Tiny church going cheap and comes with a hops garden

Monday, August 12th, 2024

The tiny town of Tuapeka, about an hour and a half out of Dunedin, has more than its fair share of World Famous in New Zealand moments.

Firstly, it’s got the only public river punt ferry in the Southern Hemisphere at Tuapeka Mouth, run – when river and weather allow – by ferryman and UK transplant Tom Jones. Secondly, it’s also home to the southernmost heritage hops garden in the world, grown by Jones.

The hops garden is located at the tiny St Augustine’s Church, a 106-year-old de-consecrated Catholic church on Tuapeka Mouth Rd, which belongs to Jones and his Kiwi wife, Vicki Yarker-Jones, a nurse educator. Continue reading

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