A dazzling new light trail is now open in Mildura. Travel out to this regional town, and wander among 12,500 twinkling ‘firefly lights’ on Lock Island. The spectacular Trail of Lights art installation in Mildura has been designed by notable artist, Bruce Munro. The attraction is open every evening, from 5:30pm to 10pm from now until September. After that, it will stay open even later under 11pm. It will stay in Mildura for two years, giving you plenty of time to see it.
Trail of Lights in Mildura
When night falls, head over to the Murray River and admire the stunning lights in this dreamy installation. Alongside the ‘fireflies’, you can also expect 22 Gone Fishing sculptures, or light sculptures made out of fishing rods. Stroll along the reflective walking track, and feel art and nature come alive.
This is a self-guided experience, and there’s several trails connected into a network on the island for you to explore. These different trails have been designed for different fitness and ability levels, with the shortest one at about 950m long, and the biggest one is 2.2km long. There’s plenty of seats scattered around the island, so you can sit down and take it all in.
“In an increasingly busy world, Trail of Lights was designed to create a moment of stillness and contemplation within a natural setting – because magic happens when art and nature meet,” said Bruce Munro.
Nearby, at Rio Vista Park, there will also be a variety of food and drinks to complement your Trail of Lights experience. Before or after experiencing the artwork, unwind with a drink and a light bite and soak in the festival-like atmosphere. You don’t need a ticket to hang out at Rio Vista Park.
Fibre Optic Symphonic Orchestra
Later this year, hop just across the border into NSW and see another installation by Munro. See 80 Hills Hoist clotheslines resembling an orchestra pit, and synchronised to an original orchestra score. Each Hills Hoist will be set up with fibre optic lights to represent different musical instruments. The Fibre Optic Symphonic Orchestra (FOSO) installation will be set up four kilometres away from Wentworth, with the Perry Sandhills and Thegoa Lagoon as a stunning backdrop. This experience is expected to open in late 2025.
“This is the biggest project of my career, and these locations are only going to take the installations to new heights, while allowing visitors to fill both towns, spend big and then go and have a really good time,” said Munro.
Bruce Munro is a notable British artist, who has created captivating installations around the world. You might recognise him as the artist behind the Field of Light in Uluru. He also took over Heide Museum of Modern Art with an outdoor installation just a few years ago.