After more than three years of planning and preparation, there is plenty of nervous anticipation on Western Australia's Coral Coast as Exmouth locals and interstate and international visitors buzz ahead of tomorrow's solar eclipse.
Travellers have been pouring into town since the start of the week for the eclipse, which will last for less than a minute.
An estimated 20,000 people are expected to be in and around the tourist town to witness the event, which prompted the WA government to tip $22 million into the area to boost infrastructure.
"We're very prepared," Total Solar Eclipse executive program manager Dan Holbrook said.
"We've put a lot of time into this.
"Now it's Exmouth's time to shine and the week is here."
Resident Marueen Graham arrived in town in 1970 and said she had never seen anything like this level of activity before.
"It's good for the town — it'll bring a lot of people," she said.
"We still have the critics, but most people are looking forward to it."
For Japanese traveller Matsumoto, this week's eclipse will be his 18th.
One of a group of 22 eclipse chasers travelling from Japan, he said he had been viewing them since 1983.
"I like them very much, it's a very exciting spectacle," he said.
In addition to the unique solar spectacle, he said he had seen birds stop flying during the totality period of previous eclipses.
Gosnells schoolteacher Jard Collett has come prepared with homemade solar visors.
"It's a modified welding helmet, it's been modified with a shade 11 and shade 9 filter in it," Mr Collett said.
"I'm very excited to see the solar eclipse, I've come up with my son Felix.
"We ended up being able to share the driving, we had a really good trip.
Dictators and rock stars
Eclipses and a general love of astronomy brought astrophysicist Dave Underwood and his wife Anne together.
Dr Underwood said being eclipse chasers made holidays simple.
"There's this thin line across the planet where the shadow of the moon passes and along that line is where your holidays going to be," he said.
"It takes you to some far-flung places that we probably wouldn't have gone to normally."
The British couple first met on a flight back from India after the total solar eclipse in 1995.
"When we went to Mongolia I saw this chap at the airport and said, 'Hello, I remember you from the Indian eclipse' — and that was it.
"From that moment we became an item."
Exmouth will be Ms Underwood's 12th eclipse and Dr Underwood's 13th.
Their passion and willingness to travel has brought them into contact with some interesting characters, including late former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
"He was in his tent a little way away, but we were all there and celebrities do tend to go on eclipse holidays," Ms Underwood said.
"We've shared holidays with Brian May, who's a keen astronomer, from Queen."
Tony Leung flew in to Perth from Hong Kong this week and made the 1,200-kilometre road trip to Exmouth.
"It took me three days," he said.
"I have never seen a solar eclipse before — since I have the time, I felt I must come and take a look at this event."
A better spot than Exmouth?
Exmouth and remote parts of Indonesia are the best land-based locations from which to view the eclipse, but people on water may have a better viewpoint.
Tour organiser and eclipse enthusiast Tim Todd, who saw his first eclipse in 1981, is getting ready to witness his 18th.
He will watch on from a boat moored off the Lowendal Islands, along with 13 guests.
"We've chosen a nice little one that's pretty much all beach — Beacon Island," Mr Todd said.
"We had looked around a lot, because we do these eclipse trips anytime we can."
Some of Mr Todd's group have seen more than 30 eclipses, so mobility and guaranteed visuals will be the key.
"Exmouth is, on paper, a good location, so congrats to everyone going there and I hope it's good," Mr Todd said.
"But there are going to be crowds there and mobility will be difficult.
"So if a cloud comes across at the last moment, you can't really divert somewhere else very easily."
In the event of a last-minute interruption, Mr Todd's group will shoot off at a rate of knots to ensure the best possible view.
The prime location will ensure the guests experience a slightly longer period of eerie darkness during the day.
"We have maybe three or four seconds extra," Mr Todd said.
"Which doesn't sound like much, but it's an added bonus."
