From the coast to the country, a new ocean adventure awaits visitors to Albury Botanic Gardens from 4 to 27 July. Photo: Laservision.
Albury’s botanic gardens will be transformed into a breathtaking ocean wonderland when the immersive Aurora light show returns to the city in time for the school holidays.
Storytelling, technology and nature will come together in the all-new adventure Tides of Treasure, inviting visitors to journey beneath the waves, follow glowing trails, meet magical sea creatures and search for the lost key to unlock hidden treasure.
In 2024, the popular sound and light show drew the biggest crowd of Albury-Wodonga’s tourism events, with 30,000 people attending, and pouring $2.03 million into the local economy.
But behind the magic of this night-time phenomenon loved by young and old is a hardworking crew on the ground ensuring the gardens are in tip-top condition to receive the volume of visitors expected to pour through the gates once again this year.
AlburyCity gardens supervisor Dylan Weeding said the team would be busy in the weeks leading up to the event, from Friday 4 July to Sunday 27 July, preparing pathways for eager pedestrians.
“This is our fourth year of hosting the light show in the gardens and the uptake has been incredibly strong from the community,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic use of a public space and an opportunity for people to see the gardens in a very different light … literally.”
Mr Weeding said that, because winter was a relatively quiet time for the gardens, regular maintenance tasks such as mowing were not too heavily impacted by the staging of such a major event.
But taking the “trip and slip” factor out of pathways and ensuring they were clearly defined was a major focus ahead of an event of this magnitude, he said.
“We have been focusing our efforts on reshaping and resurfacing buckshot paths so they are in great condition. Now, while we can’t control the weather, we have learned to be more proactive in path maintenance going into the event.
“If we can control the majority of the pedestrian stream, then the lawns and gardens are pretty well protected.”
While it’s technically “business as usual” for the gardens during the day, Mr Weeding said the impact of installing a major sound and light activation project in the grounds was surprisingly minimal.
“(Sydney company) Laservision are very respectful of the space and we love working with them,” he said. “During the day, the equipment and staging on-site are actually quite discreet.
“Over the years we’ve had minimal issues from the public either during the event or after the activation closes at 10 pm, although there is full-time security on-site during this period.”
Laservision art director Angela Davis said this year’s event would see the debut of new interactive zones, including light-reactive spheres that responded to touch.
“With Tides of Treasure, we’ve created a narrative that celebrates both the marine world and the spirit of discovery,” Ms Davis said.
“Follow the glowing trails, meet the ocean’s charming residents and find the key to unlock the treasure!”
Albury Mayor Kevin Mack said Aurora was a highlight of the city’s winter events calendar.
“It’s wonderful to see our beautiful botanic gardens transformed into a place of imagination and magic that delights people of all ages,” he said.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the coast to the country and can’t wait for locals and visitors to experience the magic of this unique event.”
But it’s not just visitors who delight in seeing the gardens transformed, according to Mr Weeding, who has worked at council for the past 15 years.
“Some of our staff have worked here for 35 and 40 years and the feedback is they love seeing the gardens utilised in a different way,” Mr Weeding said.
“Outside of the actual light show and effects, the event also features up-lighting on some of our most significant trees which is a bit of a focal point for our staff especially.
“We pride ourselves on providing a space where the community will want to come and visit – hopefully this will inspire people to come back and enjoy the gardens during the day or at other times of the year.”
Tickets are on sale for Aurora, starting from $10 for children, $15 for adults and $40 for a family (of four), with infants under two free. To book, visit Aurora Albury.
