Ruataniwha Kaiapoi Civic Centre

Don't leave town without walking through the new focal point of Kaiapoi. Described as ‘a living room and meeting point for the local community in a single building', the Warren and Mahoney-designed civic facility opened in 2015 and houses the council's service centre, the library, museum and art gallery – Art on the Quay. Its snazzy museum is an essential experience – the fascinating exhibit outlining the story of the town's historic woollen mills is not to be missed and did you know that former prime minister Norman Kirk was once Kaiapoi's mayor? The striking contemporary structure unfolds towards the river and the town's main retail space, and its opening represented an important moment in Kaiapoi's post-earthquake recovery. 176 Williams Street, Kaiapoi. (03) 375 5009.