We all have memories, however hazy, of our kindergarten days – playtime, dancing, painting, sandpit action and stories on the mat.
The children of New Lynn Kindergarten will remember something even larger than life.
They'll remember the day they named a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and painted their handprints onto her metal exterior, wishing her well as she prepares to begin her mahi underground.
The children came up with an imaginative new name: Princess Twilight Super Worm. The name follows the tradition of TBMs carrying a female moniker
Princess Twilight Super Worm is about to start her work on the Clinker and Ambrico Place stormwater improvement project, tunnelling a distance of 550m underground from Rankin Avenue, New Lynn to an outfall in Manawa Wetland Reserve over the next eight months.
This $25 million project will support growth in the area, paving the way for new homes and a new community park.
Auckland Council Healthy Waters General Manager Craig McIlroy recognises that big infrastructure projects with major benefits can also create disruption.
“It’s wonderful to be able to enhance the experience for New Lynn Kindergarten and I’d like to thank them and the local community for their patience while we carry out our work in the area,” he says.
Auckland Council and contractors Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure Limited are working to involve the local community where possible and plan to host a community day when the nearby Ambrico Reserve is reinstated next year.
New Lynn Kindergarten explains that their tamariki drew on their literary knowledge, connecting the actions of the TBM with one of their favourite stories Superworm by Julia Donaldson. They voted on the name during mat time, where voting is a regular part of the kaupapa, helping them learn to make decisions based upon their learning experiences. A teacher says that getting up close to Princess Twilight Super Worm is a great opportunity for tamariki to extend their knowledge.
