic only
    • PLEASE NOTE: Macrossan and Mowbray will be open, except at the Esplanade end.
  • Island Point Road: Closed. Residential traffic only.
  • Murphy Street: Closed. Residential traffic only.
  • Flagstaff Lookout: Closed
• Alexandra Range lookout: Closed.

Please note: on the morning of the eclipse, there may be a significant increase in the number of vehicles using roads, particularly the Captain Cook Highway and Mossman-Mount Molloy Road. The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) Road advises that users should expect delays and, where possible, reconsider any non-essential travel.

For up to date information about traffic conditions can be obtained from the TMR Traffic and Travel Information services including 131940.gov.au (website), 131940 (phone line), or @131940_FNNQ (Twitter feed).

• Your home: check the height of the sun from 5.44am (when the partial eclipse will begin) in the days leading up to the eclipse. This may be a good alternative if you do not wish to travel by car to another position.
• Open fields with large, clear outlook to the east.
• Wangetti Beach:
• Four Mile Beach:
  • Public parking available at Reynolds Park (Cnr Davidson & Blake Streets)
  • Headland stairway closed to general public, except to Headland Competition winners
  • Live broadcast by Radio Port Douglas from the Surf Livesaving Hut from 5.30am
  • Avoid parking and traffic delays and ride your bike or walk to the beach – just remember your safety lights!
• Cooya Beach: Self managed parking available
• Newell Beach: Self-managed parking available
• Wonga Beach: Self-managed parking available
• Rocky Point Beach: Self-managed parking available
• Cow Bay, Thornton and Myall Beach: Parking available
• Cape Kimberley: Parking available, no public amenities.

During the total part of the eclipse the sky becomes so dark that some plants and stars will become visible?

At the time of the eclipse, the planets Venus and Saturn will be higher in the sky than the Sun, while Mercury will be between the Sun and the horizon. These planets and the Moon will form a line. This is because all the planets are in approximately the same plane as they orbit the sun.

During a Total Solar Eclipse is the only time this can be seen in this way. It may also be possible to see the bright stars of Sirius and Canopus as well as the stars of the Southern Cross.

• Daintree River Ferry will be open from 4AM on Eclipse morning
• Port Douglas boat ramp
• Captain Cook Highway

1. Never Look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection
2. Always use solar eclipse glasses, or filters that have been made specifically.
3. Look for filters that have been appropriately certified.
4. Before using solar eclipse glasses or filters, check to see if they are scratched or damaged.
5. Do not use solar eclipse glasses or filters that do not show compliance with Australian or European Standards.
6. Do not look directly through binoculars, telescopes or camera optical viewfinders.
7. Alternative safe viewing methods include using pinhole, binocular or telescope projection.