HOLY PUB CRAWL - In search of our oldest churches and hotels

by Andr? Hueber
Religion and alcohol might seem like strange bedfellows but Nic Ammundsen reckons it's not uncommon to find the same faces in both places.
The Nelson author has been travelling the country's back roads, including remote locations in Northland, as part of his research on New Zealand's 50 oldest hotels and churches. He hopped in his 1969 white Cadillac and hit the road in the search for New Zealand's "social fibre".
"Pubs and churches were the cornerstones of small communities and were often the first buildings constructed. They were used as meeting places and pulled communities together," he said.
And Northland has provided him with the best.
The region trumps the rest of the country by boasting both the oldest church and the oldest hotel.
The Horeke Tavern at Okaihau in the Far North, accessible only by gravel road, is the country's oldest hotel and was built in 1833, receiving its licence in 1842.
The oldest church, Christ Church at Russell, was built in 1836 and is still regularly used for services.
Four churches and nine hotels in Northland were visited and are likely to appear in the book.
Mr Ammundsen said communities in Northland were more remote than other parts of New Zealand, and pubs and churches could sometimes be up to 50km apart.
"It's amazing to think how far the missionaries stretched their tentacles.
"It shows you how determined they were to convert early New Zealanders to Christianity ... to the point where they'd travel hundreds of miles to remote settlements to spread the word of God."
Northland highlights included the "bizarre" Ratana Church at Mangamuka Bridge, which sat alone in a paddock in the middle of nowhere, Mr Ammundsen said.
"It was unusual to see mystic symbols such as stars and moons in relation to Christianity, which is more associated with stained glass windows, crucifixes and statues of Jesus."
Mr Ammundsen was also impressed with photos of the Towai Tavern showing the entire two-storeyed building sitting on logs and being pulled into position by tractor.
The classic Cadillac has clocked up over 6400km since Mr Ammundsen started his trip in Nelson in November. It acted as "conversational oil" during the journey, he said.
New Zealand churches were full from the outset until the 1960s, when urbanisation started killing small communities and the Christian faith started to wane, Mr Ammundsen said.
"Despite that, all the churches I've visited have been well kept, even in the poorest communities."
While very few churches still held regular services, they were still used for weddings or funerals.
The book is tentatively titled The Backroads and is due to be published just before Christmas.