Our Journey

Built in 1921 from almost entirely native heart rimu, Waikākā Church began its life in the rural town of Waikākā, Eastern Southland, where it served as a Presbyterian church. By 2020, the aging timber building was at a crossroads, facing either costly upgrades or demolition. Instead, it was granted a new chapter.
100 years later - in March 2021, the entire 160-square metre church — bell tower and all — was carefully transported 170km across the South Island to its new home on Coronet Peak Station Road near Queenstown. The complex move, which involved navigating winding roads like the Devil’s Staircase, was featured on the TV series “Moving Houses”, and captured the imagination of locals and national media alike.
Since arriving in Queenstown, the church has been lovingly restored by Brett & Hollis Giddens and reimagined as a one-of-a-kind venue, preserving its heritage charm while embracing modern event functionality.
A black and white photo of a smiling man with shoulder-length hair and a beard next to a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and striped dress, with a table in the foreground and a shelf with various items in the background.
Young boy in a navy blue jacket and orange pants holding a toy shovel, standing on dirt at a construction site with an orange excavator in the background and mountains under a cloudy sky.
A house elevated on stilts, with damage to the roof and white siding, situated on a muddy ground with debris, and a cloudy sky in the background.
A rural construction site with a small white church, construction vehicles, building materials, and an organized grid of concrete pillars, with rolling hills, trees, and a creek in the background.
Interior of a building under renovation with wooden walls, arched windows, and metal scaffolding for construction work.
A room under renovation with a partially removed floor, workers installing scaffolding, and large windows, including a pointed arch window at the far end, with some wood paneling on the walls and a high, weathered ceiling.
Interior of a church or large room under renovation with a high, dark wooden ceiling, arched windows, hardwood floor, and various construction tools and supplies, including a scaffold, paint cans, and a vacuum cleaner.
An empty large hall with wooden floors, six arched windows with blue stained glass, a raised platform at the far end, a wooden-paneled vaulted ceiling, a ceiling fan, and light-colored walls with white trim.
A shiny metallic bell with the inscription "A & T BURTLE MAKERS N.Z." on it, placed outdoors on a wooden board, with green grass, a wire fence, and mountainous landscape in the background.
Interior view of a wooden building under construction, showing large arched windows with a landscape of mountains and greenery outside. There are scaffolding and construction materials inside, including a rolled-up piece of material, a water bottle,
Construction site with a wooden deck framework being built outside a house, scaffolding surrounding the house, and trees in the background with a sunny sky and clouds.
Child in a pink jacket walking along a gravel and grass driveway lined with trees and bushes, with mountains and a church in the background under a cloudy sky.