Final touches coming together as visitors stream into Exmouth for total solar eclipse

The eclipse effect is being felt early in Exmouth, with an influx of visitors from around the world already flocking to the tourist town to witness day turn to night on Thursday morning.

Visitors are making their way into Exmouth in the thousands, as the Gascoyne and North West prepares for the rare total solar eclipse.

About 20,000 people are expected to arrive in Exmouth to get a glimpse of the rare cosmic phenomenon which will be at its peak just before 11.30am on Thursday.

Campsites are beginning to be covered in tents, 4WDs, caravans and campervans, stalls and food trucks are springing up in in hot spots such as Federation Park, and the final touches are being added as festivities get under way for the once-in-a-lifetime event for this part of the world.

Exmouth Shire president Darlene Allston on Monday said about 7000 people had arrived so far, already more than double the town’s usual population of 2806.

“There’s a lot of people starting to come in, things are starting to fill up. It’s not fully packed yet but I know it is coming,” she said.

“People are getting excited, everything is going up, stages being put in place, the shuttle bus signs are up. You can tell something big is about to happen.”

While Exmouth is no stranger to travellers, meeting new faces all coming together for one moment already feels special, Ms Allston said.

“I had a bit of a chat to a young lass from California who is doing a bit of research. It’s really interesting to know that we’ve got people from far and wide here, sharing the event with us,” she said.

Exmouth Chamber of Commerce president David Gillespie said he had never seen so many people in town at once, but was confident businesses were ready for the moment the town had been preparing for.