Christchurch, Capital of the Canterbury region and the largest city on the South Island, boasts a population of 306,000. Named after an Oxford college, it still has the feel of a traditional English university town, yet it is also a centre of cultural diversity, with a continental café scene and a distinct Kiwi identity of its own. A lively bar and restaurant nightlife has emerged recently, as well as scenes in the visual arts, theatre, music and street entertainment. Many of the outdoor activities for which New Zealand is famous are accessible from Christchurch, including rafting, paragliding, ballooning and mountain biking. Laid out in a grid pattern, Christchurch is a low-rise city, with the cathedral spire in the city centre serving as a useful landmark. The architecture is predominantly nineteenth century Gothic, a style which still inspires the more modern buildings. The coastal suburbs of New Brighton and Sumner provide access to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean