Crane needed to reach spire of St Mary's Church at Upokongaro near Whanganui

A crane was needed to enable the five-hour paint job. Photo / Bevan Conley

Painter Mark Geill had a tip top job on January 9.

It was a fine morning and he was painting the very top of the spire of St Mary's Church at Upokongaro, near Whanganui. The view downriver was awesome and he is used to being up high.

"It's no big deal. We do spend a bit of time higher than most people do," Geill said.

Geill works for painting company Allan Tong, and when the Chronicle came by he was spraying black paint on the cross at the very top of the spire, aloft in a cherry picker dangled by an Emmetts Civil Construction crane.

The spire had been waterblasted and the painting was expected to take five hours. The Tong business has painted the whole church.

Painter Mark Geill was up in the air to paint the cross atop St Mary's Church in Upokongaro. Photo / Bevan Conley

Painting the exterior is part of a bigger renovation project, Friends of St Mary's chairman John Dalziel said. The stained-glass windows have been re-cemented, and rotten weatherboards and spouting replaced by Littlefair Building.

The group had also planned a toilet in the grounds of the well-used church. It hosts services at 11am on the second Sunday of each month, and MV Wairua skipper Sam Mordey guides groups through it two or three times a week during summer.

"He does a good job for Upokongaro, whereas the Waimarie comes up and doesn't stop. It just turns around and goes back again," Dalziel said.

However, he's no longer planning a toilet for the church because Whanganui District Council wants a public toilet in Upokongaro. The riverside village is likely to be busier when a new bridge is installed for the Mountains to Sea cycleway. The Chronicle has asked the council for an update on when the bridge will be in place.

All that's left in the church renovation project is new baseboards for the building and new shingles for the lych gate.

St Mary's is the oldest church still on its original site in the Whanganui District. It was designed by architect Edward Morgan.

The money for its renovation came from fundraising and grants from trusts and foundations.