3 Best Sights in Christchurch and Canterbury, New Zealand

After major restoration, a large section of the historic Arts Centre, once a popular cultural venue, has reopened with galleries, theaters, boutique shopping, and dining. Further careful restoration and strengthening is still underway on this fine collection of 23 Gothic Revival stone buildings that were originally built as Canterbury's University.

After the famed Christchurch Cathedral was severely damaged from the 2010–11 earthquakes, the Anglican church's Transitional Cathedral opened to help fill a little of the enormous gap left by the loss. Locals call it the Cardboard Cathedral because it is built largely from 98 cardboard tubes, covered in plastic. It can seat 700 and is the largest "emergency structure" to be designed by award-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who gifted the design (right down to its unusual chairs) to Christchurch. The large triangular window at the front contains images from Christchurch Cathedral's original rose window. Built to last at least 50 years, it has been named by Architectural Digest magazine as one of the world's 10 daring buildings. The striking venue is also used for functions and community events outside of church hours.

The bell in this church's belfry came out with the Canterbury Pilgrims on one of the first four ships and was rung hourly to indicate time for early settlers; it is still rung every day. The original building was the first church to be built in Christchurch. The current white-timber church was built in 1872, entirely of matai, a native black pine, and has 26 English-made stained-glass windows dating back as far as 1858. It's one of the largest timber Victorian Gothic churches in Australasia. The building stood up to the 2010–11 earthquakes, apart from its 1872 Bevington pipe organ, which was badly damaged but has been beautifully restored.