Tuesday 24 April 2012

Tiniest church

I've posted about some the north's oldest churches but today I have something different and, if it were more known about, could be famous.  In New Zealand.  Thanks to my friend, Chris having a camera handy (and not one with a flat battery) I can share with you New Zealand's smallest church.


 I wonder if there is another church built from timber that is 38,000 years old?

Step inside (the door isn't locked) and see the beautiful kauri walls.  Take a pew but don't bring too many friends.  In a church this size there isn't room for a crowd.  They say it seats six adults but I think you could squeeze in seven.


It has lovely stained glass windows:

 

Warren Suckling, otherwise known as the Kumara Man, built the tiny church in six weeks. Thanks, Warren, I think it is quite wonderful.


It sits on a long narrow piece of land just off the road to Te Kopuru and Pouto, surrounded by a white picket fence and lovely garden.

You can wander and admire the huge whimsical kiwi:


or look at the old kumara harvester. 


A team of workers were harvesting kumara in an adjoining paddock and the modern version is much different.

(self propelled 10 man kumara harvester.
photo courtesy of Crompton Engineering)

I don't really understand why the kiwi and harvester and other things were there.  I would have been happy to just see the charming little church.   

3 comments:

  1. It's a lovely little church. (Just the right size!) I had no idea what kumaras were, had to look it up. "Food for the spirit, food for the body?" ;) Thanks for sharing!

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  2. A rather curious sense of humour judging by the Church's sign. I noticed that there is no harmonium.

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