Since I was tired from the forest walk in Waiheke Island, I overslept on my fourth day in Auckland, so I decided to take a short trip in Auckland city.
Firstly, I went to i-site, a tourist information center in Sky-city Auckland to book my travel to Matamata area by a coach. Matamata is a place where a Hollywood movie crew shot a mega-hit movie series called "Lord of the ring" and "The hobbit". Matamata is used for filming the Hobbits' village (Hobbiton) called the Shire. From Auckland, getting a highway coach was the best way to get there, so I went to i-site for the booking.
A lady at i-site was very friendly. When I asked to book the coach to Matamata, she realized that I was going to Hobbiton, and she explained to me that booking should be made before going to Matamata and $75 per person was required as its admission fee. Including the admission booking, she kindly arranged my Hobbiton travel by a coach at $129! It was such a reasonable deal!
In excitement towards my Hobbiton travel, I left i-site and got on a bus going around the city. I planned to visit the city's biggest cathedral "Auckland Cathedral of the Holy Trinity". My habit other than visiting Museum (Refer to Day 1 article) is to go to local place for religion, which I believe is one of the key components of the local culture.
I jumped on a bus called "inner link" which goes around the city every 10 minute, to get to the cathedral. Thanks to some New Zelander's information on web, I knew where to get off, so it was an easy trip.
After 20-minute ride, I got off at a stop called "Parnel Road-Cathedral", and I immediately saw many people waiting in front of the church's entrance. They wore formal outfits, and there was a coffin to be put inside a car. It was a funeral.
I didn't want to disturb them, so I went to its backdoor, and then I came to realize that the cathedral was a combination of "cathedral" and "old church". The bigger church called "Auckland Cathedral of the Holy Trinity" is in front and a smaller church "St. Mary's church" is behind.
I went into the cathedral part and met two elder ladies sitting by the entrance. They were the cathedral's officers (later I understood that they were nuns serving in the church). They gave me an instruction card explaining the cathedral's history and told me that I can take photos of whatever I would like, but it should be upon a piece of donation. I am not a christian, but do respect what they believe as God thanks to my christian friends, so I put some coins into a donation box and roamed inside the cathedral.
Huge.
That was what I thought. Simply it was a splendid church.
The old lady approached to me and explained history of the church for me. St. Mary's church was built in 1860 on the opposite side of the Parnel Road but it had to be replaced with a new one as its harsh climate damaged the old church. In 1888, the new church was built and moved to a new site across the road. The old lady told me that the place where the church is currently located was too narrow to do some renovation works, so they built the new church in a different place across the road and literally "pulled" it into the other side on the road by trucks after they put wooden railroad underneath the building.
The church served as a central church in Auckland for church of England. The Holy Trinity Cathedral was established in 1973 and it has been the Cathedral.
I jumped on a bus called "inner link" which goes around the city every 10 minute, to get to the cathedral. Thanks to some New Zelander's information on web, I knew where to get off, so it was an easy trip.
After 20-minute ride, I got off at a stop called "Parnel Road-Cathedral", and I immediately saw many people waiting in front of the church's entrance. They wore formal outfits, and there was a coffin to be put inside a car. It was a funeral.
I didn't want to disturb them, so I went to its backdoor, and then I came to realize that the cathedral was a combination of "cathedral" and "old church". The bigger church called "Auckland Cathedral of the Holy Trinity" is in front and a smaller church "St. Mary's church" is behind.I went into the cathedral part and met two elder ladies sitting by the entrance. They were the cathedral's officers (later I understood that they were nuns serving in the church). They gave me an instruction card explaining the cathedral's history and told me that I can take photos of whatever I would like, but it should be upon a piece of donation. I am not a christian, but do respect what they believe as God thanks to my christian friends, so I put some coins into a donation box and roamed inside the cathedral.Huge.
That was what I thought. Simply it was a splendid church.
The old lady approached to me and explained history of the church for me. St. Mary's church was built in 1860 on the opposite side of the Parnel Road but it had to be replaced with a new one as its harsh climate damaged the old church. In 1888, the new church was built and moved to a new site across the road. The old lady told me that the place where the church is currently located was too narrow to do some renovation works, so they built the new church in a different place across the road and literally "pulled" it into the other side on the road by trucks after they put wooden railroad underneath the building.
The church served as a central church in Auckland for church of England. The Holy Trinity Cathedral was established in 1973 and it has been the Cathedral.
コメント
コメントを投稿