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UK tourists usually head to Australia at this time of year to escape the harsh onset of the British winter but the sun Down Under is attracting visitors for a very different reason this week. Thousands of people are heading to Queensland in the hope of seeing a two-minute solar eclipse in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The eclipse is expected to begin at 05.45 in the far north of the

Australian state, with totality occurring at 06.38 on November 14 (20.38 GMT on November 13). An estimated 60,000 people are expected to view the eclipse above Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef from hot air balloons, cruise ships, dive boats and palm-fringed beaches. It is the first time that a total solar eclipse has occurred in region since 710AD. The next one will appear in 2237. An eclipse occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun, which darkens the sky and causes temperatures to drop. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2231755/Solar-eclipse-Australia-60-000-visitors-flock-Queensland-eclipse-region-710AD.html#ixzz3pp6rCwp8 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook