Jerry Arsoba and Tomasz Czarnecki invite you on a photography tour across Australia & New Zealand with observations of the Total Solar Eclipse near Cairns. During this amazing tour we shall visit the most spectacular spots of the land down under – both the famous ones such as Uluru and Rotorua, as well as some lesser known, yet just as amazing spots that will remaing in your memory for the lifetime. Your guides will be skilled pilots who have axperience both with astronomy and eclipse observations as well as professional photographic background that will help you hone your own photographic workshop while indulging in the spectacular scapes both on land and above heads. Your guides are also english speaking, so don’t worry – you will be able to talk to us 😛

We leave in: [CountDown id=3 width=250 custom_widget=0 year=2012 month=10 day=26 hours=9 minute=40]

26.10.2012

• departure from selected airport (please contact us for arrangements – prices shown are for flights from and to Warsaw, Poland).

28.10.2012 – MELBOURNE

• Melbourne arrival, lodging in hostel and afternoon visti to the city. Generally we rest after long flight.

29.10.2012 – MELBOURNE – BALLARAT – PETERBOROUGH

• We rent cars and drive to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat, reconstructed gold rush town where we shall be taken back in time to the frontier era of Australia.
• Gold Museum in Ballarat, dinner.
• Drive south to the ocean coast in Peterborough.

30.10.2012 – GREAT OCEAN ROAD

• Drive down one of the most beautiful seaside roads in the world – famous Great Ocean Road via z Twelve Apostles
• We stop in Otway National Park to see coala bears on na Cape Otway.
• We shall sleep either in Melbourne hostel or on one of the campgrounds on the way.

31.10.2012 – MELBOURNE – THREDBO – JINDABYNE

• Vistit to Kosciuszko National Park
• Lake Hume, Rocks Plains on the way, lunchtime.
• We arrive in Thredbo.
• Climb to Kościuszko Mt (highest peak of Australia, 2228 m above sea level, part of the way on the lift, some light trekking).
• Camping on the shore of Lake Jindabyne.

01.11.2012 – JINDABYNE – CANBERRA Deep Space Center

• Visit to Canberra Deep Space Center
• Visit to Tidbinbilla Wildlife Reserve.
• Lunchtime..
• Camping in Namadgi National Park.

02.11.2012 – CANBERRA STA – SYDNEY – ALICE SPRINGS

• Drive to Sydney and from there we fly to Alice Springs in Red Centre. Check in at the hostel.
• Time to visit Alice Springs, aborygene art galleries and in the Saloon Pub.
• We shall visit Ryszard Bednarowicz, art historian and specialist in aborygenese art.

03.11.2012 – ALICE SPRINGS – GLEN HELEN

• We pick up a car and make provisions for the next few days in backcountry.
• Visit to West Macdonnell National Park, stopping on the way in Simpsons Gap, Stanley Chasm, Ellery Creek Big Hole, Ormiston Gorge anf Glen Helen Gorge.
• Camping.

04.11.2012 – GLEN HELEN – KINGS CANYON

• Drive down Mereenje Loop Road to the Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park, stopping at Tyler’s Pass Lookout and Gosse Bluff on the way.
• Trekking down Kings Canyon (4-5 h loop).
• Camping.

05.11.2012 – KINGS CANYON – ULURU

• Drive to Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park lodging in Yulara near Uluru.
• Uluru sunset.
• Night time photography of Uluru y the moonlight.

06.11.2012 – ULURU – OLGAS – ALICE SPRINGS

• Uluru sunrise . Uluru trekking (3 h loop). If open, optionally, climb up to the top of Uluru (3h).
• Visit to Olgas, trekking(2 h).
• Return to Alice Springs, with Rainbow Valley at the sunset. Check in to Alice Springs hostel.

07.11.2012 – ALICE SPRINGS – DEVIL’S MARBLES

• Make provisions for the drive north to Darwin. Visit to Devil’s Marbles.
• Camping.

08.11.2012 – DEVIL’S MARBLES – NITMILUK NP

• Visit to Nitmiluk National Park, and termite towers along the way. Camping.

09.11.2012 – NITMILUK NP – KAKADU NP

• Visit to Katherine Gorge, optionally – Katherine River
• Visit to Cutta Cutta Caves.
• Visit to Kakadu National Park, Camping.

10.11.2012 – LITCHFIELD NP

• Visit to Litchfield National Park – Wangi, Tolmer anf Florence Falls, Buley Rockhole.
• Quick nap and night time drive to Darwin airport.

11.11.2012 – DARWIN – CAIRNS

• Arrive in Cairn, check in and rest and relaxation time after hard driving.
• Oprionally additional day of great barrier reef diving with possible overnight stay on the boat.
• Hostel check-in

12.11.2012 – CAIRNS – GREAT BARRIER REEF

• Visit to Great Barrier Reef – all day boat trip to the outer reef, with three hours of snorkeling or diving.
• Evening australian BBQ with multimedia presentation on eclipses.

