Pony rides, a donkey to pat, colouring palm branches, sharing hot cross buns around a table, and families washing one another’s feet — these were all part of the Easter Trail that started at The Anchor Church on Good Friday.
The event was run in partnership with the local Anglican Church and Baptist Church, with around 200 people taking part. Families moved through a series of interactive stations that helped bring the Easter story to life, beginning the journey at The Anchor and continuing to the crucifixion and resurrection at the other churches.
The trail began with a Palm Sunday station remembering Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. From there families explored moments from the final days of Jesus’ life, including a foot-washing station and a table set to remember the Last Supper, where fruit and hot cross buns were shared.
While the event was lively and energetic, there were also some special moments. Brittany Te Kira, who helped run the trail, said the foot washing station stood out.
“It’s amazing watching families do this together,” she said. “I saw children washing their parents’ feet, parents washing their children’s feet, and even grandparents washing their grandchildren’s feet and praying over them.”
Most of those who came were Christian families, but there were also people from the wider community who had seen the event on social media or heard about it through Mainly Music.
Brittany said that when the church recently reflected on highlights from the past year, one parent mentioned how significant the Easter Trail had been for their family.
“She said her kids understood so much more about what Easter means because they had experienced the story through the trail.”
