The Shoyoen Sound Walk is a step-by-step reveal of Dubbo's Japanese Garden in the Elizabeth Park Regional Botanic Gardens.

Opened in November 2002, Shoyoen was the first of the five garden spaces in Elizabeth Park. Take time out to be immersed in this enchanting garden landscape while learning a little about the remarkable sister city friendship between Minokamo and Dubbo, which was its geneses.

How to use the izi.TRAVEL app

This walk is best listened to with earbuds or headphones on your mobile phone.

To access the Shoyoen Sound Walk on your mobile phone, download the izi.TRAVEL app before you get to the garden or start your stroll - the QR codes to the iOS and Android app stores are at the entrance to the gardens. The audio component of this Sound Walk is best listened to with earbuds or headphones.

Open the app and in the Explore bar at the top of your screen type: Shoyoen Sound Walk, Dubbo NSW. You may be prompted to subscribe to izi.TRAVEL at this point. Click 'Later' to continue.

The introduction information should be in front of you. Put your earbuds in or headphones on and click CONTINUE to start your walk via the map. You can also PREVIEW the walk before you start.

Each stop on the Sound Walk is numbered but the information will be trigged as you come into the range of each stop. Some trigger ranges are bigger than others.

You can read more information about each stop on the walk by clicking on the three dots to the left of the playback functions at the bottom of your phone > Read Description. There are things you can do here, such as get directions, or share the walk with someone.

You will be directed to each stop in the text and audio of the Sound Walk.

If you've finished the walk and would like to go back and do it again or hear the information about a particular stop, you can reset the tour by clicking on 'Reset tour progress'.

Acknowledgements

This tour was created in 2021-22 by Kim V. Goldsmith for Dubbo Regional Council with the assistance of Kylie Sutherland. Narration by Emily Phimmachanh. Original "Gardens Heartbeat" soundtrack (taiko drum, flute and hyōshigi) composed and performed by Georgie Saunders. Photography by Kylie Sutherland and Kim V. Goldsmith.