Famed light artist brings dazzling installation to a new outback site

The Central Australian outback has always packed a dazzling punch but after the pandemic more and more people have been seeing the light.

And that doesn’t mean just a growing appreciation of the world’s most immense monolith, Uluru, the spectacular gorges and plains, and the iconic half-a-billion-years-old sandstone indented with fossils from the time the ancient continent was covered by sea, but the light. Literally.

Towers of Light at Kings Canyon - the installation emits an “otherworldly singing”.

For while the stunning art installation Field of Light has transformed the desert around Uluru into a glowing carpet of radiant colour and the annual Parrtjima festival in Alice Springs shines a light onto Indigenous culture, now it’s the turn of Kings Canyon to gleam.

Its own solar-powered Light Towers display has just been unveiled, with 69 turrets blending light and colour and human voices in a surreal immersive experience in the red desert dust of Watarrka National Park, before the iconic sights of Carmichaels Crag and George Gill Range.

British-Australian artist Bruce Munro knows full well the power of light, having worked within the lighting design industry before turning to harness it in his creations, Field and Towers. “Coming here to Central Australia changed my life,” he says, his voice breaking and tears sliding down his face at the launch of Light Towers.

Bruce Munro ... “coming here to Central Australia changed my life”.

“This was my chance to give something back. The first time I came here, in an old Toyota in 1992, it felt so alive. The air was buzzing, the ground was buzzing, and I was buzzing. It was the most incredible feeling of being alive. I felt as though the ground was speaking to me, the place was talking to me, and it just got under my skin. I didn’t understand it because I’m not from this part of the world, but I was so inspired by it.”

Towers represent how it makes him feel – tiny and insignificant against the glistening tide of such a huge history – and immensely moved by such a stunning landscape. The choir of voices on a commission by composer Orlando Gough adds to the timeless mood, weaving through different languages and cultures.

“It expresses the connection of the landscape to its people and the idea of us all coming together,” Munro said. “It’s the heart of Australia and to me it’s the heart of the world. I am so grateful to it, and this is a gentle use of light telling us to cherish ourselves and love each other and honour the land.”

That’s not the last of the light, either. Since May, a fabulous nightly light display created by more than 1100 drones over the Central Desert, tells the Mala story in a celebration, Wintjiri Wiru.

This is all the start of something even bigger, says celebrated tourism visionary and outback champion Grant Hunt, who is on the board of both the G’Day Groups’ Discovery Parks, which includes Kings Canyon, and also Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia at Uluru.

“My real dream is to have the world’s only light installation road trip here, through the Red Centre Way,” he said. “I think that would be fantastic. The Light Towers here have just blown me away, as has the Field of Light and I know Wintjiri Wiru will, too.

“But eventually, we’d love to have similar installations at Glen Helen in the Western MacDonnell Ranges and all the way through. There’s so much potential for light installations all the way through Central Australia.”

The embedded lights at Kings Canyon.

The Red Centre Way, formerly known as the Mereenie Loop, is an iconic outback road trip that comprises a 1140-kilometre loop connecting Alice Springs, those Ranges, Kings Canyon and the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Illuminations would provide an additional attraction to those of the landscapes, characters, quirky events and cultural heritage, Hunt, who’s just produced a photographic book about the journey, Rugged Heart, believes.

With its last dirt section now about to be sealed – the job has just been put out to tender by the Northern Territory Government – it will mean even more people from around Australia, and overseas, will be able to visit.

“When it gets sealed, it’s going to be a juggernaut for outback tourism,” Hunt said. “All those in caravans and campers will be able to come, and that will change the dynamic. For those who still want some rugged driving, they can take any number of side roads off to keep the sense of adventure.”

The Central Australian light shows come at a time when such light works are gaining even more popularity around the world. There are now regular light festivals in Japan, Russia, Egypt, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, the US and New Zealand’s Queenstown.

At home, the flag bearer is often seen to be Vivid Sydney, the annual festival of light, music and ideas, now into its 14th year. The event’s creator Anthony Bastic says we’re all drawn to the light.

“I think light can transport us into other realms, and it can change our moods and make us feel happy and content,” he says.

“It conjures up a mix of emotions for us and touches our senses. It’s always been used in theatre and dance and its use has now grown and continues to increase in popularity. Festivals like Vivid and Parrtjima also don’t rely on language so it can bring together a diverse collection of people to have a shared experience.”

That’s especially true of the Australian outback which tends to be home to a rich multicultural mix of people, as well as attracting more and more overseas tourists.

The G’Day Group has been investing heavily in its Kings Canyon Resort, committing $20 million to refurbishments and redevelopment ready for the 2023 season, spearheaded by the unveiling of Light Towers. It now has 128 newly renovated resort rooms, 96 standard rooms completed in 2022, 32 deluxe rooms opened in March, six glamping tents and 37 lodge rooms, as well as its campgrounds with around 100 sites.

There are three dining options: Carmichael’s Restaurant, the updated Kings Canyon Bar & Grill, and the experience Under a Desert Moon, where tables are placed in the open around a firepit.

Activities include the guided or self-guided six-kilometre circuit the Kings Canyon Rim Walk with its stunning 360-degree views of the surrounding plains and the red rocks tumbling into a waterhole sacred site of lush greenery called The Garden of Eden. There’s also the jagged formation of cliffs, memorably dubbed Priscilla’s Crack by the movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Not to be missed either is a heli-tour that soars over the landscape for a bird’s eye view of the incredible geological setting. There’s also a series of Indigenous cultural experiences on offer: an art talk with Warlpiri artist Louise Wellington and the Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience, with talks on bushtucker and bush medicine by brother-and-sister team Peter Abbot and Christine Breaden.

The new jewel in the crown, however, is still likely to be the Light Towers, which is providing such a stirring showcase for the land. “It’s a great experience that’s so unique and special and it will draw people in,” says Ben Hall, CEO of guided tour company AAT Kings.

“It will give visitors another positive thing to talk about in Central Australia, and add to all the attractions of Kings Canyon. It will only enhance the experience further. I think one of the impacts of COVID has been Australians falling back in love with Australia and they’re eager to see places and learn about First Nations’ culture. The Light Towers will only encourage that.”

Freestanding tubs let you admire the scenery at the Kings Canyon Resort.

Like moths to a flame, it seems light is now on everyone’s agenda with every event. Even the Opera House is enjoying fresh fame with light projections on its sails to mark everything from Queen Elizabeth’s death to St Patrick’s Day, from Diwali to an exploration of the making of the building itself.

Drone displays of lights over Sydney’s harbour are also proving popular, with talk they might soon replace the traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks.

It’s a fresh blaze of brilliance Bruce Munro appreciates. “I’m intrigued by light and how it makes people feel,” he said. “It’s as though we’re walking through a bubble of light from moment to moment which is forever changing. And it can bring up emotions and feelings and memories and make us realise how closely we’re connected as the human race, and to the land. It’s can be just magical.”

THE DETAILS

Fly

Fly to Alice Springs and drive five hours to Kings Canyon.

Stay

The Kings Canyon Resort has a range of accommodation from a campground to glamping and deluxe cabins. discoveryholidayparks.com.au/kings-canyon

See

Light Towers at Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon is now open for three viewings a day, at sunrise, sunset and during the evening.

More

northernterritory.com

Sue Williams was a guest of the Kings Canyon Resort.