Plea to take right path

DARK Mofo organisers are urging anyone who can to leave the car at home or park elsewhere when visiting Dark Path, because of limited parking available around the Queens Domain site.

About 35,000 people visited Dark Path over the first three nights of the free event, which is a 4km art trail winding through the inner-city bushland of Queens Domain and the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.

The family-friendly event has replaced Dark Park at Macquarie Point.

However, the number of people that visited the site over the weekend quickly overwhelmed the parking options nearby.

Dark Mofo festival manager Abby Allen said the event’s popularity and the need to close roads in the area for pedestrian safety was limiting parking options around Dark Path.

“We do have free parking at the Regatta Grounds from 4pm but we did find on Saturday that it filled up,” Ms Allen said.

“If anybody can possibly access public transport to come into the city that would be great, due to traffic congestion on the roads and parking and there’s also a range of other carparks in the city you could use and walk up.

“Given the space of Dark Path itself we have road closures all around the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. We have to have the road closures in place for pedestrian safety, so the best thing is to approach on foot.”

Dark Path starts up again tomorrow night and runs each night until Sunday.

The event is designed to be entered on foot via the Bridge of Remembrance, but it can be accessed from anywhere.

There are some strange sights to behold at multiple venues around the Domain, including the old Zoo, the Queen Victoria Powder Magazine, the Botanical Gardens and the Regatta grounds.

Art works include a giant Tesla coil electrical display by American researcher Greg Leyh, a memorial installation to Aboriginal children by Julie Gough, an experimental sound and light installation by Chris Henschke.

There are also film works in the plant houses around the gardens by artists including Grace Herbert, Paul Murphy and Sawtooth ARI.

Dark Path also includes food vans and bars along the way.