Removing the church from its overgrown hillside was a difficult and occasionally nerve-wracking job.
Once the vegetation had been cleared the church was cut into sections and lifted over a tree using a monster 100-tonne crane. The heaviest piece weighs more than 5 tonnes.
The three sections were lowered gingerly onto a truck, two on their side due to height restrictions en route, then driven slowly south starting Monday evening.
Towai digger driver Andy Burhenne, who was christened in the church in 1966, said it had been closed for many years due to a dwindling congregation.
Previous plans to shift it to Poroti or alongside the Catholic church in Moerewa had fallen through.
"I'm sorry to see it go, but it was so neglected and overgrown even half the locals had forgotten it was here. This way it'll be preserved and get a new life," he said.
New owners Katherine and Dan Beauchamp plan to turn it into boutique accommodation on their Waiheke property, which they will call Chapel Hill. It will be located on a hill surrounded by grapevines.
Mr Beauchamp said they had stumbled on the building when the Catholic church listed it on TradeMe last year. They checked it out and, to their surprise, won the tender.
Two earlier attempts to move the church had to be postponed because the ground was too wet.
"It's been a fun project but getting all the resource consents was pretty stressful. It's going to get a new home. We want to give a place to rest and show it a bit of love," he said.
Watch the last section being lowered on to a truck:
Mrs Beauchamp said she was carrying on a family tradition. Her father, Jim Mason, had helped rescue Devonport's historic Victoria Theatre and the steam ferries Ngoiro and Toroa.
The tricky removal was done by Northland companies with Whangarei's Atlas Cranes doing the lifting and Anderson Building Removals of Kaiwaka getting the church to its new home.
Once the church reached the company's yard in Kaiwaka it was split into two loads for the trip through Auckland. The first left on November 5 with the second due to follow on November 8. The barge is due to leave Kawakawa Bay on November 10.
Originally the church was to have been on Waiheke by November 5 but it was delayed by the decision to split the load over two trips plus a poor marine forecast.
The church was built by parishioners and opened in 1933.
- Mrs Beauchamp is curious to know where the church altar and pews ended up and what they looked like. Email her on katherinemason1@gmail.com if you have any photos or information.
