St. Joseph's Church, Christchurch

This simple stone church, built of locally-quarried stone in 1865, sits overlooking Holy Trinity Anglican, with views of the harbor and hills beyond. It is the oldest stone Catholic church in the South Island. The church's first pastor was a Frenchman. Many of his congregation were Irish settlers who had fled the Potato Famine. The interior is largely unadorned, with whitewashed walls and dark beams of native timber, however there are a few interesting bits of nautical memorabilia, signifying the importance of seafaring to the early New Zealand church.