Arataki Kindergarten in Mount Maunganui has won the Early Childhood Centre category of Keep New Zealand Beautiful's Wall Worthy Competition for 2018.

As part of winning the competition, the kindergarten got to unveil the completion of their award-winning mural recently.

KNZB has been running for eight years and is a community based design completion that is aimed at eliminating and preventing graffiti vandalism, while at the same time enriching the urban landscape with murals that celebrate our local communities and their stories.

Winning designs received an electronic prize, along with a $750 Resene voucher and other paint materials to bring their designs to life.

'KNZB is proud to partner with Resene again this year to deter vandalism and ‘Paint New Zealand Beautiful',” says KNZB CEO Heather Saunderson.

'Research shows us that there is a marked reduction in tagging when murals, reflective of the local community are used to replace graffiti vandalised walls. The Wall Worthy Competition is a great way not to not only enhance our urban environment, but to also bring our local communities together and create a strong sense of pride.”

Arataki's mural tells the story of Ngā Maunga Tohorā: The Whale Mountains – a Tauranga Māori legend of three whales who beached themselves in Rangataua Bay.

In their submission, the kindergarten said the story behind their mural design is one of local and cultural significance.

"Our mural will depict one of the local pūrākau or Māori legends that tell the story of three local mountains that many of our children and families are connected to. The themes behind this pūrākau include kotahitanga - working together for the collective, manaakitanga - taking care of each other, and taking care of our environment and whanaungatanga - family connections and relationships that sustain us."

'We are looking forward to seeing how our new mural will support children's connection to our local landmarks and provoke their own creative capacities for story-telling,” says project co-ordinator Roxy Burt.

'We hope that our mural will support a growing awareness and connection to our local pūrākau amongst our parents, whānau and wider community.

'We can sense that our kindergarten community feels a sense of pride in what we have achieved together.

'We have noticed parents and whānau developing new friendships and connections that they may not have otherwise made, and this will have positive ripple effects for our tamariki.”