Celebrating World Car Free Day
Our communities brought plenty of personality to this year’s Te Whau Pathway T-shirt Design Competition, inspired by More Adventure. Less Time in the Car.
We loved the amazing artwork! It was such fun to see imaginative slogans like “Start strivin’ for less drivin’” from Bella Stoneham (Glen Eden Primary School) and “Good vibes, no drives” from Neeve Simon (Kelston Primary School).
Thank you to everyone who entered, and to the teachers and whānau who encouraged them! It was inspiring to see so many young people imagine a future with fewer car trips and more outdoor adventures.
Today is World Car Free Day — will you walk, cycle, catch a bus or explore somewhere new?
1st: Olive Galea, Rutherford College
After a day of brainstorming indoors and not getting very far, Olive Galea went for a walk along the new boardwalks in Te Atatū South. There, she found the inspiration for her winning design, Te Whau River Treasures.
First, the 14-year-old Rutherford College student found a feather. Then another taonga, and another, until she had gathered a variety of small wonders, some by hand and others through photographs. Back home, she brought her discoveries together in watercolour and pen, creating a collection reminiscent of an old naturalist’s sketchbook.
“I would have never found that if I went for a car ride,” she says.
Olive also enjoys walking along Te Whau Pathway with friends on her way to school, often spotting crabs and kingfishers.
Her love of art grew during Auckland’s COVID lockdowns. She continues to develop her art at Rutherford College, supported by her teacher Talei Yates. This year, Olive also won her age category in Seaweek’s Ocean-Inspired Art Competition and the National Youth Art Awards’ overall People’s Choice Award.
Te Whau River Treasures offers a fresh take on More Adventure. Less Time in the Car, celebrating the small things we might miss when travelling by car.
We can’t wait to work with Olive to prepare her first-ever T-shirt design for printing!
2nd: Yashmita Turubilli, Avondale Intermediate
For Yashmita Turubilli, the inspiration behind Skip the Traffic, Go Explore was something she knew others would recognise: being stuck in traffic.
The 12-year-old Avondale Intermediate student wanted her design to offer a more inviting alternative. A compass points towards adventure, a map encourages people to explore New Zealand, and the birds and greenery celebrate what they might discover along the way. She also snuck in a few giraffes because she loves going to the zoo!
Yashmita used felt tips and black pen in her design, adding more images as her ideas developed, with the little birds and hanging leaves being her favourite details.
Her enthusiasm for walking goes well beyond the competition. Every Friday, Yashmita joins her school’s walking club for trips to Heron Park, exploring its pathways and views and trees.
“I personally like walking. And if it’s for two hours, I do not mind,” she says.
Art is another activity she loves, helping her feel calm when she is stressed. Finding out she had won second place in Te Whau Pathway Project design competition was a surprise.
“I never would have thought I’d be second place! I’m really proud of myself,” she says.
Her message for World Car Free Day is simple: walk more, enjoy the fresh air and make time to explore.
3rd: Gurnoor Kaur, Kelston Girls’ College
For Gurnoor Kaur, green was the natural choice for a design celebrating life outside the car. Her shades of green represent nature, imagining a day when people leave their cars behind and enjoy the fresh air.
The 14-year-old Kelston Girls’ College student used watercolour pencils to create a scene of people walking, cycling and skateboarding above the water, surrounded by trees and bush. Fish swim beneath the pathway, while Auckland’s skyline appears in the distance.
Although Gurnoor hasn’t yet visited the Te Whau Pathway boardwalks in Te Atatū South, she heard about the competition through her art teacher, Rachel Eveleigh, and drew on her imagination to create the scene.
“Everything came out of my mind,” she says.
Gurnoor enjoys painting in her school art classes and was delighted to learn her design had won third place. She hopes it encourages people to spend time among the water, trees and bush, travelling on foot or by bike.
And if she could step into her own artwork? She’d choose to be the walker.
Finalists
Congratulations to our other finalists: Anahera Wolke Bobermien-Hemopo (Henderson Valley Primary School), Ceeyon Jijo (Glen Eden Primary School), Husnaa Omar (Avondale Intermediate), Johanna Campbell (Avondale College), Nasif Araaf (Avondale Intermediate), Rachel Wu (Tirimoana Primary School), Rodney Poutai, and Serafima Vdovina (Kelston Primary School).
Photo gallery
Here you can see all the amazing artwork that was entered. Click on an image to see its larger version and then use the arrows to navigate.
A huge thank you to everyone who entered and shared their creativity with us. We’d also like to give a special shout-out to the teachers who encouraged their students, supported them with their designs and helped make sure all the entries reached us. We really appreciate the time and energy you put into getting your schools involved.
What’s next?
Te Whau Pathway Project runs a photo competition in the autumn – keep an eye on our socials for updates or sign up to our newsletter.
About this competition
Entries were anonymised. They were then shortlisted to a group of finalists by Auckland Council’s Community Engagement team. Finally, winners were chosen from the finalists by Te Whau Pathway Environment Trust, through blind judging, with artists’ names withheld but ages shared.
| Date | Friday 22nd September 2026 |
| Location | Whau River Catchment Area |
| Type | Design |
| Who | 54 artists in the Whau River area |
| Funders | Te Whau Pathway Environment Trust |
