Arson destroys couple's dream of church bach

Arson has wrecked a Christian family's dream of spending summers by the sea in a converted church.

The Monday night fire, in Waimarama near Havelock North, also upset the wedding plans of neighbours of the church, which was burnt to the ground.

Jonathan and Cheryl Jervis, who moved to New Zealand from England six years ago, had bought an old Catholic church which had been shifted on to the site in Harper Rd.

Conversion of the building into a four-bedroom bach was nearly complete and they had planned to take it over tomorrow.

"It's tragic," Mr Jervis said yesterday. "That history can't be replaced; the church was about 50 years old.

"We are a Christian family and the fact that this was a church was an extra special bonus for us."

Last week, builders' tools had been stolen from the site, and an attempt made to set fire to the building. Mr Jervis said it was "very strange" that anyone would want to burn down his special bach, which still retained the appearance of a church.

"We were very pleased with the conversion," he said. "We were there on Saturday and we saw the new kitchen and bedrooms; it was fantastic." He and his wife, in their late 40s, and sons aged two, seven and 14, were enjoying the Kiwi lifestyle and loved the idea of summers at the beach.

The building was insured and he hoped they could get a new bach built for next summer.

Piper Construction director Sharn Piper, who oversaw the conversion, said the fire damaged a neighbour's house where a wedding was planned for early next month.

The company had promised to have the house fixed in time.

- © Fairfax NZ News