Dannevirke mural breathes life into Noah's ark

The hall attached to the Knox Church may be old and unassuming, but a special mural on one wall is as fresh as the day it was painted.

At the back of the old hall, a building getting near to the end of its natural life and rather unassuming looking from the outside, is a wonderful mural that was painted in 2004 but has not been seen by many until now.

In 2004, after a small alteration to enlarge the church's creche, Eve Wright, a local artist and church member, set to work painting the mural for the children to enjoy. She spent many hours not only working in the creche during cold winter months but also researching all the different animals associated with Noah's ark.

"The more you look at this wonderful work of art, the more creatures you spot and you realise the incredible detail that has gone into each animal," parishioner Rachel Southgate said. "The giraffe's blue tongue, the tiger lapping at the river, the sea creatures in the background, the bear catching salmon and New Zealand native animals have all been included. Even Hairy MacLary can be seen frolicking in the foreground." Eve's humour could be seen with her little for-sale signs next to the ark and Mrs Noah hanging out washing on a newly constructed washing line, Rachel said.

With a little help from fellow church member Tom Turner, the mural took three months to complete.

At the moment, there is a shortage of young, pre-school children attending the Knox Church creche on Sunday mornings from 10am. Knox also offers Girls Brigade and a vibrant Youth Group for teenagers from Year 9 upwards.

The programmes are all starting again and, if you are interested, contact Jane Dempster on 374-8795.

And take the time to search out the mural, it will put a smile on your face, and bring joy to your day, Rachel promises.