Wellington's Old Government Buildings are among the world's largest wooden buildings, built in the 1870s to look like stone but framed almost entirely in kauri. The scale is the surprise: it has the presence of a grand colonial office block, but with the material logic of a timber structure.
The building now houses Victoria University of Wellington's law school, so access is limited, but the exterior is worth seeing as part of the Parliament precinct. Pair it with the Beehive and Parliament House across the road.