The Statue of Mary is one of the most dramatic landmarks on the Kapiti Coast. It is a 14 metre high statue of the Virgin Mary on the 75 metre knoll above the old St Patrick's Church. It was commissioned by the parish priest, Father J.S. Dunn in 1958 to mark the 100th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes.
A Dutch artist, Martin Roestenberg, built the statue, one of the largest in the world of its kind. He moulded the 2 metre high head at his home at Taihape. At the site, a crane lifted it onto scaffolding. The statue grew from the head downward as layers of plaster-of-paris were applied to scrim and moulded into the shape of draperies. A small door in the base gives access to a trapdoor leading up to the head. Through a winter of cold gales the artist perservered until, in August 1958, the massive statue was completed with its crown of 17 lights. When floodlit, its sparkling halo is visible for kilometres.
Later, to protect it from vandalism and weathering, the statue was protected by several layers of fibreglass. 'Stations of the Cross' scenes of Christ's passion in mosaics, were placed beside the hilltop path.
To reach the statue take the walking track which begins in Tongariro Street at the Waypoint provided. It is a short, sharp zig zag walk of 5-10 minutes to reach the top. Trees have grown to obscure most of the view but there are glimpses of Paraparaumu and Kapiti Island from the track.
Requirements to log your find:
To log this cache simply post a photo or selfie of yourself, your GPS or something with your geocaching name on it, from the posted coordinates showing the statue behind you.
Enjoy your visit.
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Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.