Auckland’s growing population has put pressure on an aging water supply infrastructure. To tackle this, Watercare is implementing a giant underground waste-water tunnel, the Central Interceptor. We needed to create awareness among the community around this landmark project and educate them on the depth of waste-water issues. Our solution: a decked-out, customised trailer that uses smart tech to create an immersive storytelling experience with Waimā, the Longfin Eel, as the perfect guide.

As Auckland’s population has grown, mounting pressure has been put on the city’s aging water supply infrastructure. Watercare, an Auckland council organisation, is tackling this with its most pioneering project to date. The Central Interceptor is a giant underground wastewater tunnel being built to keep Auckland’s prized waterways clean. We needed to create awareness among locals around the much-needed wastewater system upgrade.

Our solution: the Watercare Central Interceptor Discovery Centre. A decked-out, customised trailer that offers an immersive storytelling experience that’s dialled up through smart technology. We collaborated with Marque to deliver a state-of-the-art trailer that can easily be moved to different community events. The trailer put into play cutting-edge interactive tech including AR, VR, and LED screens to bring an otherwise unseen project directly into the view of Auckland residents.

We needed a guide to link the whole experience together, and so Waimā, a beautifully animated Long-fin Eel, was born. Anguilla dieffenbachia, a long-fin eel endemic to New Zealand, live in the waterways, streams and rivers. Sadly their numbers are declining as they – like us – need clean water to survive. “Waimā” means clean water in Te Reo, and eels are a taonga, an important cultural treasure, so we felt Waimā was the perfect ambassador for the Central Interceptor.

Creating the connection : We turned what could have been a boring (but crucial) subject into a uniquely immersive experience complete with an animated Longfin eel, interactive touch screens, bespoke games, 3D photo frames, and VR adventures.

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