The Field of Lights is an art installation in the desert outside of the Ayers Rock park designed by British artist Bruce Munro, inspired by Uluru. Fifty thousand hand-blown glass spheres light up the desert at night, and the effect is quite stunning.
While beautiful, the exhibit left me feeling melancholy. The moon, which should have been shining brightly, was covered in smog, the country was burning at epic proportions, and seeing this amazing, bright thing in the middle of the desert outside of this sacred place felt ominous.
Instead of a peaceful walk through the lights, the track was littered with the shuttering sounds of cameras and people wandering off the approved path, trying not to be seen in an effort to get the perfect photo. It is impossible and futile to capture the moment in a photo – the installation really is something that has to be experienced in person (though clearly that didn’t stop me from trying).
Obviously, I’m guilty here as well.
After fifteen minutes, I left the Field of Lights and began to head down the dark, gravel path back to the bus. A woman was waving a glowstick at the end of the path was the only indicator in the darkness of where I needed to go, the solar-powered path lights unable to capture enough sunlight during the day due to the smoke. Alone on the path, I paused and took one last look at the Field of Lights. I thought I saw someone moving along the lights just outside of the path, but once my eyes focused, whatever I thought I saw was gone. When I looked back down the path, the woman with the glowstick had disappeared as well. Unable to see anything other than my faded white converse, I carefully made my way towards the exit.