anglican benedictine abbey of st mark

This is one of those extraordinarily quiet, peaceful places that is a site of spirituality and deserves to be treated with respect if you choose to visit. The Abbey is home to monks and nuns who concentrate on prayer. It is on an elevated site with views of one of the beautiful lakes in the volcanic region around the market town of Camperdown. The building is low-key and modern, set in carefully tended grounds. The monastics support themselves by running a printing press and preparing items for sale in their onsite store and online. They grow lavender, make incense and mount and varnish icons. Calendars with photos of the Abbey and its gardens are available in the months prior to Christmas. Day visitors can sit in the chapel for prayer and contemplation. It is possible to stay in the Abbey's Guest House for a charge (an honorarium). Obviously such a stay would be in the nature of a retreat and guests would be expected to behave appropriately.