Putiki Church

St Paul's Memorial Church at Putiki was built in 1937 and from outside is an ordinary small weatherboard church - which is the whole effect, because the interior is completely covered in Maori decorative work. Every surface carries carving, tukutuku panels woven in geometric patterns, painted kowhaiwhai rafter designs and stained glass, executed by Whanganui carvers and weavers, so the building reads as a wharenui in the form of an Anglican church. It stands beside Putiki Marae on the site of much earlier mission activity, and the congregation is Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi. Because it is a working church and unattended, it is normally locked: the key is held at the Whanganui i-SITE and visitors collect it, which is an unusually trusting arrangement and one that should be treated accordingly. It is a few minutes across the river from the town centre and takes an hour.

What you actually see

• The carved interior - every surface worked, in a plain shell.
• The tukutuku panels - woven geometric work between the carvings.
• The kowhaiwhai - painted rafter patterns overhead.
• The wharenui form - a meeting house structure in a church building.

When to go

Any season. The church is locked; collect the key from the Whanganui i-SITE during its hours and return it. Not available during services or marae events.

Honest expectations

It is locked and requires collecting a key, so this cannot be done outside i-SITE hours. It is a working church beside a marae - quiet, modest dress, and photography with care. Small, an hour at most.

Nearby

Whanganui city and the Sarjeant Gallery are across the bridge; Durie Hill is close.