Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffkop
Ahemmmmm .. people .. Palm Cove ISNT THAT big !!!
Me thinks its going to be mighty squishie seeing as everyone south of townsville north of hobart plans to stay there.
Think I will be relaxing just around the corner (Bucans Point) and setting up the camper trailer at Ellis Beach
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Hi Jeff,
You might want to carefully evaluate your choice of "just around the corner"
at Buchans Point from where to observe the eclipse.
Based on simulations of the sun position I did a couple of years ago, if you
are too far south on Ellis Beach, close to Buchans Point, then Buchans Point
headland itself is likely to obscure the early stages of the eclipse.
Keep in mind that you are
north of the Tropic of Capricorn and the date is 14 Nov
and the eclipse starts at 05:45 AEST.
The sun will rise over the Coral Sea in the
south-eastern sky.
The beach itself faces
north-east.
Though the headland itself is only about 50m AMSL, it extends out from the
beach by about 300m plus a high tide of 2.5m to 3.5m will be coming in
which peaks a couple of hours after the eclipse ends. Waves average about
half a meter. The beach is moderately steep to steep. All eclipse goers
should be mindful that around 3am when you might be setting up your gear
near the water before the sun has risen, that the tide will low. Don't get
caught by a rising tide which will result in you having to scramble higher up
the beach to find a dry spot.
Though from a vantage point at the south end of Ellis Beach the sun should
be above the headland at totality, a better view might be afforded from a vantage
point more toward the northern end of the beach. This will then allow a
view of the sun as it comes up over the reef.
Having said that, I will leave it as an exercise for you to independently verify
and evaluate in case my own estimate is incorrect, but I hope you find
this heads-up beneficial.
Whenever we drive that scenic stretch between Cairns and Port Douglas,
in the stretch between Buchans Point and Port Douglas,
finding a parking spot at any of the small car parks at the beaches along the way,
even in off-season, can be tricky. Likewise whenever there is a clearing to
get a view of the ocean from the road, finding somewhere safe to pull-over
is usually difficult. It's a drive where I often think the passengers have the
biggest advantage as at least they can crane their necks to get a glimpse
of the occasional view whilst the driver has to concentrate on the narrow and
sometimes winding road. Come eclipse day, one can anticipate considerably
more traffic on that stretch, all vying for very limited places to stop.
Odille, maybe there will be someone on iceinspace in Northern NSW/ South East Queensland, who may want to go and could share costs, I am sure you could get some takers 
(my wife is happy the stars and stuff are there; but thats the end of it !!! ) in my little campervan. 
