By Oliver Lees
Visitors to Sanatorium Lake in Mount Macedon will be able to immerse themselves in the local flora and fauna, with a new audio-enhanced walking project set to launch this month.
Created by Ria Soemardjo, Charlotte Roberts and Sandra Fiona Long, the Murmuring Walk will include a multi-layered audio guide that participants can listen to as they stroll around the lake.
The audio element of the program has been curated to include recordings of local bird calls, as well as poetry and excerpts of the area’s natural and Indigenous cultural history.
Ms Long, who has previous experience designing audio walking experiences, said she has always been interested in creating immersive work.
“The aim was to create an experience that brought people into the present and for it be really meditative,” she said.
“Part of that was finding a balance, making it informative but also allowing people to be present.”
The project is supported by the Macedon Ranges council’s Creative Encounters project.
As well as the audio tour which participants can download for free on their mobile device, the Murmuring Walk will include a live performance with crafted clay instruments.
Multi-disciplinary artist Charlotte Roberts has lived in the area since she was a child.
She said she hopes the project prompts people to learn more about the land.
“I’ve always really wanted to do a project here, something connected to the land,” she said.
“By including snippets of knowledge from First Nations people I hope that the experience will get people thinking about the history of the location while enjoying their surroundings.”
For more information and to book, visit: mrsc.vic.gov.au/murmuring-walk
