Country Churches of NZ 40. St. Matthew’s, Tuparoa, East Cape

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.

ST. MATTHEW’S, TUPAROA

St Matthew’s lies eastwards from Ruatoria at the end of a winding road the last part of which fords and re-fords a small stream.

The isolated church sits on hills behind the beach, its east window looking out over a glittering sea. On the still, bright day of my pilgrimage it rose up proudly from a bed of dry summer grasses.

It’s at its best at a distance, for close up it shows its age - one of its wooden buttresses had fallen away completely on the north side. It was locked; heaven only knows why. Churches were once sanctuaries…

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz
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