The search for a little church goes on

FINGERS CROSSED: Stephanie Sommers is hoping someone can identify this small Far North/Northland church.

Dunedin woman Stephanie Sommers first saw the picture of the little church, apparently somewhere near Ahipara, more than 20 years ago. Since then she has dreamed of finding it - she still does - and is now hoping that a Northland Age reader will be able to tell her where it is.

It all began in 1993, when Stephanie took an Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Sydney. Each passenger received a postcard, hers showing a little white church sitting in a field of yellow flowers.

Her immediate thought was that her future had something to do with a church and a retreat. A month later she was offered a job managing a women's halfway house in Hawke's Bay. On the property was a little white church, but not this one.

"The job only lasted a year, and I mentally filed my vision under 'forget it', put the postcard inside a book, packed the book in a box and forgot them both," she said.

"In 1994 I moved to the United States, and the box of books, along with my other possessions, went with me. I returned to New Zealand in 2013, and in August last year I went back to the States to retrieve some of my belongings. When the postcard 'fell out' of a book I got quite a surprise - I hadn't laid eyes on it in 20 years. I don't ever remember reading the back of it: 'Church near Ahipara, North Island. Photo Robin Morrison.'

"Another thought occurred to me - maybe my 'vision' wasn't about A church but THIS church, so I decided to find it."

She made some phone calls and researched the internet, without success. One person told her that the church had been destroyed by a tornado.

"That news almost put me off the trail, but I couldn't accept that this vision had lived in my heart for all those years just so I could learn that it had been turned into kindling by a tornado," she said.

"I decided not to give up, and have thrown reason out the window. If this church no longer exists I want to know where it was and what happened to it."

In October last year Stephanie travelled to the UK and Europe, and obeyed a strange urge to take the postcard with her. And from Los Angeles to London, a quirk of fate had her sitting next to the manager of Air New Zealand's long-haul flight crew.

"She was amazed when I pulled the card out of my bag, and thrilled when she saw the Air NZ logo on it. She suggested I write a story about the card and my quest to find the church," she said.

"In January I flew to Auckland and drove up to Ahipara to begin my search in person. I went down every road in the area while I waited for the Kaitaia Museum archivist to return to work. She told me she thought the church was not in the Ahipara area, took a copy of the image, and promised to help find its location. She also told me about Robin Morrison (1944-93) and what happened to him - I've since become enamoured of his work.

"She searched the archives and spoke to many locals from the Ahipara, Herekino and Kaitaia areas but uncovered no clues. She then suggested I contact the Northland Age in the hope that someone from the wider community might be able to help find it.

"Should any information come to light I will be most willing to return and learn of it first-hand."

Anyone who can help is asked to contact the Northland Age, or to email Stephanie (stef.lev2613@gmail.com)

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Robin Morrison is described as best known for his unpretentious portrayal of the New Zealand countryside, everyday life and quirky architecture. His entire collection of negatives was bequeathed to the Auckland Museum.