13.11.2012 – CAIRNS – KURANDA

• Pick-up our transport
• Drive to Kuranda, visit to Barron Gorge National Park, to see monumental Barron Falls and Butterfly Sanctuary, Birdworld & Koala Garden (optional).
• Drive to selected observation location, to prepare for next day morning eclipse. This night we sleep on the beach.

14.11.2012 – TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE- DAINTREE NP – PORT DOUGLAS – KURANDA – CAIRNS

• • 05:44:39 Start of partial eclipse (sunrise 05:35, Sun will be 1.3 deg above horizon across the ocean) • 06:38:23 Start of totality • 06:39:25 Maximum of eclipse (event duration 2’04”; az. 105, Sun 14 deg above horizon)
• • 06:40:27 End of total phase • 07:40:09 End of partial eclipse (Sun 28 deg above horizon)
• Visit to Daintree National Park.
• Vist to Cape Tribulation, short trekking.
• Lunch in Port Douglas. Return to Cairns. Hostel check-in.

15.11.2012 – CAIRNS – SYDNEY

• Visti to Townsville.
• Transfer by plane to Sydney, check-in and evening stroll to downtown.
• Sunset from ferry on the bay.

16.11.2012 – SYDNEY – BLUE MOUNTAINS NP

• Car pick-up and visit to Blue Mountains National Park
• Camping.

17.11.2012 – BLUE MOUNTAINS NP – HUNTER VALLEY – SYDNEY

• Visit Hunter Valley vineyards.
• Return to Sydney.

18.11.2012 – SYDNEY – AUCKLAND

• Transfer to Auckland, Hostel check-in.
• (For those who slect Australia segment – return flight)

19.11.2012 – AUCKLAND – ROTORUA

• Car pick-up.
• Vistit to Rotorua, check-in.
• Visit Te Puia in Rotorua (option) , Waimangu and Wai-O-Tapu.

20.11.2012 – ROTORUA – ORAKEI KORAKO – TONGARIRO NP

• Visit to Orakei Korako nad geysers on Ohakuri Lake
• Transfer to Tongariro National Park
• Trekking Tongariro Traverse, Mordor location in Lord of the Rings.
• Transfer to Tamanorui, camping check-in.

21.11.2012 – TAMANORUI – NEW PLYMOUTH

• Transfer to Plymouth, via Forgotten World Highway.
• Check-in. Sunset over Mt Taranaki, Hostel check-in.

22.11.2012 – EGMONT NP

• Transfer to Mount Egmont North in Egmont National Park.
• Hike up to the top of Mt Taranaki 2518 m npm or other ligher options at the base of volcano.

23.11.2012 – NEW PLYMOUTH – WELLINGTON – PICTON

• Transfer to Wellington, and then by ferry to South Island acorss northern fjords Malborough Sound to Picton.
• Hostel check-in, sighseeing around Waikawa bay to Karaka and then to Queen Charlotte – climbing to the top of Onahau Hill.

24.11.2012 – PICTON – ABEL TASMAN NP – NELSON LAKES NP

• Drive through Blenheim-Renwick Vineyard Valley
• Visit to Abel Tasman National Park
• Visit to Nelson Lakes National Park and Rotoroa Lake.
• Homestay or camping.

25.11.2012 – ROTOROA – PUNAKAIKI – FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER

• Drive down West Coast Highway, stopping and Punakaiki (pancake rocks).
• Visit to Westland National Park, trekking to Franz Josef Glacier, check-in
• Sunset from Mt Cook.

26.11.2012 – FOX GLACIER – TE ANAU

• transfer to Fox Glacier, trekkign in the rainforest
• transfer to Te Anau, stopping at Wanaka, Hanea and Wakatipu Lakes.
• Hostel check-in in Te Anau.

27.11.2012 – MILFORD SOUND – MANAPOURI

• Day in Fiordland National Park, Visit to Milford, passing Tunel Homer.
• 2,5 excursion by boat on Milford Sound.
• Transfer to Manapouri Lake

28.11.2012 – TE ANAU – CUTLINS – DUNEDIN

• Visit to Cutlins, including: Waipapa Point, Slope Point, Curio Bay, McLean, Matai and Purakaunui Falls, Nudget Point Lighthouse.
• Arriv in Dunedin, chek-in at the hostel.

29.11.2012 – OTAGO CAPE – MOERAKI – OAMARU – LAKE TEKAPO – MT JOHN

• Visit to Otago Cape next drive down sea side road and Vanished World Trail towards Lake Tekapo.
• We stop on Moeraki beach city of strong>Oamaru and Elephants Rocks i Clay Cliffs.
• Arrival at Lake Tekapo, check-in.
• Night star gazing near University of Cantenbury Astronomical Observatory at the top of Mt. John, We shall be able to take a tour of observatory and see the 1,8 & 1,0 meter telescopes (during the night these are used by astronomers, so we shall bring our own instruments. Hostel check-in.

30.11.2012 – LAKE TEKAPO – CHRISTCHURCH

• Drive to and visit Christchurch, departure.

01.12.2012 – THE END

• Return to your preffered airport.