Prints For Sale: Christ Church, Raukokore

This painting was done before those noble Norfolk Pines were chopped down. The church was built in 1894.

The print is identical to my original drawing that appeared in my book 'Country Churches of New Zealand'.

Size of image is approx 22 cm x 32 cm .

Price is $NZ 49.00 inc. p&p in NZ.

Please contact me at donovan@ihug.co.nz

© DON DONOVAN. donovan@ihug.co.nz 
www. don-donovan.blogspot.co.nz
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Norfolk Pines

This is an old photograph from my archive. It was taken before 3 August 2001 because that was the date when those two Norfolk pines (one behind the other) were felled; they were diseased.

But I have to say that they complemented the handsome church beautifully; it's nowhere near as visually satisfying today.

Funny trees, Norfolk pines; I'm not sure that I like them much as flora, but as designs they are unique. Simon Broadbent, a PhD (engineering and statistics) friend of mine - all left brain - visiting from London, eyeing a perfectly symmetrical one said to me: 'If an engineer were design a tree, that's what it would look like'.

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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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
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