Kalbarri METEORS (SOLD OUT)
GEMINIDS Meteor Shower EXPERIENCE | 13 - 17 December 2023
Join myself and Sony Australia for this truly special opportunity to shoot the 2023 Geminids meteor shower in one of Australia’s most picturesque dark-sky regions - Kalbarri National Park.
In December 2021, on a whim, I made the 6 hour drive up to Kalbarri National Park to capture the Geminids meteor shower, dragging my (non-photographer) best mate with me. The Geminids is the southern-hemisphere’s best and most consistent annual display of meteors, and in December 2021 up in the north of WA it peaked at around 40 meteors per hour over two nights.
We battled cloud cover on the first night, but everything cleared up for night two granting us a few hours with minimal moonlight allowing me to capture the images below - among many others!
A composite of approximately 50 meteors captured over 3 hours in the pre-dawn twilight facing the Geminid’s radiant point in the North
The best meteor of the night, complete with Nature’s Window, an exploding meteoroid and the head of the Emu in the Sky!
This year up in Kalbarri, the forecast is for more than double the intensity you see above, at around 85 meteors per hour! There will also be no moon visible during the entire shower. These are some of the best conditions imaginable for meteors in the southern hemisphere and won’t be matched again until 2031. So you bet I’m going back - this time bringing a few adventurous astrophotographers with me and plenty of gear from Sony Australia to help us make the most of what is going to be a truly special celestial event! Places are strictly limited to 6 guests to ensure the best experience for all!
Key info
Dates
13 - 17 December 2023
HOSTS
Andrew J Clarke, Sony Australia
GUESTS
4-6
Kalbarri, Western Australia. This event starts and ends in Kalbarri so you will need to organise your own transport to and from up north.
LOCATION
Intermediate - this workshop assumes basic understanding of manual camera operation.
Experience with astrophotography is recommended although not required.
DIFFICULTY
AUD $2,450 per twin share guest - suitable for those traveling with a friend or partner who is also a paying guest on this tour.
AUD $2,850 per single guest - suitable for those traveling by themselves or with a friend or partner who is not a guest on this tour.
A deposit of AUD $600 is required to book your place on the tour, which is payable through the Sony Scene platform - click the button below to secure your spot! The balance is due by 1 October 2023 and payment details will be sent to you separately.
PRICE
- Five days (four nights) accomodation in Kalbarri
- A 1 hour, doors-off river gorges and coastal cliffs aerial photography tour
- Your choice of loan gear from Sony (even if you don’t normally use Sony!)
- Vehicle transport to and from (at least) nine on-location shoots
- All photography tuition and guidance
- All national park entry fees
- Group farewell breakfast on day 5
- Pre-event online seminar covering what to bring and answering questions
- Post-event online editing workshop
INCLUSIONS
- Transport to and from Kalbarri, Western Australia
- Travel and camera equipment insurance
- Food and drinks (except the farewell breakfast)
EXCLUSIONS
Itinerary
DAy 1 - coastal cliffs, Sunset & startrails
After getting settled into our accomodation, we’ll make our way to the coast for sunset over the iconic cliffs of Pot Alley. The striking textures of these rock formations make for fantastic dramatic landscapes in the warm light of golden hour. After dinner, we’ll head back out for some astrophotography practice to make sure we’re all ready for the big show on Friday morning!
On day two, we make our way into Kalbarri National Park for some exploration and nature photography. We’ll check out the Kalbarri Skywalk, Nature’s Window and the Z Bend and scout out our composition(s) for the meteor shower. We’ll make sure to get to bed early because day three will be starting early…
DAy 2 - EXploring Kalbarri National Park
DAy 3 - Geminids meteor shower
…very early. The peak of the Geminids is from approxiamtely 1 am to 4 am and unlike in previous years, we’ve only got one chance to experience the full intensity of the meteor shower. For the night owls among us, there is also the option to hang around for sunrise in the National Park (approximately 5:15 am), which can be truly spectacular as well! We’ll take the rest of the day off to recharge the batteries, before heading out for easy sunset shoot near to the accomodation.
DAy 4 - National Park SUNRISE + AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
After a restful day three, we’ll be back at it for sunrise in the National Park. In the afternoon we’ve organised an amazing doors-off aerial photography tour with Kalbarri Scenic Flights, flying over the river gorges in the National Park and back over the coastal cliffs.
DAy 5 - SUNRISE + Farewell breakfast
For our final day we’ll wake up to sunrise over the Murchison rivermouth in the Kalbarri township before wrapping things up at our farewell breakfast in town. We’ll depart with memory cards full of stunning Australian landscapes, from both land and air, ready for our post-event online editing workshop where we’ll unlock the secrets to getting the most out of our amazing meteor images!
Fitness / mobility
A reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required to make the most of the opportunities available during this workshop. You will need to be able to carry your backpack full of camera equipment and a tripod to most locations on this tour, with a handful of shooting locations requiring short hikes of 30 – 45 minutes in length. Although the trails are well established and marked, some of the ground will be uneven and there are areas of loose gravel, sand or rocks that can be slippery (especially in the event of rain). If you have any questions about the physical aspects of this tour, please contact Andrew here.
Questions
If you have any questions or would like any additional information regarding the event, please feel free to contact Andrew here.
TERMS & Conditons, cancellation policy
Terms and conditions for our workshops and tours (including our policies relating to Covid-19 guidelines, cancellations, refunds and health and safety) are set out here. Please read carefully before booking and contact Andrew if you have any questions or concerns!