Christchurch Cathedral

Today I visited Christchurch Cathedral, the namesake of the city of Christchurch. The name comes from the Oxford University college of Christ Church, and the plan for the Anglican cathedral preceded even the foundation of the city in 1850. A helpful brochure gives a quick overview of the history and current activities of the church. (Click on any of the photos above to enlarge.)

After services on Sunday morning, I had a private tour with Peter Dawe, a guide and guardian in the employ of the church. He explained every detail of the cathedral from its conception to its construction. You can see Peter above pulling the cover down over the baptismal font. Also pictured above are various architectural details throughout the cathedral, including the bench mark, the altar decorated for Pentecost, one of the four ships depicted on the cathedral floor to represent the first four ships to arrive and settle the city, and the stained-glass Christ whose face was replaced mid-20th century with darker glass to reflect the Middle-Eastern-ness of Jesus. (The forgot to do his hands and feet, though.)

During the coffee hour after the service, I got to meet the Dean of the Cathedral, Peter Beck! He sought me out and made sure I had a cup of coffee, and I think he thought I was a Christchurch newcomer rather than a tourist. He was very nice, though, and kind enough to pose for a picture with me. He explained to me that the Anglican church in New Zealand was not directly connected to the Church of England. "We are part of the Anglican Communion," he explained, "just like the Episcopal Church. Or I should say, just like the Episcopal Church for now!"

I returned to the cathedral later than afternoon for an organ recital, which was mildly interesting but a bit of a letdown since most of the organ's pipes are covered with sheets of plastic while the cathedral's roof is being replaced (see photo below). The organist was Hungarian, and it was hard to see him because he sat way up in a balcony. After every song, though, he peeked his head around for applause. He had a kind of alarming, Addams-family-esque moustache.

I left the concert at intermission, and stood out in the square for awhile watching this chess game. The guy playing white ended up winning. An older guy sitting on a bench to the left couldn't help but call out moves to both players. I have a little video of a minute or two of the chess game (exciting, I know, but it's my first movie), so one day when I figure out how to upload videos, you can hear the church bell and the seagulls (which act sort of like pigeons in the city), and maybe even almost feel how cold it is outside! If you enlarge the photo and look at the building in the background on the left, you'll see America's ubiquitous mark: Starbuck's. I passed two of them on the three-block walk from the bus station to Cathedral Square.

Monday's plan: rent a car and drive to Lake Tekapo (three hours - see the map to the right). Gail might even give me a driving lesson in her "wee beemah" (sound it out). Tomorrow is a national holiday here: the Queen's birthday.