If you have the opportunity to visit New Zealand one of the things that you will discover about the people is their engaged and creative approach to life. While in the Catlins area of the South Island my wife discovered a very unusual public restroom. The children at the Catlins Area School had decorated it with unique art pieces, each demonstrating aspects of New Zealand life.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge

She happened to have a camera with her so she captured a couple of quick images of sections of the restroom walls to show me.

After taking a peak at the rear screen of her camera, I couldn’t help but investigate further.

What I found were numerous examples of wonderful art pieces created by the students.

I spent a few minutes capturing images of individual panels, doing my best to shoot them as squarely as possible.

Once I got home and began processing the images I used DxO Viewpoint 2 to adjust the perspectives.

I was intrigued with the Catlins Area School and did a bit of internet research.

I discovered that the school is quite innovative and has been incorporating some interesting educational approaches in their curriculum.

As a parent it is always wonderful to see an educational institution taking its responsibilities to its students seriously, and bringing different learning technologies to bear to help each student excel.

From what I could see on the school’s website, it appears to use a mix of academic, art, sports and personal development in its programs.

There is also the opportunity for quite a bit of individual customization of programs available for students.

We’ve been to New Zealand three times and each visit has revealed new insights about this remarkable country.

New Zealand is like a fascinating onion. When one layer is peeled back, it reveals more layers of complexity. There is so much more than first meets the eye.

And, on this trip we discovered that even includes visiting a public restroom.
If you enjoyed this article you may want to have a look at New Zealand Tip-to-Tip. This 250 page eBook features 89 locations in New Zealand and over 400 original photographs. You can use the link to see more detailed information about the eBook. The cost of New Zealand Tip-to-Tip is $12.99 Canadian.
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Beauty and creativity can be found in many unusual places.
Good schools do their best to help their students learn and sometimes that means trying new ways and/or multiple ways. We need more good schools open to new ideas.
So true Joni – thanks for your comment!
Tom