Rt Rev Dr David Coles, who has represented Australia and New Zealand for 18 years on the board of St George's College, was in Jerusalem for the college's annual conference earlier this month when staff arranged for guests to visit several archeological digs of locations with biblical references, including the narrow Hezekiah Tunnels, built beneath the city in 250BC to safeguard the water supply in case of attack, and a significant part of the ancient Siloam Pool, which features in the story of Christ healing a blind man.
"This time we had an Israeli-American archaeologist who showed us some of the new excavations in the old City of David, the first settlement in Jerusalem, which goes back 1000 years before Christ.
"They had just unearthed some 2000-year-old Roman pavements in almost mint condition, which would have been used at the time of Jesus and had been covered by rubble."
Mr Coles preached twice at St George's Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem - first to a Palestinian congregation, when his sermon was translated into Arabic, and then to an English-speaking congregation.
"This year is the 60th anniversary of the modern state of Israel and there are great celebrations about that.
"But it's also the 60th anniversary of the removal of 750,000 Palestinians, what they call "The Nakba", which is Arabic for 'The Catastrophe'."
Mr Coles was installed as the 35th Vicar of Wakatipu by Bishop of Dunedin, George Connor, on April 12.
The vicar has adapted from supervising 150 churches and 240 clergy as the Bishop of Christchurch to looking after three Wakatipu churches and working with a non-stipendiary priest.
"I turned 65 on Easter Day and decided 18 years was a long time to be in a senior leadership role.
"Next month, 600 Anglican leaders from around the world meet in Canterbury, in England, for the Lambeth Conference, which is held once every 10 years, and I thought it good to allow another bishop to have that experience."
However, Mr Coles said he was not ready to stop and decided to return to parish ministry outside the Christchurch diocese.
He and his wife Joy looked at options in the North Island and Europe, but when they met Parish nominators last September and spent an extra day exploring the Wakatipu, "Queenstown chose us", he said.
"It was a glorious spring day, the lake was like a millpond, fresh snow on the mountains and the sun was shining.
We were converted on the road to Glenorchy.
"I remember saying to Joy there is no more beautiful place than this. I don't think a lot of New Zealanders appreciate the beauty and relatively untouched nature of it."
