Country Churches of NZ 37. Christ Church, Raukokore, Bay of Plenty

I wrote and illustrated Country Churches of New Zealand. It was published in 2002 by New Holland, Publishers and is still on sale in bookshops. The publishers have kindly agreed to me re-publishing some of the book’s images and descriptions in this blog.

CHRIST CHURCH, RAUKOKORE

To see at a distance elegant Christ Church, Raukokore, with its attendant twin Norfolk pines against a sparkling Bay of Plenty was one of the delights of travelling the coast road from Opotiki to East Cape.

Alas, no more - the pines, diseased, were felled on 3 August 2001. I have kept my earlier illustration because of the unique combination of trees and church.

Christ Church was designed and built by Duncan Stirling. Well kept, it is also well used, not only by its Anglican parishioners but also by an odoriferous shuffle of penguins that live beneath its floor.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz
.