highpoint shopping centre.

The wall shows a classic Australian landscape, with bush and desert. In it older children, especially, can see the the types of fauna in the bush. Lyrebirds, echidnas, emus and wombats all patrol the landscape. Bees swarm, koalas snooze. A kangaroo lopes past and will interact with you — stopping to regard you with with well-observed ambivalence.

The interactive elements allow you to impact on some of the movements of the animals. A ‘magic dust’ cloud indicates to the customer that the installation knows you’re there and registering your movements.
This is not a Just Dance-style kinetic interaction so much as an easy-going bucolic encounter with nature. The easy pace has meant that dwell time is high and you won’t hear sugar high squeals from kids.

Some 20 metres down the hall is the water-themed interactive floor. This has proven to be a magnet for kids under five, especially. But in truth, who doesn’t want to interact with Nemo®… by which I mean the brightly coloured coral clownfish. The fish animations are excellent and the interactivity is beautifully responsive, as kids attempt to jump on and chase the fish, and are themselves chased by the occasional shark or ray.