Mr Luxon was in Gore for the last day of the Southern Field Days and showed up to the school early in the morning to check out the amenities.
The four covered courts and massive canopy clearly had Mr Luxon very happy — he gave a light-hearted speech to the staff and students of the junior and senior campuses of Māruawai.
Mr Luxon introduced himself as "the person who banned mobile phones across 2500 schools across the country" with a wry smile.
He said the canopy was "possibly the biggest canopy in Australasia" and a "wonderful facility", while lauding the school and encouraging the students to make the most of their time there.
"I hope you know you are in an awesome, awesome school.
"You have amazing teachers.
"They encourage you, they invest in you, wanting to make sure you become the best possible version of yourself you can be."
The covered canopy is a part of large-scale renovations for the school and Mr Luxon said it was a fantastic start for the high school.
"It’s absolutely brilliant, built to a really incredibly high standard.
"It’s a great addition to the school, and of course there’s big need for further investment in the school as well, which will be ongoing," he said.
Mr Luxon said the government was committed to investing in school infrastructure and helping to standardise buildings across the board.
