Grandfather David Taylor's vibrant mural incorporating New Zealand icons and landscapes is proving a wonderful teaching tool and source of pride for Kelvin Grove Kindergarten.

During his last visit to New Zealand, Mr Taylor of Swansea let his passion for painting slip to Kelvin Grove Head Teacher Leanne Walls. He arrived back in Palmerston North this March to find paintbrushes, Resene house paint donated by Martin Beveridge Ltd, a blank canvas affixed to a kindergarten fence and a contingent of young artist's assistants eagerly awaiting his return.

Mr Taylor, a British schools' inspector turned publisher of electronic resources, spent 37 hours on the mural dubbed "Murial" by the children. Central to the mural are the Ruahine and Tararua wind farms with scenes from the Marlborough Sounds, Bay of Islands, Rotorua and Taranaki also pictured. Kiwi icons adding to the interest include a buzzy bee, Auckland's Sky Tower, a silver fern, a pukeko, a tractor, a wharenui, windsurfers, dolphins and pohutukawa. Mr Taylor even managed to sneak a Welsh rugby ball into the mix without detracting from the Kiwi feel.

"Murial" is a colourful addition to the Kelvin Grove learning environment and is already being used as a teaching tool to inspire young minds.