Serpentine Union Church

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DUNSTAN ROAD 2 TO MOA CREEK VIA THE SERPENTINE CHURCH

Ever since I have owned a 4WD, I have wanted to visit the Serpentine Church, its claim to fame is that it is the highest church in New Zealand, thats in altitude not religious order, it sits in a lovely golden tussock basin an hour or so drive off the Old Dunstan Rd along a deeply rutted track at about 1030 metres or thats well over 3000 feet, the site is only accessible by 4WD vehicles and the road is only open for a few months of the year, for most of the winter the area is covered in snow.

The church was built at the forlorn site of the Serpentine Goldmine. The Serpentine Union church opened in July 1873, the minister was late attending and by the time he arrived the miners gathered had already been down to the hotel for refreshments and had been drinking heavily. After the first hymn was sung the miners in their drunken state demanded an encore, the minister was not impressed, he cut short the service and said that he would never return there for another service. It was later sold to a couple of miners, it has recently been restored by the Department of Conservation

There is a visitors log book in the church, one of the recent entries was for a couple who had been married there, along with their 140 guests they had all arrived by 4WD, the trip in to the church took us 2 hrs on a very rutted and rough mud and gravel road, They must have been very keen 4WDers to go to such a place for a dirty (mud that is) weekend. The only sand between you toes here Jocelyn is mud.

Our trip to the Serpentine area started out, once again from Naseby, we traveled to Paerau then joined the 4WD road at Dunstan Rd No 2 , the scenery in this area is stunning, the road climbs to well over 3000 feet and the views are magnificent, the road was in good condition, very dusty but dry, each time we stopped to open a gate or slowed down to go over a cattle stop we had to close the passenger windows to stop the cloud of dust catching up with us and filling up the cab.

The rock formations are incredible and the countryside is covered in a high country tussock grass and a sharp spikey mountain plant called Spaniard grass, we didn't pass another vehicle for the whole day that we were on this route. An awesome trip, a must see if you have a 4WD vehicle. Our dust covered smiling faces at the end said it all.

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Photos

Serpentine Church
The Church, what an amazing location

Serpentine Church
Sheryll reading the logbook

Comments

[C K Kilford]

Serpentine Hotel/Store 1902-1906 - Hans Graham
A family member owned the Serpentine Hotel/Store 1902-1906 by the name of Hans Graham. Thank you for posting your photos. Perhaps we will get to go there also one day. Is there any info about people who lived in the area?

[MuzzaT]

Serpentine
Hi there. Its a magic place, if you ever get the opportunity to go. I am not aware of any early records, but maybe old directories of Central Otago may show up your family. Are you a genealogist?